Scouts Honor

Scout’s honor

I can honestly say that I was never a boy scout or cub scout.  I played sports all year-round from about six years old until I was about 18.  I just never had the time for it.  Nita signed up Connor and Josephine for cub scouts and daisies this year.  As luck would have it, the platelet drop which forced my chemo week to be pushed out, allowed me to go to Connor’s first badge earning event.  It was an overnight campout at the Waco Zoo.  Additionally, that morning Josie had her first badge earning event which was a trip to Sweetberry farms for some horticulture education and some pumpkin and gourd picking. Nita took both kids which gave me time to pick up a few things for our campout.

We drove up to the zoo and arrived at 6pm.  The staff told us the rules and about 75 people all humped our gear to the open area and began to set up.  Now when I first went to pick up the tent Nita told me, “get a big tent, one we can use as a family later and maybe even take the dog.”  I hadn’t been camping in quite a few years.  In fact, Dell kind of spoiled me with the fancy hotels on my travels.  So I wasn’t exactly looking for a “feel the earth beneath me” experience.

So Nita says get a big tent.  Now you can’t give me guidance like that and expect me to come home with a four-person tent and a dog flap.  So I bought a larger tent which also had a ceiling fan, light, and wall light switch.  It was fairly impressive and easy to set up, Connor’s help of courses made it take a bit longer, but that is really what makes it awesome isn’t it?  Being out there with your boy doing outdoor stuff?  The tent was so impressive that Connor began giving tours of it to his fellow scouters.

That night we had a behind the scenes tour of four barns: giraffes; white rhinos; tigers; and various nocturnal animals, reptiles and birds.  We were able to feed the giraffes, pet the rhinos, and pet some of the reptiles and an opossum. The kids were on the tour until almost 10pm (which is late for a 7-8-year-old…and a 47-year-old). When we got back to camp, we were beat.  We brushed our teeth, changed into sleepwear and hit the air mattress and sleeping bags.  The night sounds were fun and Connor and I both enjoyed the night. 

Connor feeding the giraffe

The next morning, we had breakfast, toured the zoo, and then made the trip back to Austin.  It was a fun trip and a blessing as well.  You see, it should have been a chemo week for me.  All the water they gave us was chilled…and I could not have held it much less consumed it for a while.  All the walking and setting up and tearing down we did would have been tough for me on a chemo week.  In fact, Nita and I had even decided that she should go instead…but then my week got pushed back and with two weeks off, I was able to handle the load.  Thanks to God, I had a great overnight with my son.

This week, however, is chemo week.  My bloodwork came in and I was healthy enough for chemo.  My platelets came back up and it encourages me that my body continues to battle the nasty stuff we’re using to try to contain the cancer.  My white blood cell count has been steady throughout the FolFox treatments meaning that my immune system isn’t as compromised; and I haven’t had a Neupogen shot in months.  Also good news.  The side effects are still uncomfortable but what do you expect?  You are putting poison into your body right?  Something has to give, so once you accept that, it is easier to overcome.  So I won’t bore you folks with the same tired list of side effects, but all the greatest hits are playing. And I’m chasing them around with meds, same old drill. The neuropathy is a bit worse now.  A light cold front came in Thursday and it had a big effect.  I could feel my fingertips tingling all day and then I had to make a quick trip to the store.  Just being in the grocery store near the cold aisle was enough to get my fingers aching.  But that is why they sell gloves.

Oh, I forgot to mention last week that my echocardiogram came back normal.  So the Avastin has not had a detrimental effect on my heart…which is nice.  I kind of figured that even though the tech isn't allowed to tell me anything on the spot, usually if they don’t send you immediately to the emergency room, then you are probably okay.  My barometer for panic has changed a lot over the last year.  I have a better read on when medical folks are freaked out and when things are just normal chaos (if that makes any sense). 

I called my cancer buddy this week to see how he was handling his second treatment and we spoke a lot about the symptoms and what to expect.  He is an engineer and a tinkerer so he’s trying to find easier ways to manage his pump and other little tricks around the house. It was nice talking to him and listening to his plans and ideas.  We all react to our situations differently and it helps to have someone on the inside if you know what I mean.  I certainly appreciated the advice from those who had been there before and helped me understand what to expect.  Reading about side effects from the drug manufacturer is not quite the same as people telling you about their personal experiences.

Josephine won the principal’s pride award at Spicewood in her first month.  We were very proud of her and (this is going to sound bad) kind of expected it.  Josie is a strong communicator and rule follower.  She’s a dream student for any teacher and we were very confident she’d excel.  Granted, it’s only kindergarten but she walked in being able to count to 100…in Spanish.  She did this because once in pre-K, two little girls could count to sixteen and “beat her.”  She said she’d never let that happen again.  So we worked on it for a few weeks and bammo, 100.  Technically she now can go to one thousand if you had the time.

It reminded me of a golf tournament I played in a few years ago.  It was our club grudge match of the giggle and the gaggle ryder cup.  I was just starting to improve and was around a 15 handicap at the time.  I played a 13 in my singles match and he closed me out 4&3 (he was four holes up on the 15^th hole).  I was pretty mad about it because he was chirping at me the whole time as well.  When I shook his hand and removed my hat I politely said, “You will never in your f&%king life ever beat me again.” He was a little drawn back and said it was all in good fun.  I smiled and walked off (I’m pretty competitive if you hadn’t figured that out by now).  He never ever beat me again.  That was when I made my push and within two years got down to a 5.6 handicap (for you non-golfers, that is a big improvement). Then I had kids, then I got cancer, so now I don’t play.  But my point is, Josephine has that killer instinct.  She refuses to lose. When things don’t go her way, she doesn’t just complain about the environment…she seeks to get better.  I love that!

My CEA score came back this week…4.0!  We’re looking good.  In the chart I’m calling it “treatment 4.5” because I didn’t have chemo last week, this is just carryover from treatment 4!  My oncologist said that my trip to MDA next week should be quite positive.  He said you can’t see a trend like this without expecting corresponding tumor response.  So I’m clearly not jumping on the remission bandwagon like I did last time, but we can definitely expect some shrinking or at least stasis on the sizes.  And clearly the growth trend is moving in the correct direction.  So there is a lot for which to be thankful! 

So here we go into All Saints Day, Halloween, Dia de los Muertos, and my wife’s birthday.  A couple of big weeks ahead of us.  I’m pushing my chemo back one day so I can go trick or treating with the kids.  Our neighborhood does it right and there are so many kids and golf carts that it is almost impossible to have a bad time.  I am certainly thankful that God has allowed me to participate in another holiday season.  I do not take them for granted, in fact it was not too many months ago that I was on my knees begging for one more Christmas.  My thanksgiving prayer might force us to eat cold food this year, maybe not, I’ll do my best to contain myself. 

What I do know is that the prayers each of you have sent up, the support, the love, and the time and effort you have dedicated to help my family and me have made a difference.  I was laughing at my buddy when he said he’s had every possible type of soup from every family in the neighborhood so far.  We do have a very caring community here and we love it.  Combined with my old high school gang, St. Ignatius group, Hope, BCC, Spicewood, Aggies, and TLC; I have been strengthened by the love and support.  I hope to see you folks soon.  But until I do, I’ll keep plugging away…scout’s honor.  TeamMarco@austin.rr.com.