Day + 30: Restaurants!

Tomorrow is Day + 30 which means I'm allowed to eat in restaurants again! Please call ahead for reservations ;-)

I am also available for 'viewing' at home pretty much anytime. With my nearly normal White Blood Cell Count (see below) - I'm no longer a danger to myself and others. My only restrictions at this time are travel - and crowds and I'm still on a low bacteria diet - which is odd, but doable. My energy level is still "low and slow"... so I have to pace myself pretty carefully.

But basically, I'm back! Ready to Rock!***


Details Details:
Yesterday I had multiple appointments with my "team" of doctors.

The consensus is that I'm doing great! My OHSU coordinator, Carol, said that I "looked like a champ"! And Dr. Lo, my Ophthalmologist said: "The eyes look great with no sign of ocular inflammation".

For those of you playing at home... here's the #s as of yesterday:

• White blood cell count: 4.6 (remember, in the hospital I was 0.1.. and 'normal' range is from 4.2 - 11.5)
  
• Platelets: 26 (Still pretty low - but ticking up. This is the main reason for further restrictions - they worry about bleeding and bruising from everyday activity - let alone a real accident. Once I get past 50 I'm pretty much in the clear.)

***With some caveats: I have to act my age; be in bed by 10:30; groupies are limited to immediate family members only; and by drinking plenty of fluids, they apparently mean, er, Water....

Counting Time....

OK, so I'm feeling guilty about not "keeping up" with the blog. But, now that I'm on the other side of the bone marrow process, I've kind of started losing track of the time. My perception of time is not foreshortened, it is lengthened. Besides, recovery contains much less drama than the procedure itself did; which is good right?

And of course, (an anachronistic variation on the current saying): "there's a song for that"...
Judy Collins singing Who knows where the time goes?

Sandy Denny in a YouTube video/recording from the Fairport Covention back in "the day"

Easy Does It
An example of how my perception of time has changed: this morning, sisters, Julie and Carol - and I - sat around discussing how to plan and prepare the making of bread. Normally I am more of a "get to know your local Baker" than a "bake your own bread" kind of guy. That's why we have town centers, villages, cities in general right? Access to the tools and methods of fermentation and their results: Beer, wine and bread. That's why I live where I live. That's the foundation of civilization in general right?

Currently, in my recovery mode, I'm on a "low bacteria diet" - meaning I'm not to eat fresh fruits and vegetables (Ironic right? Isn't that what they tell you to eat to prevent Cancer?...). This diet includes a restriction on restaurant food and even bakery bread - because the loaves are not "factory sealed" in cellophane.

So. We are going to bake our own using the slow fermentation method popularized by the book: "my bread" by Jim Lahey. His thesis is that using less yeast, and more time, you yield a bread that is more subtle and satisfying - bringing out the flavor of the grain and building more complex structures and textures. But it takes a LOT of TIME. - like 18 24 hours in advance.

But sometimes, not counting the time too carefully, letting it wash away, results in the best outcomes...

Playlist from the Sky Lounge

I've had some nice opportunities to play music while I've been in residence at the "sky lounge". My musical friends and family have visited and shared some songs over the last couple weeks. I thought I'd pull together - my best recollection anyway - of what we played.

(Note: these are hyperlinked to a popup player version of the song from LALA.COM)

• I Shall be Released
  
• Into the Mystic - Van Morrison
• Don't dream it's over - Crowded House
• When Rita leaves - Delbert McLinton
• Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show
  
• Kathleen - Josh Ritter
  
• Vertigo - Antje Duvekkot
• Wild Horses - The Rolling Stones
• She Belongs To Me - Bob Dylan
• Hold On - Tom Waits
• Nobody's Crying - Patty Griffin
• Rocket Man - Elton John
• Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan

Day + 5 Rock on!

Claire is visiting this weekend, and we are tearing it up on the "sky lounge". She brought some crayons and coloring books, and, well, a Rock and Roll Attitude. And in this business, Attitude is everything!

