I love a parade.....

I started this entry (from Boston) thinking it would be real easy to find the Broadway show or movie that this song came from....well I couldn't!

What I did find out was more than I ever wanted to know about Harold Arlen. Not only did he write "I Love a Parade", but also "Stormy Weather", "Over the Rainbow" and many, many more. My suspicion was that it came from "Music Man" but I could find no evidence to support this idea.

Anyway, I'm in Boston for a conference and while I had hoped to spend the evening in some local restaurant or pub watching the Red Sox win the World Series, the Rockies did as well as my Cardinals did against the Sox in 2004. So now I might have an opportunity to witness the 2007 World Series Parade in downtown Boston.... depends on the start time and my schedule at the conference tomorrow.....

My next monthly doctor appointment is a week from today. I find myself very indifferent about next week. Perhaps because, once again, there is no change in how I feel. This is a good thing - certainly no complaints! So, I'll have some 'chowdah' with an old friend tomorrow night and some local seafood and travel home on Wednesday night. Happy Halloween and a Blessed All Saints day as well!

The Death of the Moonflower

It's Fall, with it's commencement, we enter my least favorite season.

With Fall comes death all around us, natural death but death none the less. Followed by Winter, which has it's moments but I digress. Fall; leaves fall, the grass goes dormant, the gardens dwindle and least pleasing of all, the moonflowers depart for another year.

Our Moonflower patch is approximately three years old. This photo was taken approximately six months after we established the area. We got started after Pete provided just three small starter plants. If you're not familiar with moonflowers they get their name because the large, white, fragrant blooms open at night. There are times when the scent of the blooms fill our entire backyard.

And so I until next year, no more cool evenings with the window agape and the scent of the moonflower filling our home.

Sunday and Sundown....

Eventually two things will come to an end; first I will get through my complete iPod play list and second, we will finish painting my brother in law's house! I would put money on the latter, I have just reached song 995 of 1,246. Yesterday morning yet another bout of irony, songs that began with "Sunday" in the title (think U2 etc.). But my favorite song of the day had to be "Sundown" by Gordon Lightfoot.

Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feelin' better when I'm feelin' no pain
Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feelin' better when I'm feelin' no pain

It was quite a beautiful weekend in Kansas City, 82 and sunny on Saturday, windy and 65 yesterday. It was nice enough that we played disc golf both days. Saturday we had a big crowd and played a two man scramble, yesterday there was just four of us and we played down in the woods to avoid the 30+ mph wind gusts. I held my own and squeaked by with a one shot victory over Rich, Pete and Jud.

We spent seven hours Saturday and five more yesterday painting. The house looks great we are both aiming to finish next Saturday! I'm strange, yes for a lot of reasons, but I like painting, I always have. In some way I find it therapeutic or relaxing. I'm not sure what Ralph Macchio's problem was?

Two, niner, zero, zilch, nill

Confused? Let me explain.....

Our 3rd Annual Golf Tournament was a tremendous success and I am proud to announce today that we raised over $26,000, exceeding our $25,000 goal. In addition, by adding the donations we received throughout the year, via United Way and a few other events, our total donation to the Prostate Cancer Foundation will be $29,000!

I am so very proud of the effort by the FLHW Board, friends, family and many, many others. Jim P., Rich and especially Pete, what you did this year is very moving. I'm struggling for words (hard to believe, I know!!) ...in less than three years, actually about 30 months, we have donated almost $68,000 to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Each year the donation was matched bringing the total to nearly $136,000.

Here is one of the thoughts I shared before we began the tournament.....
"A thought to ponder. In its advanced form, prostate cancer is lethal, currently there is no ‘CURE”. As I mentioned, every 19 minutes an American man will die from the disease. To put this in perspective, one man will die for each hole we play today."

So maybe we just did a little bit to change this to twenty minutes, or twenty one, or more!

Thanks everyone - I love you and couldn't do any of this without you.

Rainmaker

Last Saturday morning started with rain, much needed rain.

This put a damper on disc golf but gave Mary and I a chance to catch up on a number of chores around the house. As we worked, I fired up the iPod. After a few songs the list switched to songs that begin with the letter 'R'. So on a rainy Saturday, it was only appropriate that songs that started with the word 'Rain...' were playing. Very appropriate!

Sunday morning was spent playing disc golf, of course. It was just Rich, Pete and myself at Kansas City's "Swope Park". A great disc golf course, near the Zoo, so you can hear the occasional wild animal sounds. I played better than I have in months, winning by four shots. I don't beat these two very often and rarely do I get the best of both of them at the same time! Sorry gents, I had to brag this time.

