Numbness 6.30.2007

Hello everyone, it's Saturday morning and I have found some relief from a new pain medication that I started yesterday. I applied a pain patch last night. Fentanyl. It's quite strong. Much stronger then what I have been taking. My pain is a lot more tolerable, still present but the edge is off, mind you I have not had to cough or sneeze yet today. Actually I have not allowed myself to sneeze for quite some time (probably more then 3 months) and my coughs are quite pathetic. I have a feeling my subconscious is constantly reminding the rest of my body that somethings are just not allowed. We'll see how it goes over the next day or so. It may end up being a little strong for me (making me sleepy), if so I'll either be sleep walking or have to get my Doc to write me an Rx at a lower dose. I was able to get a referral to the pain specialist and will see them next week Friday.


The results of my first blood test since starting Chemo where normal. A complete blood count was done. They will be doing a CBC every Monday for the next 8 weeks. Checking for a decrease in my white blood cell count, or signs of anemia.


As side effects go you can add neuropathy to my growing list of side effects. The bottom of my feet become numb after only brief periods of standing, and my ITB band (located on the outside of your thigh from your hip to your knee) often feels light... hard to describe, it is floating sensation very irritating. My sleep has not been the best do to not feeling tired when I should. I seem to sleep o.k. once I fall asleep, but late in the evening into the night after I have felt tired much of the day I no longer seem tired. I have been prescribed sleeping medication, but have been reluctant to take them. Seems silly I know, but my chemo is known to cause blood clots, and if I take a sleeping pill I may not move around much if any while I am asleep for 6-8 hours increasing my chances of developing clots. I do have a plan, but I will need some help from Kaiser.



The plan: Starts by saying Thank you to Kimberly B. Kim is a friend who gave me advice that should have been a no brain-er for me, however it never crossed my mind. Get a referral to P.T. see if they have any assistive devices to help me with my daily living activities, getting dressed, in and out of bed, scratching my butt, also looking into the chance they have bolsters to help my positioning at night along with electronic compression socks that would circulate the blood from my legs while I sleep to decrease the chance of blood clots.. and the big one see if I can get my insurance to help cover the cost of a recliner or hospital bed... if it comes to that. I have an appointment this coming Monday so we will see.


Watch out Lizzy you now have a picture on the Internet. Pictured below is Kahu Wendell Silva who presided over out wedding ceremony. Serena's mom Elizabeth, the Vickster and the newly weds.

Just some pic's 6.28.2007

I wanted to let everyone know all is well. I have some updates but it is late and I will post them sometime this weekend. My mom got into town on Wednesday, so we have been catching up. Above is my buddy Stuart I worked with him at Straub Hospital and Clinic... or I should say I worked near him. Never saw him do much work while I was there. Stuart took me out on Lake Wilson the other day for a little fishing. Casting is manageable and tolerable after a good bit of pain medication. We were fishing for peacock bass but struck out. I did have a catfish catch himself while I was baiting my second rod. Hansom bugger. Below are a few pic's from my trip to Alaska last year about this time. We camped out under Denali... Mt. McKinley. The mosquitoes were absolutely brutal. You can see what I wore most of the time. My hat and bandanna are made with insect repellent in the material. I want to thank everyone once again. Your support is wonderfully overwhelming... I pic's are shrunk a little. I think you can click on them and they will open up to there taken size in another window. Not for sure...

Big Changes Short Time 6.24.07

In less then a week my world has completely changed yet again. Since my last posts I have come to a realization and made a very hard decision. In order to give my body the best chance of beating this disease I have decided (with Serena's support) that I will no longer work in the hospital setting. I only worked 2 shifts last week, a 4 hour ER shift and an 8 hours shift in Radiology. Both shifts were easy and without incident, but were very hard on me physically. Just getting up and down reaching across a table and so forth. My fear is that at any time I could "Over do it" wearing myself down or hurting myself worse.

Friday night I tried to sleep lying on my side. It was nice once positioned on the bed. It felt good not sitting up and being off my back (the only way I can sleep). However after just a few minutes I felt a couple of my ribs crunch and my pain has been intense ever since. (2 oxycodone every 4 hours helps... really helps, not to mention the Mojito I had with dinner).... but that is how fragile my ribs have become...

......... back to not working, the reasons why this decision was so difficult to make.... is that I am finally admitting "I can't do this by myself". Like I mentioned in an earlier blog, I have been called stubborn. Even with my Dx. and the prognosis that comes attached I planned to continue working while I received treatment and continue my life without pause. That is no longer possible and I will have to start reaching out for support beyond positive thoughts and prayers.

I want everyone to know it is 9:18 am Sunday morning and what has been typed above is done by a person who feels good. The changes Serena and I will have to make without me working will suck, the fact that it will not be long until I have to sleep in a recliner will suck, the fact that at this time we don't own a recliner and I will have to go "shopping" (shopping... that may be worse then cancer) stinks as well, however it does not depress or distress me. It is just another step in our fight.

