Well, Ms. Summer is offically a nursery school graduate: the ceremony was this morning. Her name was announced, she walked across the podium, hugged her teacher and got her diploma. Just like that, my little baby is a nursery school graduate. Next up: college.
The highlight of her day was that all kids in her class were given a yearbook and man, is she stoked on that. I'll post some pictures this evening
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I'm burned out on cancer talk, so nothing else on that subject until I meet with Dr. Clark on the 13th.
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I am finally starting to work myself back into semi-respectable shape. I ran 5 miles last night and for the first time in a long while felt pretty good. I picked it up the last 2 miles and was probably running sub 8 pace. I woke up very early this am to get in a Computrainer ride (for all you cycling dorks out there, the main set after warm up was 4 X 8 minutes at 150, 165, 180 and 195 watts.) and felt fairly decent on the bike too.
I was reading on my Yahoo newsgroup that it takes 4-6 weeks after going hypo for TSH levels to come down to normal levels. I think that would be fairly consistent with my personal experience; it's taken me about that amount of time to feel like my old self from a training standpoint.
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Speaking of Summer, by the way, she appears to have moved on from the boy she kissed last weekend. She announced this morning that she's now in love with a young man from her class and as it turns out, they are going to the same school next year.
If the cancer doesn't kill me, she will.
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Since my father seems to be such a hit on this blog, I think I am going to ask him to pen a guest column for next week. Lord only knows what he will write (presuming he agrees at all) but I am certain it will be entertaining, to say the least.
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Last, but certainly not least, I want to send a huge, special, enormous shout out and hug to my sister-in-law, Penny, who's going through some serious medical issues of her own right now.
She's a fantastic person and the best sister in law a boy could ask for. When April had her bout with cervical cancer (more on this later, btw) a few years ago, Penny flew in to Chicago to help out within matter of days without us asking. She was right there for me as well. All of us adore her, but most especially my kids; she's like a second mom to them. Get better soon, Penny; we love you and will hopefully be out there soon to visit and help out.
(While I am on the subject: shout out to my main man Gaga too!)
Friday, June 8, 2007
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Enter the Scanman
Anyone get the reference in the title of this post? Special prize to the first person to respond correctly.
Before I provide an update on the scans, I must say that while the Red Sox may have won today in Oakland, I am loving the fact that Schilling lost a PERFECT GAME with 2 outs in the 9th. Hope you enjoyed your one hitter, Curt.
Ok, so, here's the update:
Got to the hospital this morning at 7:15 am. At 7:45 they had me changed into these pajama things and stuck me in ye olde cylinder. This one was gigantic: a real bad boy. For this one, they gave me earplugs because of the noise it creates when filming. After putting them in, they put a Hannibal Lecter-like mask over my face. I was then moved into the cylinder and this thing proceeded to POUND for about 45 minutes -- and I mean POUND. I couldn't even hear myself think. It was like sitting in the damn engine of an airplane. They pulled me out it at about the 35 minute mark, gave a contrast IV and then took more film. I don't mean to bitch and moan, because short of the IV's the scans are all essentially painless but man, I have to say that these tests -- and I've now had countless CT's, MRI's PET's, CAT's, ultrasounds, etc. -- are disconcerting, to say the least. All I can say is I am *truly* glad I am not claustrophobic. I do take solace in the fact that the technician was super nice -- and cute, too, for that matter.
I should have results of this one next week.
The ultrasound was far less egregious. For all of you with kids, it's basically the same thing they do to the wives stomach to examine the child, only on the neck. I was there for about 45 but this technician (also cute, btw, not that it matters, dear wife who is certainly reading this) kept me highly entertained with her stories (divorced a doc, remarrried a doc, from California, likes horses, lived in FLA, lives in Marin, etc. She was pretty funny). She also told me that UCSF was renowned for it's ultrasound and that people literally travel from across the world to see Dr. Clark (my surgeon) which I obviously find encouraging.
Anyway, the big news from ultrasound: they couldn't find the damn bugger. And she looked everywhere. Which leads her to conclude it's either hidden, or a remnant of tissue vs. a lymph node.
So, here's how things have shaken out:
-- we know there's uptake of radiation into the thyroid bed
-- PET scan is clean in thyroid (no uptake)
-- MRI is still tbd
-- Ultrasound shows nothing.
What does this all mean? I have no freaking clue. Guess we'll have to wait and see what Dr. Clark has to say on the 13th. One thing I have definitely learned the past year: there's no sense trying to figure these things out. You really need to be Zen about it and put your trust in the experts, or you run the risk of making yourself crazy. Cancer is without question NOT the best disease for a true control freak.
