Birthday

Yeah, I turned 40! We did not plan any big celebration as my condition is a bit unpredictable. The birthday didn't start very well either. I was sick in the morning with some stomach-flu like symptoms. Luckily it passed and by lunch time Marjo got a green light to bake a cake together with the kids. The youngest guy is especially eager to help with cooking nowadays as he gets to lick the spatial. He's very determined to help with anything and do stuff on his own at the moment.

We had a very small birthday party in the afternoon with in-laws and some relatives. The cake was great and there was a very heavy present waiting. I'm now the lucky owner of PlayStation Move! Now we just need to figure out what games to buy. I bet a football game will be high on the list.

On the outdoors front, we've lately done some geocaching with the kids. It's a fun way to get out into the woods. Well, fun as long as we find the cache. Once we even took the father-in-law with us. I've also managed to squeeze in a couple of rounds of golf. The end of the golf season is getting close as temperatures are dropping so I may have hit my last golf ball this year already.

I'm doing better battling Gemzar. I tried a better anti-nausea drug called Emend and last weekend was pretty good. I got Gemzar again today so hope Emend will do the trick again.

Here's one of my favourite Monthy Pyton sketches. Enjoy!

Gemzar

It seems I forgot to update the blog after the doctor's appointment last week. Well, there isn't that much of news really. The blood values were good and the doctor put me back on the Gemzar/Vectibix treatment. They also took the CEA which was 730,6. This is roughly the same level as in August when it was 733,6. It seems Gemzar unfortunately gives me some trouble. This time I had a chemo brain on Thursday and Friday (which isn't that bad really) but felt totally crap on Saturday and Sunday. Monday I was fine again. I managed to join the family for circus during the day on Saturday so I wasn't totally out of it either. I have to admit I've had some thoughts if it's worth getting Gemzar as I'm supposed to be getting it three weeks in a row and then there is only one week of break. Next CT scan is in November so I guess I have to try and manage until then.

Just a brief update

Jan Arne was in the hospital until Friday last week. They gave him IV antibiotics in case the throat infection was caused by bacteria, but they didn't manage to figure out with tests what bacteria it was. One doctor said it is a clear case of mononucleosis, but in the end it was not according to tests. His blood values were on the low side, platelets down to 50 (limit for normal 150 and limit for getting chemo 100), and also leucosytes and hemoglobin were quite a bit below normal limits.

They let him come home anyway for the weekend and he was very tired but well enough to even do some geocaching with the kids. We also went to pick up some apples from friends' garden on Sunday.

This morning Jan Arne went for a blood tests, still feeling very tired after a badly slept night. Interestingly enough, his blood values were back to the level they were before they gave him Gemzar a week and a half ago, other values normal, even platelets up to 127 which is good for him. He will have another blood test and a doctor's appointment on Thursday. The doctor will then decide if he will get some chemo and/or Vectibix on Thursday.