May 31, 2024: jgwkia has moved to substack


JGWKIA (jg will kick its ass) has moved to substack. You can access (and subscribe to) it by clicking here.

The full URL to my substack is http://jgwkia.substack.com/. There will be no more new posts here, and eventually jgwkia.com will point there, not here. Bye bye Blogger!




Twas the Tues before xmas

Blogging Tunes: Bob Marley - Legend

It's been several days since the intensive "chemo round 2" finished -- so how am I feeling?


It's actually pretty hard to quantify.  There's a reason this is a one-month stay and not a two-week stay: the weeks following the chemo can be pretty rough.  My counts are still extremely low which is good in terms of how I responded to the chemo, but it also means I'm extremely weak and tired most of the time.

I'm definitely better than last week, but I still have very little appetite.  All I'm able to really eat is cereal with milk, and sometimes peaches and cottage cheese.  Everything else just makes me nauseous.  Now, you may think the latter sounds gross, but when I was a little kid, P&C is all I ate.  I was the strangest little kid when it came to food.  One time, we when out to a Chinese restaurant, and my parents actually had the restaurant arrange the peaches and cottage cheese as if it were a real dish that came from the kitchen.  Funny stuff.

Obviously the highlight of the weekend was the Miracle at the New Meadowlands.  Even if you're not a football fan, you gotta read about this one.  With 8 minutes left in the game, the Eagles trailed the Giants 31-10 and the rest is history.

I watched the first quarter with my brother.  He and my niece (Lauren) came to visit from 12/15 to 12/19.


They stayed at our new house in San Rafael.  Lauren was bummed that Floyd wasn't around -- Floyd is staying with his Gramma in Massachusetts at the moment -- but she really took to Orion.


How friggin cute are they?  Dave got HLA-typed (to see if he's a bone marrow match for me)... we'll know in about a week.  Blood siblings have a 25% chance of being a match.  If he's not a match, we'll have to search the database for a match.  If you want to throw your hat in the ring, just go to marrow.org -- it looks pretty simple.

What else... oh, the gave me a stationary bike (Spinning).  I've been riding for 15 minutes twice a day.  Usually wrecks me, but I need the exercise.




Want to visit?  It's gonna be a pretty lonely next couple of weeks, so if you want to visit, drop me an email or text and let's figure out a time.  Jimmy (from Doppelganger) came by yesterday (unannounced) -- it was great to see ya, buddy, but you definitely lucked out timing-wise.  I would hate for someone to come all the way over here, and then, for whatever reason, I'm unavailable.

Lastly, I want to point out that I'm leaving out a lot details that I don't think any of you really want to hear.  Feel free to comment on this post and tell me if you want more (not so pretty) info, or if this is the right level of update.

Hope to see some of you soon.  For everyone else, have a great holiday and new year.  And, of course, GO EAGLES!

I will kick its ass,

-jg

Comments

  1. would love to visit over the next couple weeks, I'm around, just need to shake a bad bug I got myself before i come by! Missing you big time at work, hang in there, I'm going to be getting marrow typed in a couple weeks

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  2. Hey John - Yes, yes, yes! Keep on sounding more energized — I'll be visits from David and Lauren are every bit as potent as those bags of chemicals they've got pumping through you. I'm on the registry, so if Dave isn't a match, hopefully I will be. I thought of you when I saw the sorrowful headline on the NYT sports page when the Eagles ripped the Giants.
    love, claudia

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  3. Hey, Buddy! Glad to see you're keeping your spirits up. Congrats on the Eagles. It was pretty unbelievable. The Giants kinda remind me of the Mets (the same but different), ya know? Anyhow, If Heather hasn't already told you, LLB and I are coming out for a visit in a couple of weeks. We arrive late on Friday 1/7 and will see you on the 8th and/or 9th depending on how much of us you can handle. Until then, keep kicking it's ass!!!

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  4. Hey JG! Wish I could come visit, can't do it now thoz.. I'll have to just aim for a later date.. you know.. when you're better :) :)

    Anyhoo.. had to tell you that you are not the only one who was an extremely picky lil eater who favored peaches and cottage cheese!!! My youngest - Linnea.. she will eat practically nothing but that! Maybe a bite or two of something here and there.. IF we're lucky :p But yeh, shoulda seen her Thanksgiving plate - big ol' mound of Cottage Cheese! Thought you'd be happy to know there is another lil person out there with your food taste!

    Keep kickin' ass JG, healing thoughts I'm sending... no.. FLOODING your way. <3 T

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  5. The funny thing is that John and I look very little alike, or so I thought and/or have been told. However, with a little chemo weight loss and hair cut/loss, there is more of a resemblance! See John, positives in everything, you now look more like me! BTW--the peaches and cottage cheese in the silver chinese food dish occurred more than once, at least by my recollection. Lauren brought the picture of her and Orion to school today. If she misses school to go anywhere, she is required to bring in something from the trip and explain what she did. Hang in there BoM. dg

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  6. Great post. Sounds like you're in good spirits! Shoo.