Lastly, I spoke with my father today and he seems to feel badly about his comments on the blog. He said he wanted to stop posting and just send me email. I told him that he could do whatever he wanted, but that I thought his comments were the best thing about this thing and that most of you probably agreed. So let's put it to a vote: should he continue to post (I vote aye) or is his idea of self-banishment a good one?
Before I provide an update on the scans, I must say that while the Red Sox may have won today in Oakland, I am loving the fact that Schilling lost a PERFECT GAME with 2 outs in the 9th. Hope you enjoyed your one hitter, Curt.
Ok, so, here's the update:
Got to the hospital this morning at 7:15 am. At 7:45 they had me changed into these pajama things and stuck me in ye olde cylinder. This one was gigantic: a real bad boy. For this one, they gave me earplugs because of the noise it creates when filming. After putting them in, they put a Hannibal Lecter-like mask over my face. I was then moved into the cylinder and this thing proceeded to POUND for about 45 minutes -- and I mean POUND. I couldn't even hear myself think. It was like sitting in the damn engine of an airplane. They pulled me out it at about the 35 minute mark, gave a contrast IV and then took more film. I don't mean to bitch and moan, because short of the IV's the scans are all essentially painless but man, I have to say that these tests -- and I've now had countless CT's, MRI's PET's, CAT's, ultrasounds, etc. -- are disconcerting, to say the least. All I can say is I am *truly* glad I am not claustrophobic. I do take solace in the fact that the technician was super nice -- and cute, too, for that matter.
I should have results of this one next week.
The ultrasound was far less egregious. For all of you with kids, it's basically the same thing they do to the wives stomach to examine the child, only on the neck. I was there for about 45 but this technician (also cute, btw, not that it matters, dear wife who is certainly reading this) kept me highly entertained with her stories (divorced a doc, remarrried a doc, from California, likes horses, lived in FLA, lives in Marin, etc. She was pretty funny). She also told me that UCSF was renowned for it's ultrasound and that people literally travel from across the world to see Dr. Clark (my surgeon) which I obviously find encouraging.
Anyway, the big news from ultrasound: they couldn't find the damn bugger. And she looked everywhere. Which leads her to conclude it's either hidden, or a remnant of tissue vs. a lymph node.
So, here's how things have shaken out:
-- we know there's uptake of radiation into the thyroid bed
-- PET scan is clean in thyroid (no uptake)
-- MRI is still tbd
-- Ultrasound shows nothing.
What does this all mean? I have no freaking clue. Guess we'll have to wait and see what Dr. Clark has to say on the 13th. One thing I have definitely learned the past year: there's no sense trying to figure these things out. You really need to be Zen about it and put your trust in the experts, or you run the risk of making yourself crazy. Cancer is without question NOT the best disease for a true control freak.
Lastly, I spoke with my father today and he seems to feel badly about his comments on the blog. He said he wanted to stop posting and just send me email. I told him that he could do whatever he wanted, but that I thought his comments were the best thing about this thing and that most of you probably agreed. So let's put it to a vote: should he continue to post (I vote aye) or is his idea of self-banishment a good one?
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Going Buggy
"We make honey and keep the flowers seeded."
And with that line, my son's career in theater was born. Not sure what kind of career it's going to be however: I think his sister is the one with the flair for drama. His mother too, for that matter.
Anyway, tonight was the premier of his second grade play, "Going Buggy." He was a bumblebee. I must say, it was pretty much the cutest thing I have ever seen. Pictures to followin a few days.
Short post tonight. I need to get some sleep and prepare myself for:
-- the upcoming NBA FInals, aka The LeBron James show. Man, did he bring the noise against hte Piston's. Exclusive of game one, that was a postively Jordanesque performance.
-- my date with nuclear medicine tomorrow; I have to be at UCSF Cancer Center at 7:30 am for my neck MRI and CT Scan. Let's see if we can't find that little f($*%*er of a lymph node.
That's it; full update in the am when I am done with the scans.
I'm going to see if they will take a picture of me in the CT canister for your viewing pleasure.
And with that line, my son's career in theater was born. Not sure what kind of career it's going to be however: I think his sister is the one with the flair for drama. His mother too, for that matter.
Anyway, tonight was the premier of his second grade play, "Going Buggy." He was a bumblebee. I must say, it was pretty much the cutest thing I have ever seen. Pictures to followin a few days.