On a lighter note I have been taking Chemo for a week without much to write about. Other then having a little fatigue, slight muscle aches, and some not so pleasant but not to bad lower GI statements everything is going well. I will have blood work done on Monday to check for changes in my blood cells. Not the abnormal plasma cells floating around causing havoc (those little shits) but my red and white blood cells. One of the sever side effects of my chemo medication is what it can do to your normal blood cells. besides that my body, actually my skin is often hot, very hot but without me running a fever. When I go to bed and throughout the day I place freezer packs wrapped in a hand towel against my neck, legs or stomach. Also I don't think my deodorant works as well now.. not sure why that is, but that is about all there is to say on my treatment..

On a refreshing side..... I have been know to sample a nice lager, porter or Ale on occasion. Serena and I both enjoy Red wine and would open a bottle once every week or two. I did not drink often or much before I became sick and even less since. Now that being said....... I brewed beer yesterday with my friend Kevin. It is something we had talked about for over a year. It will be a summer ale ready for consumption the beginning of August. Just throwing that tid bit out there so people know I am not confined to the house... it takes me a little longer to get around, but i am still around......

Keep smiling........

Thanks for you response and Support 6.20.06

Thank you everyone. All of the positive thoughts, prayers, and support we have received have been wonderful. I am still not sure how I'll use this blog. As a semi daily journal for myself (as a little release), which in turn keeps everyone else up to date, or an occasional snippet from time to time. The suspense, oh the suspense. As for Serena I am sure she'll throw something up here at sometime. She has been checking the blog when she gets home from work and has read every one's comments.

So, for now I just want to say thank you again, and please feel free to pass on the e-mails I have sent to other friends and old school chums whom you may still be in contact with..... It's nice to hear from everyone, and a pleasant surprise to hear from people you've been out of contact with for so long...

For some reason, the saddest part of my day is when I read e-mails and comments from everyone. I am not sure why I get so chocked up and teary eyed. It's not like you have posted your pictures on the e-mails.... :) But it does. I guess all the love and support is a daily reality check that I need to remind me that my body is in a fight for it's life. I have been called stubborn once or twice over the years. Hard to believe I know. First off have you ever heard of a man being stubborn? I must be a trend setter.... Any who Serena told me that now is a time that my stubbornest may really come in handy to help me put this disease in it's place. sorry off the subject there, back to the point. After I read your e-mails, get chocked up, shed a few tears and blow my nose I feel great emotionally, recharged. So if you plan on sending more it maybe a good investment idea to buy stock in Kleenex or Puffs first. Thanks again. Scott

Side effects? 6.18.07

A few months after I had moved to Hawaii (Feb 2000) my roommate Joe introduced me to a friend of his that he grew up with from the Island of Kauai. "Scott this is chemo" I thought he was B.S. ing me. I never met someone named Kimo however it is a fairly common name in this part of the world.

On Friday I was introduced to another type of Chemo.... I received my first IV dose of a Chemo medication called Aredia (Brand Name). The purpose of this med is to bind Calcium to my bones. In hopes to make my ribs and sternum stronger. I have had multiple rib fractures over the past 6 months and currently have 8 lesions. 5 on my ribs and 3 on my sternum. The lesion constantly hurt, some days and times more then others. These lesions are caused by abnormal proteins in my blood that eat away the bone causing pain and weakening the bone. For 2 days after my injection I did have fever, body aches, and malaise... felt like to flu, however it has passed and now I am on to bigger and better drugs.

Today Monday June 18th I started my "heavy hitter" a Chemo medication called Revlimid. I will be taking it in one month cycles (one pill a day for 21 days with a week off) for the next 4-6 months. I will have weekly blood draws for the first 8 weeks of treatment, do to the side effects this medication often causes (Anemia, Neutorpienia, and Blood Clots, not to forget the likely event of kidney failure that is common when proteins levels are extremely high like yours truly.) I took my first dose about 5 hours ago, and to the best of my knowledge I have not turned green or sprouted another arm so, so far so good. Along with the Revlimid I will be taking a high does of steroids which I have been told will have me bouncing off the walls or keep me awake, along with Aspirin to fight against Blood Clots. The Steroid (dexamethasone) will be taken once a week (every Monday) and the Aspirin on Daily... and again so far so good.

As many of you have seen the the picture above before you are aware that it is not me as a result from side effects of my meds... oh if it was.... we would be in for a heck of a party with the money received from that law suit..... it is however a pic from Waimanu Valley (Big Island) in it is the worlds most renown snipe hunter telling a tale late at night around a camp fire..... a tale of a hunt... a snipe hunt... the most dangerous snipe hunt never before recorded or documented... with the only living survivor telling the tale of the hunt.... a hunt that went wrong.... horribly wrong.... and a story of a that hunt.... a story that ended in blood shed and tick bites.... blood shed from tick bits.... horrible tick bits that left scars on the great snipe hunter... deep scars...

The Blog Begins 6.18.07

Just giving this blog thing a chance. Want to check how user friendly it is in hopes to keep people posted about how things are going.

If this works you'll see a pic of me by the Golden Gate. Serena and I took a long weekend there about a month ago. It was a week or so before my offical diagnoses. However my diagnoses was not a complete shocker... I was pretty certain of what the Hematologist/Oncologist was going to say before I got the official Dx.

Serena and I had wanted to go to San Fran. for sometime and we knew if we did not get away when we did it may be some time before we got another chance.