My friend George's mom Elizabeth, along with George and his sister Ellen, sent me a beautiful shawl knitted by members of Elizabeth's church. I keep it by my favorite sitting spot, the red loveseat in the TV room, and I love to wrap it around me. It is soft and warm and cozy.
My friend Jonathan designed, printed, and sent me a poster with pictures of and quotes from some of my good friends in the San Francisco area. I hung it on my bedroom wall. I like to look at it before I go to sleep and imagine that my friends' love is wrapped around me and keeping me safe.
Ethan
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Update on WWU men's golf team
After their fall schedule, the WWU men's golf team is ranked #1 in NCAA Division II in one poll and #4 in another. Their spring schedule starts with a tournament Feb 2-4 in Hawaii, where they will play against the top Division I schools, including #1 Oklahoma State. That should be a fun trip and a good challenge for the Vikings!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Good news/bad news
This morning I got my Avastin infusion. My mom accompanied me to the oncology/infusion center. Afterward she dropped me off at the university. I stopped by my office and then played basketball. This was my second attempt to play full-court basketball. The good news: I felt better than the first time. I played two pretty long games of full-court. I didn't get as tired as quickly as before. I even ran a few times, as opposed to just jogging. I was happy with how I played. Good shooting percentage (helped by the fact that I didn't take any outside shots), a good steal, a good block. I walked home (it was another beautiful sunny day here). I was tired and had to rest during the afternoon, but recovered in the evening.
The bad news: I called and found out this afternoon that the preliminary CEA result from my blood draw this morning was 5.0, up from 1.1 (lower is better) on October 13 and above the normal range of 0-3 for a nonsmoker. I'm not sure how big a deal this is, but it's definitely not a good thing. I think it means that the cancer, after being knocked down by the chemo, is waking up and starting to stir. Needless to say, this makes me nervous. I try not to think about it too much.
My mom made a nice dinner for her, Grace, Miles, and me. Miles was cute at the dinner table and afterward. I watched the end of the Celtics game, as they beat the Bucks in overtime and Paul Pierce scored his 20,000th point as a Celtic (third-most ever after Havlicek and Bird) while sealing the game with free throws. I'll be happy if the aging Celtics can mount another charge in the playoffs (I think they would have won last season if Kendrick Perkins hadn't gotten hurt at the end), and I really hope someone, anyone beats the Lakers. In the late evening I went over to Lynn's house and read Tintin to Seth.
Ethan
The bad news: I called and found out this afternoon that the preliminary CEA result from my blood draw this morning was 5.0, up from 1.1 (lower is better) on October 13 and above the normal range of 0-3 for a nonsmoker. I'm not sure how big a deal this is, but it's definitely not a good thing. I think it means that the cancer, after being knocked down by the chemo, is waking up and starting to stir. Needless to say, this makes me nervous. I try not to think about it too much.
My mom made a nice dinner for her, Grace, Miles, and me. Miles was cute at the dinner table and afterward. I watched the end of the Celtics game, as they beat the Bucks in overtime and Paul Pierce scored his 20,000th point as a Celtic (third-most ever after Havlicek and Bird) while sealing the game with free throws. I'll be happy if the aging Celtics can mount another charge in the playoffs (I think they would have won last season if Kendrick Perkins hadn't gotten hurt at the end), and I really hope someone, anyone beats the Lakers. In the late evening I went over to Lynn's house and read Tintin to Seth.
Ethan
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Lauren's visit
Today my friend Lauren visited with her daughter Sarafina (6 months old), sister-in-law Jennifer (who lives in Olympia), and mother-in-law Kristy. Lauren and I were friends during our undergrad years at Yale and then were in the PhD program in psychology at Stanford at the same time. She now teaches at Wittenberg University. Her husband Cameron and son Cade (almost 3 years old) were back home in Ohio.