Short post tonight. I need to get some sleep and prepare myself for:
-- the upcoming NBA FInals, aka The LeBron James show. Man, did he bring the noise against hte Piston's. Exclusive of game one, that was a postively Jordanesque performance.
-- my date with nuclear medicine tomorrow; I have to be at UCSF Cancer Center at 7:30 am for my neck MRI and CT Scan. Let's see if we can't find that little f($*%*er of a lymph node.
That's it; full update in the am when I am done with the scans.
I'm going to see if they will take a picture of me in the CT canister for your viewing pleasure.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Music Time
Well, it appears as if my father of all freaking people- one year ago he didn't even know how to spell internet, now he's Mr. Online - isn't grooving on my TV reviews. Speaking of which, Summer is officially here: TV viewing is so bad that I am actually watching Dog: Bounty Hunter. And the scary thing is it's not half bad. Oh we've come a long way from a mere two weeks ago, when we were looking at a Tuesday night lineup of American Idol, House and Boston Legal.
So, in respect to my old man, we'll move on to a topic which I have yet to address and which I am sure he will appreciate even less than TV: music. More specifically, alternative music. I'm saving some music-dedicated posts for the dog days of Summer, but thought I'd list out five albums that I strongly recommend.
I am fortunate to have a great group of guys who "share" much of their music with me, so I'm fairly in tune with what's new, what's "hot" and what's "not." For a 41 year old, I feel somewhat dialed in to the music scene, though these guys are light years ahead of me.
Frankly, I'm not personally digging many of these new, ballyhooed bands, but if you have the time and disposition to sift through it all (which is what I do during my weekend long runs) there are some gems, including without further ado, my five recommendations:
1. Perry Farrell's Satellite Party: Ultra Payloaded
As many of you who know me are aware, I am a huge Jane's Addiction fan. In fact, they are probably my second favorite band of all-time behind The Clash. While I think Perry has peaked with Janes, even when he produces something that's a bit uneven, such as this album, it's better than 99 percent of other other stuff that's out there. Plus, who but Perry would ever doing anything as wacky as pair up with the guitarist from Extreme? This album is getting better with each listen and is highly recommended. Furthermore, he had a great appearance on Howard Stern today and his wife is SMOKING hot. Perry is most definitely the man.
2. The Teddybears
Who are these dudes and why have I never heard of them before? Another album that is a tad uneven, but the good songs are off the hook. "Punk Rocker" with Iggy Pop is one of the best songs that I've heard in a long while. I heard it on Alt.nation on Sirius (by the way, if any of you drive for more than 30 minutes continuously during the day, then you MUST buy Sirius. At only $9.95 a month, it's an incredible value. Or conversely, you can do what I just did and buy a new car that offers six months of free service. More on that later).
3. The Arcade Fire: Neon Bible
I was inherently skeptical as I thought this album was a bit overhyped, but there's no denying the fact that it is very, very good. I think pound for pound, these guys are the most talented band to come around in years. I think they are one of the few bands out there -- I'd put The Killers up there too -- that are capable of attaining "super band" status, ala U2. In order for that to happen, their next album will need to be a classic. By the way, on the topic of The Killers: I really am not sure why the pundits were so down on Sam's Town. I think it is excellent and arguably even better than Hot Fuss.
4. Smashing Pumpkins
This bad boy isn't even out yet but based on the recently released single, Tarantula, I know it's going to just rock. If Jane's is my second favorite band of all-time, the Pumpkins are a very close third. I'm kind of bummed that they are getting back together though, for the very selfish reason that I thought it pretty cool that I was at their last show (and ended up partying with Billy Corgan at his after party, a story which I will save for another day).
5. LInkin Park: Minutes To Midnight
I take tremendous shit from some of my indie snob friends (hi Beno!) for this one, but what can I say: I like music that rocks. I'm old school like that. And there's no denying the fact that Chester and the boys rock. And when you are on a Computrainer, suffering like a dog while pedaling at 210 watts for 5 minutes intervals, well, Linkin Park is just the ticket for keeping the legs moving. And for the record: LP is what Lance listened to while warming up for the Tour. So, if it's good by Lance, then it's certainly good by me. While this new album is a tad softer than I would have preferred, it is produced by the master himself, Rick Rubin, and all RR productions are pretty darn solid.
Five others that didn't make the cut, but merit mentioning, include:
-- Silversun Pickups, Caravanas. This one is very Pumkin-esque and is *very* much growing on me
-- Deerhunter, Cryptogram. Another one which I have owned for a while but is starting to now grow on me
-- Feist, The Reminder. This one is deserving of the accolades. My only thing: it's a bit of a downer and I haven't exactly been in the mood for downer music of late for obvious reasons
-- LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver. For all you technoheads, this one is just pumpin.'
