01/02/2010 - Avastin 2.5

At 8:30 this morning, I received my 5th dose of Avastin in what I consider to be the 2nd series (hence 2.5). Again, it was uneventful (good), as it was delivered intravenously over about 45 minutes.


Avastin 2.5 being delivered
I don't know if it was related or not, but I slept for a couple of hours when Laura and I got home.

Oh yeah, a very small happening, but the first time I've posted the same day as the event occurred in a long time...

12/31/09 - Happy New Year!

Hoping you all have a happy and healthy 2010!

12/31/09 - On Coldness...

I've said it before, I'm sensitive to cold, especially after my cancer treatments. So, this post is basically poking fun at myself.

I grew up outside of Pittsburgh, PA, and I stayed there until I was 24. So, I encountered some pretty cold times in the past. Just that upbringing should bring me embarrassment now. I remember one time when my brother and I broke through a portion of a frozen creek (only about 2.5' deep, but we were probably 4.5' tall at the time), we played in the creek's ice water for what seemed like hours... There are MANY other instances of being out in the very cold weather that I can cite.

Fast-forward 30 Years. When I rode my "hog" up to Walmart, the temperature was in the mid-50s. I dressed as if it was 20 degrees colder. On top, a regular T-shirt, a heavy long-sleeved one, and a heavy fleece. On the bottom, long underwear and jeans, and normal tennis shoes. I also wore gloves, as I thought the windchill created by riding my bike might be hard to endure (ok, just cold).


My cycling outfit from 12/23
I have many friends spread throughout the country that should laugh at this. Colorado, Utah, Pennsylvania(of course), Connecticut and more. About 10 days ago, I was talking to a friend in Hartford, CT, and I mentioned it was 67 degrees in my living room, he laughed and said his thermostat was SET at 67. Laura recently talked to one of her aunts in Delaware, and she said that she set her thermostat to 63 degrees. Wow, I guess I need to tolerate more cold...

Right now, it is 60. Tonight, for New Year's Eve, they are forecasting 63 degrees with a 30% chance of rain. (That's cold)

12/23/09 - Bike Ride

Posted 12/31 - still December! Still 2009! Along came Wednesday, 12/23, no one was available to take me to the store. So, I decided to ride my "hog" (recumbent trike). It was fairly cold for here, likely the mid 50s, and I put on layers of clothes to combat it.


Me on the "hog," dressed warmly. Why are there tropical plants in the background?
I first rode up to Walmart, to get a present for Laura (hoping they still had one in stock). I had seen it just the day before, but I was with Laura, and I didn't want her to see it... I bought it and left. By the time I was leaving Walmart (only about 5 minutes) I was hot, so I shed my outer heavy fleece layer.


My GPS route
Next, I rode down to Starbucks to get another item for my father's girl friend, Karen. I purchased the item I had in mind. Walmart and Starbucks are visible as the two rightmost points on my "journey" as captured by my GPS. The entire track was about 8.25 miles.

In the picture of my hog far above, you can see the relatively small basket behind the seat. I managed to cram Laura's gift in there with my heavy fleece, and Karen's gift - magical! Luckily, Laura's gift was a highly compactable sock monkey, although he was about four foot tall! For anyone that doesn't know, she collects sock monkeys...

Oh, I almost forgot. The very next day, Laura came home from work all excited because a coworker had bought her a giant sock monkey - from Walmart, of course! I wasn't wasn't quick enough to put a good face on. Anyhow, she opened my gift on Christmas day, and now we have "twins." She won't give up either one...


Sock Monkey triplets
The day after Christmas, we got a third matching monkey that Laura had bought for a coworker on Ebay... He had a place to go, or we would have "triplets," as shown above.