As anticipated, my counts are dropping precipitately - my White Cell count is at 0.2 at the moment (it can go as low as 0.0). So all this means is the process is working. Staff are standing by and prepared for any additional support I might need - a transfusion - some antibiotics etc.

And as we speak, there is a cool rain shower passing over the city. I'll keep my eyes open for a rainbow!

Day +4: Hold on!

Claire arrived last night for a weekend visit - the perfect antidote to fatigue and lethargy. This morning we walked around the floor, caught up on news, played with the iPad, called Kelly on speaker phone, played some music and enjoyed the view from the Sky Lounge. Julie and Claire wandered on Hawthorne St. for a few hours this afternoon. They came back for dinner (Lebanese takeout for them, low bacteria hospital "room service" for me) and now we are choosing our evening video entertainment from the iPad.

We are "holding on" together.

And as often happens, I'm reminded me of a good Tom Waits song. Here's a couple versions that I admire:

Tom Waits Hold On

Redbird Hold On Cover

Hang on everybody! Have a happy weekend... and GET OUTSIDE!

Day +2: New moon

Fatigue and nausea have arrived as predicted, but according to the Astrologists, this is an auspicious week for new beginnings...

Sandra's Celestial Compass for the week of April 12, 2010

By: Sandra Helton, Ph.D

There is growth and powerful energy building from this weeks New Moon point until the Full Moon in Scorpio April 28. As the first New Moon in the first sign of the cycle it carries a special and empowering vibration.

Monday – April 12, 2010

The Moon in Aries beginning 9:31 AM generates a long term vibration of opening doors and opportunities.

Tuesday – April 13, 2010

Ideally this is a day to plan for the next two week cycle of growth that will move quickly and build momentum at a rapid pace.

Wednesday – April 14, 2010

Today holds the first New Moon in Aries that initiates the impulse to take a leap of faith into the future. All acts requiring independence, leadership, taking steps uncharted, beginning something new, are favored from now until April 28.

DAY -2 Weekend Update

Today was finally a clear morning view of the mountain. Just lovely. It has been a busy day already with Julie bringing the requisite Americano's followed by a brisk sprint on the stationery bike (with John Mayer on the soundtrack... nice). Then, and old friend and colleague, John Fregonese stopped by to play music for a couple hours. He's got a nice Tacoma acoustic guitar/bass that he accompanied me and the Tele and the Gurian on. Many medical visitors - two doctors and my nursing staff of Kathie and Maggie coming and going.

I got the final round of the "E" and "A" part of the BEAM protocol, which means that tomorrow is the "M" part - with Popsicles. They load me up with some pain and nausea medicine before the routine today, so I did sneak in a nap after John left (while "studying" the Beethoven mind you)....zzzzzzz.

So now I look forward to Julie coming back and, later, hopefully, music playing with Leela and Seth followed by dinner delivered by work colleagues - more on the menu after it arrives.

Julie and my Brother and his family are all attending a dance concert downtown tonight which I'd love to see. It sounds pretty cool.

Here's a review of the show they are going to see: The U-Theater from Tiawan

(http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2010/04/09/live-review-u-theatre-at-the-newmark/)

The Beethoven String Quartets

My musical mentor and hero, Sue Jensen, told me the last time I was in chemotherapy to "surround yourself with great music". She suggested Bach's B minor mass. So I got the score from the library and purchased a nice recording of it on iTunes. I found it was a great comfort and a good meditative practice to help focus on something more, well, divine, than what my chemo stomach was talking to me about at any given moment.

This time around, I've been focusing on another wonderful series of works - or opera (plural of opus - thank you very much Carol!) - the Beethoven string quartets. Due to the generosity and general greatness of my in-law's the Ballou's of Chicago, I now have the complete quartets loaded on my iPad (! - more on that little distraction later) and, even more remarkably, am able to follow along with the score that Ted sent a long from an 1895 publication that belonged to his Grandmother. Wow! Spanning three centuries of technology and art!