We had lunch here at the house and then Lauren and I walked down to Boulevard Park and the Taylor Street boardwalk. We sat on a bench in the sun. It was nice to chat and catch up. Then we picked up Miles from day care and went down to Marine Park and played on the beach. Then Lauren and her family members had to drive back to Olympia.
Tonight I read Miles the book I got him in San Francisco (a pop-up book about bugs from Chronicle Books - thanks Lindsay for the employee discount!). Then Miles, Grace, and I snuggled until it was time for him to go to sleep. He is one cute little guy.
Ethan
We had lunch here at the house and then Lauren and I walked down to Boulevard Park and the Taylor Street boardwalk. We sat on a bench in the sun. It was nice to chat and catch up. Then we picked up Miles from day care and went down to Marine Park and played on the beach. Then Lauren and her family members had to drive back to Olympia.
Tonight I read Miles the book I got him in San Francisco (a pop-up book about bugs from Chronicle Books - thanks Lindsay for the employee discount!). Then Miles, Grace, and I snuggled until it was time for him to go to sleep. He is one cute little guy.
Ethan
Epilogue
Yesterday morning I packed up and said my goodbyes to Sarah, Jonathan, Toby, and Jacob - thanks again to them for hosting me. I walked over to Angela's house, where she gave me a loaf of freshly-home-baked bread. We went out to lunch at Ti Couz, a crepe place that I like, and then she drove me to the Oakland airport (thanks Angela!). I finished the book "Neurodiversity" on the plane - it's about the positive sides of mental differences that we characterize as disorders. Grace and Miles picked me up at the Bellingham airport. On the way home we listened to the Giants game on the radio and heard Edgar Renteria's home run. I watched the last few innings at home, as the Giants won the game and their first World Series since 1954 and their first in San Francisco. Yay! I'm sorry I missed the celebration in SF but glad that I got a taste of the excitement while I was there.
I didn't take a lot of photos when I was in the Bay Area, but here is a link to the ones I took: http://remmel.shutterfly.com/1934
I was thinking about our group of friends that formed in San Francisco in the 1990s. I feel fortunate to have fallen in with a group who are not only smart, interesting, talented people but loyal, generous, and compassionate friends. I'm glad that the friendships we forged in our twenties have lasted into our forties, through moves, kids, and other changes. It's interesting to think about how the course of our lives sometimes hinges on small coincidences. If Eric had not seen and responded to JK's ad for a roommate posted at Rainbow Grocery in 1992, then Eric, Michael, and I (the Maine boys) would probably never have met JK and his Cornell crew, including Peter, through whom we met Leo, or Sarah, through whom we met Lindsay, Tami, and many others. When Eric and I were looking for a third roommate for the Coso house in Bernal Heights in 1993, we would not have known about Sarah, who had only recently started dating JK. The period I lived with Eric and Sarah at Casa Coso was one of the most fun times of my life.
I'm back in Bellingham now, where it is actually nice and sunny today. My mom returned to Bellingham late last night from her visit to Maine and Rochester. I am feeling better and better these days, although I still have less energy than normal and need to take periodic breaks to rest. I have become very economical in my activity - no more movements than necessary. My weight had never varied more than a few pounds since high school until this year. I lost 32 pounds (!) when I was very sick in May and June, but with the help of my mom's cooking I've regained all that and then some - I'm actually over my pre-illness weight now.
Ethan
I didn't take a lot of photos when I was in the Bay Area, but here is a link to the ones I took: http://remmel.shutterfly.com/1934
I was thinking about our group of friends that formed in San Francisco in the 1990s. I feel fortunate to have fallen in with a group who are not only smart, interesting, talented people but loyal, generous, and compassionate friends. I'm glad that the friendships we forged in our twenties have lasted into our forties, through moves, kids, and other changes. It's interesting to think about how the course of our lives sometimes hinges on small coincidences. If Eric had not seen and responded to JK's ad for a roommate posted at Rainbow Grocery in 1992, then Eric, Michael, and I (the Maine boys) would probably never have met JK and his Cornell crew, including Peter, through whom we met Leo, or Sarah, through whom we met Lindsay, Tami, and many others. When Eric and I were looking for a third roommate for the Coso house in Bernal Heights in 1993, we would not have known about Sarah, who had only recently started dating JK. The period I lived with Eric and Sarah at Casa Coso was one of the most fun times of my life.
