Week #6 – Leveling up…

It was an easy week of shows – in fact I only had one.  It was a new venue on a slow Wednesday night and I was in jeopardy of playing to only one – the bartender - when in walked some friends who were joined by more friends.  The evening was saved thanks to these folks I affectionately think of as The God Squad - most of which sing and play in bands inside and outside the church.  Good, talented and intelligent folk who appreciate a night of good music yet come to my shows anyway ;p

I thought Wednesday was going to be my one-and-done for the week when I received a text the next morning - seems that Brian (one of the ‘Squod’) had lost his voice.  I’d heard the rasp the night before but now it was full blown laryngitis and he had a solo show that evening at a local pub.  The text, in effect, said – “HELP!”  Brian is not just a musician but also a great supporter of independent music and frequently hosts house concerts for these musicians – including me.   He asked that I assist with the vocal part of the show while he kept up the keyboard accompaniment.  Of course, I said, “YES!”

We plucked, plunked and plowed our way through an evening that included everything from Louis B Armstrong (he provided a perfect gravelly basso for that one) to Janis Joplin  to Blackstreet’s, “No Diggity”.   We had fun and didn’t do too bad – if we say so ourselves. (I think the only one who may have noticed any notable blunders was his wife.) Not bad for having played together exactly once before and then, only two or three songs.  Luckily, he and I have similar tastes in genres; funky!

I don’t get many chances to jam with other musicians here in the Quad Cities – partly because of my schedule and partly because I just haven’t found the same kind of group of musicians like I had back home in Minneapolis.  Thanks to Brian for giving me a chance to do some jamming!

On Friday morning I performed my usual routine of having blood drawn in prep for my chemo on Monday.  It’s important that my blood cell counts and other levels are acceptable for treatment #3. That afternoon I got the call from the oncology team to okay my treatment – only this time they said my test results were unacceptable to receive chemo the following Monday so we had to reschedule for this Friday.  Seems one of my levels was too low and the only thing that’ll bring it up is time…and perhaps, a couple good night’s sleep. 

I’m hoping that this won’t become a common occurrence.  Prior to I was expected to be done by Halloween but presently, I’m expected to have my last treatment the first week of November.  If I can keep my levels up I can make sure this crap doesn’t interfere with my winter holiday plans.  This means I need to continue eating well (no sugar or alcohol and lots of anti-oxidants), exercising (I’ve joined the YMCA’s LiveSTRONG program), taking my supplements (witchy-poo and otherwise) and getting as much rest as possible (dial up the meditation tapes and Melatonin).

Chemo Treat #6 – Watch a Favorite Movie.  I opted for something I hadn’t watched in a very long time and even now enjoy listening to the soundtrack; Harry Nilsson’s, The Point, this version narrated by Ringo Starr.  I have to confess, it was fun to watch but we may have taken a small nap…

Channel No5

This week marked my first shows without hair.  I don’t know which is more onerous a task; trying to style my hair into its usual devil-may-care panache or trying to figure out if this head scarf matches that shirt.  Thanks to my good friend, Sue Dickey, she sent a wonderful selection of colourful, soft head scarves to make my decisions a bit easier.  Between the missus' wide colour palette of standard bandana patterns and Sue's vibrant and creative patterns I'm well on my way to becoming an expert in the art of headscarf couture.

It’s also been quite an education in the proper folding, application and lashing technique of said scarf.  There’s a finesse to making sure that the sides are even and coverage is uniform while determining that the back is at a proper length to cover the nape while not so long that it interferes with the collar.  I know… my troubles should be so small, right?

Now, less you think it’s vanity that influences my cottony coif – you’re right.  I’d like to think I could go onstage without my faux-flair but… the truth of the matter is one doesn’t dye one’s bang with a blue streak and then expect a bald pate to be as bold a statement.

For Week #5 the missus and I decided to try a late night dip in the pool – “uncovered”.  (Not an easy thing to do considering we have a chain-link fence and neighbors situated uphill from us.)  This evening's hoe-down hose-down was preceded by a day of heat and humidity so, it seemed only fitting that this was our "Chemo Is Fun!" treat choice.  Myself had a 3hour outdoor afternoon gig while Herself and some friends secured a good spot on the lawn for concert watching at the aforementioned pops concert.  By the time we got home it only made sense to take a cool dip on a warm night – and putting on swimsuits just seemed like more trouble that it was worth.  So there it is, a bold statement made in the dark.

Whether I would make such a bold statement in the light of day (or on stage) remains to be seen.

Fill'er up! - Week#4/Treatment #2

Monday, August 6:

It took 4 tries to find a vein that would accept the needle that would deliver the Juice of Deathy Life.  I am NOT a needle person and this needle is considerably larger than your average, "I Gave Blood" needle.  Once we settled on a hand vein we breifly discussed a medi-port – outpatient procedure that places a catheter into an artery and small port under my skin near the collarbone – and just as quickly abandoned the idea.  As much as I hate needles I hate being cut into even more…been there, removed that - enough is enough.

The IV treatment itself is unremarkable; oral Benadryl, IV steroid, JoDL #1, IV clean out, JoDL #2, IV clean out and back home again.  Monday’s consult also provided a remedy to my ‘Bone-Crushing Ache’ in the form of Gabapentin.  Once home we started packing for our trip to Colorado… Chacos-check,  Head Scarves-check, 30 day supply of Gabapentin-check!

