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How 'Bout a Goldfish?

Blogging tunes: ATL@PHI on FOX via Slingbox on second monitor

Lots of good news and some not-so-great news to report on this edition of jgwkia. The Phish fans in the house may have an idea of one of the pieces of bad news from the blog title. The rest of you will have to read on.

Before I get to the obligatory health update, I will take a moment to report that this is the first blog entry from the new "garoffice". yeP!, the portion of the garage that we converted to the office is pretty much done -- enough for me to set up the basics, at least.

Blog prep on left monitor; Phils via Slingbox on right

Network, etc. (for now)

Over the top of the monitors, you can see a slice of the backyard. Since there's a huge window along the East wall, we'll get natural light, fresh air, and view of the redwoods. As you can see in the bottom pic (both pics, actually) there are wires everywhere -- not good. We need to tweak a few things and drill a bunch more holes in the desk and the shelves so that we can keep the wires out of sight. I'll keep you posted.

Speaking of fresh air, it is going to be picture perfect in San Rafael for the next 10 days at least.

San Rafael - mid to high 70s; cool lows

San Fran? A little chilly for my tastes.

San Francisco: same lows, but highs barely crackin' 60

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, "But SF rules! You're out in nowhere-ville now, jg. Besides, I like the fog!" Whatever. We lived there 11 years, remember? Can't imagine going back now that we've experienced Marin.

OK, on to the health update. Basically, things are continuing to go well. The flow-cytometry etc. all looks good. I'm in full remission and, and as expected, my doctors have reduced my Tacrolimus. It's only a small reduction -- instead of taking 1 in the morning and 1 at night, I take 0.5 in the morning and 1 at night. I guess that's actually a pretty big reduction percentage-wise. The point of reducing the Tac is so that my new immune system can start to get a little more active and so we can see how well it does with my body.

Keep in mind that the remission doesn't really have much to do with the transplant. In fact, I was in remission before the transplant. It's the intense chemo that has kept the leukemia away. Now, as long as the new immune system plays nice with my body, if leukemia comes back, the new immune system will just gobble it up like any other thing-that's-not-supposed-to-be-there.

I haven't seen a noticeable energy increase yet (specifically due to Tac reduction, I mean) but I do feel like the energy has been up over the last couple weeks.  I'm still losing weight -- I'm down to 144 which is not good -- but I feel like the appetite is coming back a little, so hopefully we can turn that around.

I am managing to take a walk every day. On days when Floyd doesn't have school, sometimes he'll ride when I walk. He's getting pretty confident on his little bike:

Truckin' - Floyd style

The one not-so-good thing to report is... well, remember that kidney stone from when I was about to be released from the hospital? Well, even though the pain went away and the folks on my team thought that I probably passed it -- believe me, I knew I hadn't -- the urologist I saw told me that it had basically moved back up into the kidney. Soooo, we're gonna have to try to break it up with shock waves. The tentative date for the procedure is July 29th.

On a lighter note, the piano gig at Floyd's pre-school is going really well. The kids really have a good time, and the owner and the head guide absolutely love it. Since a few folks have asked, I'll start posting the setlists (if I remember to write them down).  Yesterday's was:

Hello Song >
The Thin Ice >
Shakedown Street >
Possum
The Kids' Song
Bathtub Gin
Trick of the Tail
Box of Rain
Loser
Back on the Train
Goodbye Song

Here are a couple pics from the first time I played there a few weeks ago:

The kids sittin' around while I play

A little later, kids doing their own thing, but still listening

Wow, I still don't have any hair in those pics. It actually has grown quite a bit in the last couple weeks. There's definitely something psychological about seeing hair on my head, having to buzz my face/beard, etc. When I'm totally hairless, it's like, "Yup, that's a cancer patient in the mirror." But the more my hair grows, the further away I am from chemo; and that feels great.

Me - Sat July 9, 2011 - 4:10p PT
OK, the Phils just stranded the bases-loaded in the bottom of the tenth. I have a feeling that's going to translate to a loss. This is about how I felt when Mayberry grounded out just now:

Orion loves (getting his) yogurt (everywhere) and being loud

OK, before I sign off, a bit of very sad news. Yesterday morning, while I was starting to set up the garoffice, Heather found our cat, Elvis, lying dead in the yard.  He was a really sweet cat who used to sleep with us every night in San Francisco (unless we kicked him out of bed... ya know...)  He was tolerant of Floyd, but once Orion came around, he started being a little distant. Once we moved to Marin, it was pretty much over (as far as his being our cat.) He never really adjusted to life in San Rafael... rarely coming in the house, roaming the neighborhood for days at a time. It didn't help that the previous owners had a dog.  He also had a chronic ear problem. No matter what we did or which Vet we saw -- and we tried everything -- we couldn't cure him. I don't think that's what did him in -- he probably ate something poisonous. Sigh. The whole thing is just very sad. We went from 3 cats to none in a matter of a couple years. Oy, and to top it off, Brian McCann just hit a two-run HR in TOP11.

Floyd was at school and Orion was napping, so we dug a grave and buried him in a sheet with the food and water that was left in his bowl. Now we just have to figure out what to tell Floyd about it. I think we're going to tell him that Elvis went to kitty heaven so he could be with Jerry. :(

Well, I don't want to end on a sour note. So, here's a great pic of Floyd concentrating on his Play-Doh at school.

Why do I always look so serious?

It barely has any ass left,

-jg

Comments

  1. The Chief ain't chew it all out, JG. You still got a little ass there.

    Very sorry to hear about Elvis, but VERY glad to read of your progress. You're kicking ass every day. No surprises here. Keep it up!

    BIG TIME positive thoughts coming from Philly,

    Doug, Jess, Jo, Coop & Bu

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  2. Oh, I'm sorry about Elvis. :-( I like the idea of him going to be with Jerry, though.
    * * *
    Glad to read of your good health and of all the summertime happiness at the Greenes.
    XOXO

    ReplyDelete
  3. Uh oh. Sorry about Elvis... Great to hear you are doing well!! Hugs buddy..See ya soon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for great blog John! So Sorry about Elvis :(

    Mom and Dad

    ReplyDelete
  5. Aw, man... I thought the kidney stone WAS going to be the bad news, though it made me wonder about the subject... and then the real news.

    Elvis has left the building.

    Sorry to hear it, my friend - he was a good one. My sister in law is about to euthanize her favorite dog, one that Sophie loves, and we're talking to her as best we can about that. My dad is of the "doggy heaven" camp, and the metaphysical shite can be sorted out later. I think I basically agree, with perhaps a little less confectioner's sugar on the story.

    On the other side of the coin, though, you are lookin' GOOD! The hair really does make a difference... and probably the piano gig and office makeover as well. You need to record one of your gigs for the kids, I want to hear your solo sound. That's a LONG set of tunes! Anyway, your fans want some live jg. You NEED TO DO DIS! WHHHYYYYYY?!?!?

    Love you man... keep ass-kicking in the name of ROCK.

    Nabib

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  6. Sorry about Elvis, John - he was a sweet one!

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  7. So glad to hear that its ass is well into next week! Noob Saibot would be proud. But eff the kidney stone. That blows. Good luck getting that thing busted up into itty bitty pieces!

    Sorry to hear about Elvis. Poor bugger had a rough year. I never saw Elvis and Jerry playing together. Could be interesting.

    There's a dog in the station...

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  8. Sorry 'bout Elvis, I do like the Jerry Idea though, how did it go?


    Keep kickin' that ass!

    ReplyDelete

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