Test: dad, you make it to the end of this post? My guess is no. If you've made it htus far, please leave another borderline inappropriae comment.
That's it for tonight. Long day and longer tomorrow.
(Ps. The Dog Bounty dude is a total bad ass. Anyone know anything about this show?)
So, in respect to my old man, we'll move on to a topic which I have yet to address and which I am sure he will appreciate even less than TV: music. More specifically, alternative music. I'm saving some music-dedicated posts for the dog days of Summer, but thought I'd list out five albums that I strongly recommend.
I am fortunate to have a great group of guys who "share" much of their music with me, so I'm fairly in tune with what's new, what's "hot" and what's "not." For a 41 year old, I feel somewhat dialed in to the music scene, though these guys are light years ahead of me.
Frankly, I'm not personally digging many of these new, ballyhooed bands, but if you have the time and disposition to sift through it all (which is what I do during my weekend long runs) there are some gems, including without further ado, my five recommendations:
1. Perry Farrell's Satellite Party: Ultra Payloaded
As many of you who know me are aware, I am a huge Jane's Addiction fan. In fact, they are probably my second favorite band of all-time behind The Clash. While I think Perry has peaked with Janes, even when he produces something that's a bit uneven, such as this album, it's better than 99 percent of other other stuff that's out there. Plus, who but Perry would ever doing anything as wacky as pair up with the guitarist from Extreme? This album is getting better with each listen and is highly recommended. Furthermore, he had a great appearance on Howard Stern today and his wife is SMOKING hot. Perry is most definitely the man.
2. The Teddybears
Who are these dudes and why have I never heard of them before? Another album that is a tad uneven, but the good songs are off the hook. "Punk Rocker" with Iggy Pop is one of the best songs that I've heard in a long while. I heard it on Alt.nation on Sirius (by the way, if any of you drive for more than 30 minutes continuously during the day, then you MUST buy Sirius. At only $9.95 a month, it's an incredible value. Or conversely, you can do what I just did and buy a new car that offers six months of free service. More on that later).
3. The Arcade Fire: Neon Bible
I was inherently skeptical as I thought this album was a bit overhyped, but there's no denying the fact that it is very, very good. I think pound for pound, these guys are the most talented band to come around in years. I think they are one of the few bands out there -- I'd put The Killers up there too -- that are capable of attaining "super band" status, ala U2. In order for that to happen, their next album will need to be a classic. By the way, on the topic of The Killers: I really am not sure why the pundits were so down on Sam's Town. I think it is excellent and arguably even better than Hot Fuss.
4. Smashing Pumpkins
This bad boy isn't even out yet but based on the recently released single, Tarantula, I know it's going to just rock. If Jane's is my second favorite band of all-time, the Pumpkins are a very close third. I'm kind of bummed that they are getting back together though, for the very selfish reason that I thought it pretty cool that I was at their last show (and ended up partying with Billy Corgan at his after party, a story which I will save for another day).
5. LInkin Park: Minutes To Midnight
I take tremendous shit from some of my indie snob friends (hi Beno!) for this one, but what can I say: I like music that rocks. I'm old school like that. And there's no denying the fact that Chester and the boys rock. And when you are on a Computrainer, suffering like a dog while pedaling at 210 watts for 5 minutes intervals, well, Linkin Park is just the ticket for keeping the legs moving. And for the record: LP is what Lance listened to while warming up for the Tour. So, if it's good by Lance, then it's certainly good by me. While this new album is a tad softer than I would have preferred, it is produced by the master himself, Rick Rubin, and all RR productions are pretty darn solid.
Five others that didn't make the cut, but merit mentioning, include:
-- Silversun Pickups, Caravanas. This one is very Pumkin-esque and is *very* much growing on me
-- Deerhunter, Cryptogram. Another one which I have owned for a while but is starting to now grow on me
-- Feist, The Reminder. This one is deserving of the accolades. My only thing: it's a bit of a downer and I haven't exactly been in the mood for downer music of late for obvious reasons
-- LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver. For all you technoheads, this one is just pumpin.'
Test: dad, you make it to the end of this post? My guess is no. If you've made it htus far, please leave another borderline inappropriae comment.
That's it for tonight. Long day and longer tomorrow.
(Ps. The Dog Bounty dude is a total bad ass. Anyone know anything about this show?)