This trip was planned long before I was diagnosed and as far as I was concerned – I can be sick in Iowa or sick in Colorado, the choice was a no brainer for me.  You see, I love, LOVE Colorado.  This is the place that fills up my cup, my being, my soul.  Colorado is the one place where I have always felt both at home and in awe of my surroundings.  It is also one of the few places that satisfies my need for Vistas and Theme Music.  On Wednesday The Wife, The Mother-In-Law and The Sister-in-Law all packed into the Subaru and headed West.

Thursday afternoon we arrive in Colorful Colorado and watch the mountains appear magically out of the western haze.  Immediately my spirit brightens.  Funny thing is, physically, I felt okay.  Based on my first treatment I shoulda been feeling pretty crappy today and had the Gaba’ at the ready.  Each day I waited for the ‘B-CA’ to sideline my good times…it didn’t.  Well, not quite.  My days were relatively pain free.  However, each night the pain would begin – increasing quickly between dinner and bed-time.  I would take the Gaba’ and the pain gradually decreased enough to allow me to fall asleep.  It wasn’t complete pain relief but it was enough to allow me to rest at night so I could enjoy each day.  I don’t know why the pain wasn’t there during the day but I’m glad I didn’t have to spend the entire trip drugged and struggling to stay awake on Gaba’.   (and, no, I didn’t spend the trip drugged on anything else.)  We ate at our favorite restaurants, saw our favorite artist at our favorite concert venue, visited other favorite places, got lost and found some new favorite places, sang some songs, bathed in a hot spring, observed a family of elk from just a few feet away, visited old friends and made a few new ones and saw some of the most beautiful views on the planet.

A view from our seats at Red Rocks Amphitheater.

The stage is being lit solely by the audiences' phone lights.

Denver is alight in the background by it's own awesomeness.

Our first morning we awoke to baby elk walking past our B&B patio as we sipped our coffee and huffed from our O2 tanks. 

We found these guys just outside of Kitteridge:
4 fawns, 2 does and a couple of male yearlings whose antlers had yet to erupt.

 

 

 

 

 Dippin' our toes in the sweet mountain water of the Vrain Creek along the Peak to Peak Highway.

We started our drive in Nederland, CO.  where we stopped for coffee from The Train Cars to sustain us along the route.  A bike tour made driving this route more than a  little tentative - especially for the bicyclists.

Our day ended with lunch in Boulder and a beer at the GBC in Golden.

 

Hoosier Pass is how you get to Alma, Colorado where they boast the highest town in North America.

Alma also boasts one of my favorite festivals (both as a participant and patron) Festival in the Clouds.

We'd just come up from Breckenridge where the ambient temperature was in the upper 80s.

It started snowing along the pass...

Today, we’re back in Iowa - home - with our cats and our bed and our life. 

This weekend I have a full tri-fecta of gigs – Chemo-Brain and all but I’m ready.  We will also be attending our favorite annual pops concert – which is always a lot of fun.  This year’s theme is the music of the Beach Boys’ album, Pet Sounds, as performed by the awesome Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra along the Mississippi River at the historic LeClaire Park Bandshell.

Here in the Quad Cities we have our own vistas and theme music.

3rd time's a charm...

This was my last week before going back to Iowa City tomorrow to sit in the chair for 5-6 hours and fill my veins with the juice of deathy-life.  Treatmet #2 - 4 left to go.  A lot has happened these last three weeks and with knowledge comes power so I’m ready for what comes after this go-round; bone-crushing ache and all.  Friends have written in to give me advice on how to deal with the pain and I’m going to work with my oncology team to find an appropriate pain management routine.

Oh, and we’re heading to Colorado... so…there’s that ;)

This last week I’ve been feeling more or less “normal”.  My shows have been performed with more of my old verve and less chemo-head.  Ooo, speaking of heads – as I was getting ready for a night out I applied my usual waxy paste hair product to my coif.  As I was giving my ‘do a final floof I felt something weird going on with my fingers.  In my hands was a nest of blue-blond hairs.  It finally happened… chemo-induced hair loss. 

I gotta say, I knew this was going to happen but it still freaked me out just a bit when I saw that nest.  I spent the next 3 days (and 2 shows) trying desperately to not touch my hair.  Not easy for me, and I could only apply so much hairspray.  Eventually, I was persistently wiping away hairs from my shoulders or table surfaces - without having touched my hair they were just dropping…or perhaps, jumping. So, on Saturday I took the plunge.  We set up a chair in the hall and the wife grabbed the clippers. 

There’s still a bit of a, “who’s that?” reaction when I happen to catch my reflection but I’m getting used to it.  By-the-by, the wind in your hair is a totally different feeling when your hair is only 1/8” long.  And, rubbing my head is a groovy tactile trip however, the more I do it the more little hairs I lose and the more thinning patches appear.  The plan is to shave it bald in the next day or two before I start looking like some mangy cur. 

Our Treat o’ the Week was coffee at Prospect Park to watch the sunrise.  We did our Sun Salutations and waited for the dawn to turn to day.  We were hoping to have a picture of “Sunrise over Mount Baldy” but the clouds refused to part for us.  Ah well, it was still a wonderful morning.