I'm back in Bellingham now, where it is actually nice and sunny today. My mom returned to Bellingham late last night from her visit to Maine and Rochester. I am feeling better and better these days, although I still have less energy than normal and need to take periodic breaks to rest. I have become very economical in my activity - no more movements than necessary. My weight had never varied more than a few pounds since high school until this year. I lost 32 pounds (!) when I was very sick in May and June, but with the help of my mom's cooking I've regained all that and then some - I'm actually over my pre-illness weight now.
Ethan
Monday, November 1, 2010
Too much awesome
Although I had nothing planned in advance, yesterday turned out to be one of my favorite days of this trip. It was a beautiful warm sunny day. In the morning Jonathan and I took a walk around Land's End, with views of the ocean, the Golden Gate, and Marin. In the afternoon I stayed home with Toby (who is sick) and Jacob while Jonathan and Sarah enjoyed a rare opportunity to surf together at Ocean Beach. I was happy to be able to do something for them after everything they have done for me. Not that it was any hardship for me - I relaxed, sat in the sun, and read "A Mouth Like Yours" by our friend Dan Duane. In the late afternoon Sarah and I took a very pleasant walk together around the neighborhood and had a chance to chat. It was warm enough for me to wear shorts for the first time this trip. In the evening I went over to Deepak and Shareen's house to watch the Giants game. I got to see their daughter Rowan, Shareen's sister Roshi, and to meet some of their other friends. The game was great, with the Giants winning to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series. They have a chance to close out the series tonight, but unfortunately I will be on the plane back to Bellingham during the game, although I should be able to catch the end of it when I get back, barring any delays (knock on wood).
This trip has been too much awesome (as the Giants' closer Brian Wilson referred to his orange shoes). It has restored my interest in living. That is, it has renewed my faith that I can truly enjoy life still. I has been so awesome that I am a little worried about going back to Bellingham. I will miss all my dear friends here. I would like to come back, with the kids next time. With the direct flights on Allegiant Air from Bellingham to Oakland, it is a relatively easy and inexpensive trip.
I will have to keep busy when I get back to forestall an emotional letdown. Fortunately my friend Lauren is visiting Bellingham tomorrow, so that should be fun. I agreed to write another book review for American Scientist, so I can concentrate on that. And I would like to try to get into better aerobic shape, so I can play full-court basketball. Speaking of basketball, I signed up to co-coach basketball at the YMCA in the winter with my friend Michael Parke (his son Will is around the same age as Seth) - that will also give me something to which I can look forward.
Go Giants!
Ethan
This trip has been too much awesome (as the Giants' closer Brian Wilson referred to his orange shoes). It has restored my interest in living. That is, it has renewed my faith that I can truly enjoy life still. I has been so awesome that I am a little worried about going back to Bellingham. I will miss all my dear friends here. I would like to come back, with the kids next time. With the direct flights on Allegiant Air from Bellingham to Oakland, it is a relatively easy and inexpensive trip.
I will have to keep busy when I get back to forestall an emotional letdown. Fortunately my friend Lauren is visiting Bellingham tomorrow, so that should be fun. I agreed to write another book review for American Scientist, so I can concentrate on that. And I would like to try to get into better aerobic shape, so I can play full-court basketball. Speaking of basketball, I signed up to co-coach basketball at the YMCA in the winter with my friend Michael Parke (his son Will is around the same age as Seth) - that will also give me something to which I can look forward.
Go Giants!
Ethan
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