Monday, June 4, 2007
Ultimate showdown: Tony vs. Phil
Man, that was some Soprano's last night; maybe the best ever. After a fair to middling last season, I have to give credit where credit is due: they've brought their A+ game this season. The pace has escalated in each successive episode and last night it went to a whole different level. My only issue: I am just not certain how they are going to resolve so may open ended issues in one hour.
Regardless of what they resolve or not, it's gonna be one hell of a conclusion.
I think the big surprise next week is going to be that Paulie is in cahoots with Phil. That would explain why he wasn't labeled one of the "big three." It also would explain the botched hit on Phil. Last night was Phil's night, but I think Tony exacts his revenge in the conclusion. I still maintain my position from a week ago that they won't kill Tony off. I do think however we're in for a big surprise -- and that surprise will be a member of Tony's family -- AJ would seem to make the most sense - getting killed by accidently getting in the way of a failed hit on Tony. That might be a stretch but regardless, I think Tony gets himself off the mattress, whacks Phil in a mano e mano confrontation and consolidates his power. Roll credits.
So, let's hear it from the peanut gallery: what's your prediction?
In regards to Entourage, I felt that though it was a really good episode last night, it got overwhelmed by the Soprano's, which in my opinion is a first. Still it was great, due in strong part to the return of Shauna (one of the best female characters in all of TV, btw) and Walsh ("The creative juices are flowing, Suit. I'm going to shoot the whole thing in Spanish.")
Despite what promises to be a crazy process filled with Walsh-ian drama, Medellin is going to be a big hit and Vinc is going to get his Oscar. The Boys always end up on top in the end. Except Drama. His show will likely get canned, leaving Vince to bail him out yet again.
Lastly, this new show, John from Cincinanati, looks pretty interesting. Definitely going to get a tryout, as ironically enough, a friend of mine from Cinci would say. We'll see what happens after the first two or three episodes (the period of time in which, unfortunately for me, both Rome and Deadwood failed their respective tryouts.)
Beyond that, not much to look forward to from a television perspective this offseason (read: Summer). We've got the Tour de France and Entourage and that's about it. Here's to hoping for a new variation on Rock Star Supernova.
(PS. My doc finally called me up tonight and confirmed that the PET scan was good news. He expected to see uptake in the thyroid and was encouraged that there was none though the RAI scan is more of a complete test than the PET vis a vis the neck. He said this week's neck ultrasound and MRI will be very telling.)
Regardless of what they resolve or not, it's gonna be one hell of a conclusion.
I think the big surprise next week is going to be that Paulie is in cahoots with Phil. That would explain why he wasn't labeled one of the "big three." It also would explain the botched hit on Phil. Last night was Phil's night, but I think Tony exacts his revenge in the conclusion. I still maintain my position from a week ago that they won't kill Tony off. I do think however we're in for a big surprise -- and that surprise will be a member of Tony's family -- AJ would seem to make the most sense - getting killed by accidently getting in the way of a failed hit on Tony. That might be a stretch but regardless, I think Tony gets himself off the mattress, whacks Phil in a mano e mano confrontation and consolidates his power. Roll credits.
So, let's hear it from the peanut gallery: what's your prediction?
In regards to Entourage, I felt that though it was a really good episode last night, it got overwhelmed by the Soprano's, which in my opinion is a first. Still it was great, due in strong part to the return of Shauna (one of the best female characters in all of TV, btw) and Walsh ("The creative juices are flowing, Suit. I'm going to shoot the whole thing in Spanish.")
Despite what promises to be a crazy process filled with Walsh-ian drama, Medellin is going to be a big hit and Vinc is going to get his Oscar. The Boys always end up on top in the end. Except Drama. His show will likely get canned, leaving Vince to bail him out yet again.
Lastly, this new show, John from Cincinanati, looks pretty interesting. Definitely going to get a tryout, as ironically enough, a friend of mine from Cinci would say. We'll see what happens after the first two or three episodes (the period of time in which, unfortunately for me, both Rome and Deadwood failed their respective tryouts.)
Beyond that, not much to look forward to from a television perspective this offseason (read: Summer). We've got the Tour de France and Entourage and that's about it. Here's to hoping for a new variation on Rock Star Supernova.
(PS. My doc finally called me up tonight and confirmed that the PET scan was good news. He expected to see uptake in the thyroid and was encouraged that there was none though the RAI scan is more of a complete test than the PET vis a vis the neck. He said this week's neck ultrasound and MRI will be very telling.)