Fall has arrived in KC, cool mornings, and afternoons that peak in the seventies. I love this time of year for disc golf. I guess you know what we'll be doing next Saturday morning.......

The Sound of Silence

19.30 was my number. This is down slightly from last month [21.80]. Good news!

Not much else to say at this point, hence, the silence.

I had read that the Avodart can take six to eight weeks to begin working. I wasn't expecting much at this point (after three and a half weeks), the chances of Avodart having an impact on my number is somewhat of a long shot anyway. However, you never know......
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Historic numbers:
Date: PSA:
10/8/07 19.30
>10/8/07 Changed Lupron from 120 day does to monthly dose
> 9-12-07 Began taking .5mg of Avodart per day. Changed Ketoconazole from 600mg twice per day to 400mg three times per day)
9/4/07 21.80
8/6/07 19.25
8/2/07 16.96
7/02/07 20.30
6/04/07 17.80
4/30/07 16.25
4/2/07 17.68
3/5/07 21.87
2/5/07 20.90
1/8/07 18.90
12/11/06 24.86
11/13/06 43.61
10/16/06 51.48 (Started "High Dose" Ketoconazole and Hydrocortisone, 10/01)[at this point and for a second time we prepared for Taxotere. First my Oncologist wanted to try High Dose Ketoconazole and Hydrocortisone.]
9/11/06 83.97 (started Zometa)
8/23/06 41.77
8/18/06 54.66(no tests in June or July)
5/19/06 11.37 (stopped Casodex)
4/3/06 4.25
3/5/06 1.4
51/27/06 0.46
12/28/05 1.85[at this point we prepared for Taxotere, chemotherapy treatments. First I had a new PSA test and new bone and CT scans, lymph nodes clear, spine clear, ribs, femur and hips stable. The PSA dropped to 1.85 and the scans revealed marked improvement. Chemo was cancelled 72 hours before it was scheduled to begin]12/15/05 7.1811/03/05 4.64 (Stopped taking Casodex)9/22/05 0.808/11/05 0.35
6/24/05 0.55
4/17/05 2.51 (taken at MD Anderson, Gleason lowered to 7/7)
4/06/05 3.51 (Six weeks after starting Lupron and Casodex)Original Gleason scores (7/8)Pre-treatment test:
2/?/05 219
12/?/04 189 (Original test)

Pins and Pins

It's been five weeks since I added Avodart to my daily pill regime. Yesterday I had my first blood test since the change in treatment, to measure my PSA, testosterone, DHT, cholesterol etc. and so now we wait for the phone call - on pins and pins, and perhaps a few needles.


Here's a picture of the infamous John W. and myself after having lunch on the River Walk last week. It was a short visit but it was a pleasure to finally meet him in person (and Cheryl)!!!


The golf tournament results are getting close. I hope to post the final number next week. I will only divulge this, it looks better than we planned, but the Board must review everything before it is official!!

Not much else for now, Fall has arrived, the trees are changing....time for a Saturday walk in the woods perhaps?

No regrets....

I have spent the past three days in San Antonio at a conference for work. While it was very educational, I also had the opportunity to spend time with a few people that have become important to me since I began my battle with prostate cancer.

On Tuesday, I had lunch with John W. John's blog is linked on the left. He lives in Austin and has CLL. Over the past few years we have become good friends and for him to drive down from Austin just to have lunch was an incredible act of kindness. I'll post the picture here after he sends it over.

Tuesday night, I had dinner with Mark H. Mark and I met at the conference I attended in Los Angeles last month. We had some really great sushi and exchanged a number of stories, thoughts and perspectives on prostate cancer. Like John W he traveled about 70 miles to join me, I really appreciate it Mark!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For the golf tournament I had created a CD based of the music that I have mentioned within this blog - but I forgot to play it.

In case you are interested, here's the song list:

I'll be- Edwin McCain

Amarillo Sky - Jason Aldean

Broadway - Goo Goo Dolls

Beautiful Day - U2

Santa Monica - 3 Doors Down

Life Ain't Always Beautiful - Gary Allan

One Thing - FINGER ELEVEN
Songs We Sing - Matt Costa

Can't Get There From Here - REM

Photograph - Nickelback
Boston and Island Boy - Kenny Chesney

Kind of Blue - Miles Davis

Blue Rondo à la Turk - Dave Brubeck

Back on Top - Van Morrison

The Calling - Wherever you will go