    Please feel free to share more gory details.. but mostly it's just good to get a bead on your overall state. Thanks for continuing to post.

    Dude.. Just found a recap of the Meadowlands game on YouTube. WOW!! Really fun to watch. Glad you got to experience that. Gave me chills watching the turn around. Hope this vid is still up: http://youtube.com/watch?v=jYyfhhSuqw4

    Dunno if Heather told you but I bought tix to come see you 3rd week of Jan!! Can stay with my 97 yr old grandma in San Rafael while I'm there. I'll be there for a few days so can see you any day or two in the Th,Fr,Sa 20,21,22 timeframe. Whatever works for your energy level. Will definitely help H with garage stuff or whatever is needed while I'm there. Can't wait!

    Fingers crossed that David is a match!!

    You wirr kir its prace!
    Goiggles

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  7. Thinking about you, neighbor, all of the time- can't wait to fire up the barby with the families!! I really appreciate the chance to see how you're doing- it really keeps folks connected to you, and I thank you again for keeping a blog.

    xoxo Sarah

    p.s. am in love with that Orion!

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  8. Add as much details as you are comfortable with. I love reading about how you are doing. Its the replacement for spending time with you. I will come see you soon.

    The eagles turn around was crazy. Thanks jaxxon for posting the link. I went in the gym and the score was 24-10 and by the time I came out they were tied up. Couldn't believe it.

    Much love.

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  9. I gotta vote for Gaurav's tone. I'm up for all you want to talk about. Def here to listen and share in the journey.

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  10. JG - glad to see your spirits are high. sad to see your strength so low but i am sure you will get the strength back. love the kick its ass attitude! all of the gallaghers are rooting for you here in PA. Hang in! hope you get to enjoy your holidays despite your current residence. new home looks great. look forward to visiting. all the best!

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  11. Whoa, the sight of all those IV bags just made it all the more real. Jeez, JG. We think about you and your family a lot and send our prayers and good wishes your way.
    The Pullaras

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  12. Thinking about you, John. I hope Heather and the boys are holding up - and I hope you're still basking in the glory of DJ and the Birds. If you take it back to the Flyers-Bruins series, we've been treated to a special sports year in Philadelphia, including a LOT of amazing comebacks. Here's to your remission: one more BIG comeback in '10 (or very early '11).

    As to your level of detail, I think it has to be what makes you comfortable. I'm interested in hearing what you're going through - and I fully understand it to be gory and unpleasant, to say the least - but only if you want to share and only to that extent.

    Merry X-mas, John. More importantly - let's make it a HAPPY new year.

    Go Birds. Go Flyers. Go JG.

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  13. I love the aftermath and finger pointing of the NY Giants collapse. That's a tough town, media-wise, to fail at sports. This story's almost as good as the Rex Ryan story!

    Like Benjy, I've been shaking this lingering cold that's been going around SF. I've KIA, though, I'll be by a bunch.

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  14. Just wanted to say two things. First, I was up here in my office and thinking about you and your family as I make crazy last minute preparations (East coast time) for tomorrow's secular Jewnitarian Jewniversalist pagan-and-solstice-centric-but-still-with-the-obligatory-commercial-component Christmas morning. And I was pondering on how fortunate I am to be dealing with my little stresses and troubles, when others I love are in much more difficult situations. And better yet, that even as challenging as YOU have it right now, I know for a fact that you are fully aware of just how many blessings you have in your life, and that you are surrounded by light, no matter how dark given moments may seem.

    And as I was thinking this, Touch of Grey came on shuffle, out of the 13,560 possible tunes iTunes could have played for me from that playlist. This one is clearly going out to you, my friend. Hand-picked by a force greater than you, me OR Steve Jobs. No coincidences.

    Oh, the second thing? Shabbat Shalom and Merry Christmas, man. Big love to you and your lovely family, and may we soon raise a glass of cheer to the troubles we've put behind us. If I might paraphrase a wise man, it's all part of the AKOWHN in the vast, vast what's-his-name, my dear friend.

    Here's to a better 2011.

    Love,
    The Grand Cccccccchhabib
    (Duda circumstances beyond my control...)

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  15. Happy Holidays, John.

    We're both sending you and Heather all the love and good vibes possible. When does this current month-long stay wrap up?

    Hugs from TX,

    -Meko

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  16. Merry Christmas, John. Good to hear you feeling better after the second round. Going to get myself set up on the donor registry - is there something I can do to get myself matched against you? Much love to you and re whole family!

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