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Summer's First Kiss, Triathlon Race Report and Other Random Musings
Ok, so picture this: after being out late Saturday night, Summer walks in our room at around 7:30 am and proceeds to whisper a "secret" in April's ear: evidently she and a boy who shall remain unnamed kissed on Saturday while at Z's baseball game. The two of them "went behind a tree" (her words) and apparently he planted one on her.
Pretty hard to ascertain what really occurred as it involves 5 and 4 year olds. Anyway, by approximately 10:30 am I was at the little fella's house (mostly to pick up Z, who had a sleepover with his big brother). The little boy was pretty smart and simply denied, denied, denied. A wise tact - I was impressed by his acumen. So I had no choice but to give him the benefit of the doubt. But in the event he's reading this blog, he should know I'm out there keeping a keen eye on him. You got that, Little Man?
Man. Kissing behind a tree. This is how it starts, isn't it?
_______________________________________________________
BTW, as I type this, the Yankees and trailing the Sox in the 7th. I will throw up if the Yankees lose again after giving up a big lead. Literally. Just thought I'd share that with you all.
_______________________________________________________
So, I did the tri last night. You know you have picked a weird sport when you suffer like a dog for 1 hour and 15 minutes and yet they call it a "sprint" distance. These shorter distance races are like racing a 5k; the distance isn't so bad, but you suffer at a greater intensity.
Anyway, if I can offer myself a moment of self-congratulations: a big "Word" to me for finishing. Pretty cool that one month ago I was massively hypo and yesterday I was able to complete even a sprint distance tri. That being said, it was a pretty dumb move especially given that I've swam about four times, biked twice and gone for only a handful of runs. I realized on the bike that I was simply there to finish and I think it was my knowledge, not my conditioning, that got me through this one. That said, and even though I was getting passed left and right, I was pretty darn stoked to be out there. Between this race and Vineman half ironman back in July, which I raced less than 90 days from my thyroidectomy, I'm not sure if there are many people who could do (or are crazy enough to try) what I've done vis a vis completing races shortly after surgery/treatments.
Ok, all that being said, here's the other side of the equation. I have come to terms with the fact that I really suck. I think a combination of these treatments, going hypo, etc. coupled with age, have had a cumulative effect and there's little to no question in my mind that my days of doing PR's are over. I used to be a good solid middle of the packer who was capable of busting out the occasional strong performance; now I am a tad more towards the back of the pack. But I think I'm at peace with this: there's something liberating about not having to worry about "racing." Instead, I can simply give it a good go while focusing more on enjoying the day.
So, on to the race itself. This was the first major evening triathlon in the Bay Area and it was super cool. The race started at 5:00 pm on Saturday. I've probably done about 30, 40 triathlons in my day and this was definitely a first. The race was smallish and they had only three swim waves. I was in the second wave, which was all males -- probably about 200 or so of us. Unfortunately, the problem with the short distance swims is that there's not enough time for the swimmers to string out and form a line. So, it was like a gigantic washing machine: significantly worse than a longer distance tri. I never really got into a rhythm and was smacked in the head a half dozen or so times. It was gnarly. The other problem: the water was freaking freezing. It was the first time I've ever been in the Bay, and holy freaking cow. the temperature must have been no more than 62. It literally took my breathe away. Thankfully, I brought my westuit, which I rarely do anymore.
In regards to the bike, if you ever look at a course description for a race in Northern California and it says "rolling hills" that's a load of crap: it means get ready for some ugly hills. I think the bike was about 11 miles and it was hilly enough that I never got into the aero position. But -- it was along the water's edge and was quite beautiful. And the run was the run. I walked up a massive initial hill and then dialed into a consistent pace. I didn't pay much attention to my watch and am guessing that I finished the 5k run in about 25 minutes. Slow as hell for me but again -- whatever.
And that's about it. I think it took me longer to write this than it took to finish the damn race. All in all a lot of fun, and much more laid back than many of the other tri's I've run the past few years. I suspect this is what the vibe must have been like during the 80's halcyon days of triathlon.
__________________________________________________________
A freaking Rod just hit a homer off Papelbon with two out in the 9th! Let's go Yankees!!! Let's close it out, Mo!
Pretty hard to ascertain what really occurred as it involves 5 and 4 year olds. Anyway, by approximately 10:30 am I was at the little fella's house (mostly to pick up Z, who had a sleepover with his big brother). The little boy was pretty smart and simply denied, denied, denied. A wise tact - I was impressed by his acumen. So I had no choice but to give him the benefit of the doubt. But in the event he's reading this blog, he should know I'm out there keeping a keen eye on him. You got that, Little Man?
Man. Kissing behind a tree. This is how it starts, isn't it?