In addition to the above, I've also got a series of lectures on the quartets, (provided, again, thank you Ballou's!) from the Teaching Company. So, even though there won't be a real test at the end of my study, you can feel free to ask me anything about Ludwig and the quartets... at least until "chemo brain" sets in and then I'm not responsible for the content.... ;-)

The quartets are a remarkable piece of work that spans Beethoven's entire career and tell a very dramatic story of the development of the master's mind and creative inner life. And they are very beautiful as well.

Columbia Gorge

Happy first day of Spring! Julie and I are heading out to hike in the gorge...and spend the night at Skamania lodge. Yeah! Best wishes to you all.

Hello gorgeous! I've been thinking I needed a Telecaster in my life for some time now (in fact Julie gave me an envelope with some cash last year for my birthday to get one), but sometimes you just gotta wait till the right one comes along.

This is a 62R - meaning it is a reissue of a 1962 model Fender Telecaster. I bought it last week from a young blues guitarist named TJ. It is a pretty sweet instrument and it certainly is pretty!

I"m not sure if this was a midlife crisis moment, or a pre-chemo/hospital move.. but either way, it was fun to bring it home and play. Part of my thinking is I can take this to the hospital and play it quietly/privately with maybe headphones so I don't feel like I'm performing every time I pick up a guitar.... besides, it just looks so damn hot right?

Working With Time

Our super-cool neighbors - Karla and Scott - recommended/loaned us a DVD that they got from the library about this artist - Andy Goldsworthy. The name of the DVD is "Rivers and Tides". It's fascinating.


We are all "working with time" and this video and this person are a great reminder of how we walk through this world briefly - but that our actions, and even our intentions, are permanent , and part of the whole.

I recommend the video - the images are just gorgeous to look at... and the spirit is spot-on. Otherwise, one should check out the artist at:

http://www.goldsworthy.cc.gla.ac.uk/

Coffee Shops We've visited

Now with interactive maps!

Recent reviews by Mark B.

What's this?

Julie and I are touring the plethora of eastside coffee shops after treatment - more or less every morning. It has been a fun distraction and a noble effort if I do say so...


Wed 2/17:

• Woops! Ended up back at Madrona Hill Cafe!

(Long story: It was the perfect spring morning for a bike ride, so Madrona Hill's coordinates were the perfect distance from my house to coffee to the clinic and back to work)



Tuesday 2/16:

• Heart Coffee NE 22nd and Burnside (yelp)
  

Monday 2/15:

• Muddy's Coffeehouse - NE Mississippi (yelp)

Friday 2/12:

• Extracto Roasters - NE 30th and Killingsworth (yelp)
  

Thursday 2/11:

• Ristretto Roasters - N Williams and Failing (yelp)
  

Wed 2/10:

• Red "e" - 1006 N Killingsworth (at Michigan) (yelp)
  

Tuesday 2/9:

• Albina Press - N Albina and Blanena (yelp)
  

Monday 2/8

• Coffehouse 5 - N Killingsworth and Albina (yelp)
  

Friday 2/5:

• Three Friends - SE 12th and Ash (yelp)

Thursday 2/4: (we split up this morning so that Julie could meet with Niece Jane in SE)

• Cup and Saucer - SE 35th and Hawthorne (yelp)
  
• J cafe (my base station near my work) - NE 6th and Holladay (yelp)
  

Wed 2/3:

• The Fresh Pot - 4001 N Mississippi (yelp)

Tuesday 2/1:

• Madrona Hill Cafe - N Greeley and Ainsworth (yelp)

Monday 2/1:

• Blend coffee lounge - N Killingsworth and 2th (yelp)

Friday 1/29:

• Bakery Bar - NE 29th and Glisan (yelp)

Thursday 1/28:

• Bakery Bar - SE Water Ave and Taylor (yelp)

So Where should we go next week?