_______________________________________________________
BTW, as I type this, the Yankees and trailing the Sox in the 7th. I will throw up if the Yankees lose again after giving up a big lead. Literally. Just thought I'd share that with you all.
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So, I did the tri last night. You know you have picked a weird sport when you suffer like a dog for 1 hour and 15 minutes and yet they call it a "sprint" distance. These shorter distance races are like racing a 5k; the distance isn't so bad, but you suffer at a greater intensity.
Anyway, if I can offer myself a moment of self-congratulations: a big "Word" to me for finishing. Pretty cool that one month ago I was massively hypo and yesterday I was able to complete even a sprint distance tri. That being said, it was a pretty dumb move especially given that I've swam about four times, biked twice and gone for only a handful of runs. I realized on the bike that I was simply there to finish and I think it was my knowledge, not my conditioning, that got me through this one. That said, and even though I was getting passed left and right, I was pretty darn stoked to be out there. Between this race and Vineman half ironman back in July, which I raced less than 90 days from my thyroidectomy, I'm not sure if there are many people who could do (or are crazy enough to try) what I've done vis a vis completing races shortly after surgery/treatments.
Ok, all that being said, here's the other side of the equation. I have come to terms with the fact that I really suck. I think a combination of these treatments, going hypo, etc. coupled with age, have had a cumulative effect and there's little to no question in my mind that my days of doing PR's are over. I used to be a good solid middle of the packer who was capable of busting out the occasional strong performance; now I am a tad more towards the back of the pack. But I think I'm at peace with this: there's something liberating about not having to worry about "racing." Instead, I can simply give it a good go while focusing more on enjoying the day.
So, on to the race itself. This was the first major evening triathlon in the Bay Area and it was super cool. The race started at 5:00 pm on Saturday. I've probably done about 30, 40 triathlons in my day and this was definitely a first. The race was smallish and they had only three swim waves. I was in the second wave, which was all males -- probably about 200 or so of us. Unfortunately, the problem with the short distance swims is that there's not enough time for the swimmers to string out and form a line. So, it was like a gigantic washing machine: significantly worse than a longer distance tri. I never really got into a rhythm and was smacked in the head a half dozen or so times. It was gnarly. The other problem: the water was freaking freezing. It was the first time I've ever been in the Bay, and holy freaking cow. the temperature must have been no more than 62. It literally took my breathe away. Thankfully, I brought my westuit, which I rarely do anymore.
In regards to the bike, if you ever look at a course description for a race in Northern California and it says "rolling hills" that's a load of crap: it means get ready for some ugly hills. I think the bike was about 11 miles and it was hilly enough that I never got into the aero position. But -- it was along the water's edge and was quite beautiful. And the run was the run. I walked up a massive initial hill and then dialed into a consistent pace. I didn't pay much attention to my watch and am guessing that I finished the 5k run in about 25 minutes. Slow as hell for me but again -- whatever.
And that's about it. I think it took me longer to write this than it took to finish the damn race. All in all a lot of fun, and much more laid back than many of the other tri's I've run the past few years. I suspect this is what the vibe must have been like during the 80's halcyon days of triathlon.
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A freaking Rod just hit a homer off Papelbon with two out in the 9th! Let's go Yankees!!! Let's close it out, Mo!
Friday, June 1, 2007
Weird Day
Had two highlights to my day, coupled with a very weird and disconcerting incident at my doctor's office. I said yesterday that if I didn't get the answers I was looking for today I would unleash my fury, so stick around through the next paragraph for a good story.
First, the good. Had a great swim this am with my boy Dave. Nothing like swimming outside in the California sun while sharing a lane with your main boy. Today's set, in the event anyone could care less, was: 400 warmup, followed by 6 X 75 (kick/drill/swim) followed by 14 X 50's (most at race pace) followed by 2(4X100). Rocking workout. Second update: Yankees beat the Red Sox. It's always a good day when the Yanks beat the Sox, even though the Yankees season is on the precipe of being a complete and utter disaster. I plan a dedicated posting on this subject soon.
Ok, on to the incident with my doc. And by the way, Dave is my witness that all of the following is true. I was pretty heated up about this earlier, but will try to strip out the emotion and just give the facts.
So ... I still hadn't heard back from my doctor at around 10:30 am, so I called up again and said that I would like to pick up my PET scan report for my surgeon. I also asked if I could meet with my doc while I was there for two minutes so that he could explain the results. I thought this was a reasonable request. The receptionist responded that he wasn't in and that he left yesterday for a conference.
I told her that I could not believe he hadn't called back and that it was proving to be so difficult to get a simple answer to an important question. I added that I thoguht they were being cavalier about this and that as a patient with cancer, I deserved an answer to my question.
Unbelieveably, she told me, and I slightly paraphrase here, but not by a lot, "You call with a lot of questions Howard and we generally get back to you fairly quickly. But this time we didn't. I am sorry. But you are not our only patient."
It took every ounce of composure to not explode.
For the record, I have certainly called in the past with questions, all of which were legit. I happen to have cancer and there are several nuances to the treatment so I called for clarification. Pretty much what any patient would do. But I have notbeen a pain in the ass nor have I overwhelmed them with questions. And for the record, in certain instances they have in fact responded quickly and in others, they have not; April is my witness to this. And I have never, ever behaved like a prima donna, as she implied by telling me that I'm not their only patient. What bullshit. For the record, I am in the services business. If a client called me with an issue -- even if it was one of my smaller clients -- never in a zillion years would I EVER respond with a "sorry, you are not my only client."
Well, when I got to the office ten minutes later to pick up the report, the doctor's assistant was waiting for me with her hands crossed and her face red. She was pissed (an understatement) about the cavalier line. I told her I was sorry, but I'm incredibly frustrated by my inability to get a simple answer to an important question. I reminded her that I had cancer, not a cold. Incredibly, she then changed tact and told me that she agrees, she would be angry if she were in my shoes, but (I paraphrase) "I told the doctor that you wanted to speak and he didn't call you back. After I leave him a message to do something what else can I do?"
I could go on but you probably get the point. Beyond frustrating; at times it feels like being stuck in a Kafka novel. So -- I get no answers to Monday, presuming of crouse that he calls back.
Ladies and gentlemen: I give you our wonderful health care system.
First, the good. Had a great swim this am with my boy Dave. Nothing like swimming outside in the California sun while sharing a lane with your main boy. Today's set, in the event anyone could care less, was: 400 warmup, followed by 6 X 75 (kick/drill/swim) followed by 14 X 50's (most at race pace) followed by 2(4X100). Rocking workout. Second update: Yankees beat the Red Sox. It's always a good day when the Yanks beat the Sox, even though the Yankees season is on the precipe of being a complete and utter disaster. I plan a dedicated posting on this subject soon.
Ok, on to the incident with my doc. And by the way, Dave is my witness that all of the following is true. I was pretty heated up about this earlier, but will try to strip out the emotion and just give the facts.
So ... I still hadn't heard back from my doctor at around 10:30 am, so I called up again and said that I would like to pick up my PET scan report for my surgeon. I also asked if I could meet with my doc while I was there for two minutes so that he could explain the results. I thought this was a reasonable request. The receptionist responded that he wasn't in and that he left yesterday for a conference.
I told her that I could not believe he hadn't called back and that it was proving to be so difficult to get a simple answer to an important question. I added that I thoguht they were being cavalier about this and that as a patient with cancer, I deserved an answer to my question.
Unbelieveably, she told me, and I slightly paraphrase here, but not by a lot, "You call with a lot of questions Howard and we generally get back to you fairly quickly. But this time we didn't. I am sorry. But you are not our only patient."
It took every ounce of composure to not explode.
For the record, I have certainly called in the past with questions, all of which were legit. I happen to have cancer and there are several nuances to the treatment so I called for clarification. Pretty much what any patient would do. But I have notbeen a pain in the ass nor have I overwhelmed them with questions. And for the record, in certain instances they have in fact responded quickly and in others, they have not; April is my witness to this. And I have never, ever behaved like a prima donna, as she implied by telling me that I'm not their only patient. What bullshit. For the record, I am in the services business. If a client called me with an issue -- even if it was one of my smaller clients -- never in a zillion years would I EVER respond with a "sorry, you are not my only client."
Well, when I got to the office ten minutes later to pick up the report, the doctor's assistant was waiting for me with her hands crossed and her face red. She was pissed (an understatement) about the cavalier line. I told her I was sorry, but I'm incredibly frustrated by my inability to get a simple answer to an important question. I reminded her that I had cancer, not a cold. Incredibly, she then changed tact and told me that she agrees, she would be angry if she were in my shoes, but (I paraphrase) "I told the doctor that you wanted to speak and he didn't call you back. After I leave him a message to do something what else can I do?"
I could go on but you probably get the point. Beyond frustrating; at times it feels like being stuck in a Kafka novel. So -- I get no answers to Monday, presuming of crouse that he calls back.
Ladies and gentlemen: I give you our wonderful health care system.
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