Author: Bruce McLarty

The past few weeks have been very trying physically. I started noticing some tightness in my back. This lasted about 10-12 days and got progressively worse as the days went on. I started to have lots of pain standing. Sitting was no joke either. Getting out of bed was difficult. I had some leftover oxcodone 5mg from the biopsy in April. I rationed them out to once per day in the morning to get me through. They did nothing to relieve the pain. I was eating acetaminophen like candy. I had to have my wife help me out of bed, on and off the toilet, help with bathing, help with everything. Finally on Christmas Eve, I told my wife I need to go to the ER and we should call 911. The ambulance came and whisked me away to a local hospital. They gave me morphine for the pain and fentanyl. The ER doc ordered a CT scan of my spine. Turns out, I had a 30% burst compression fracture of my L2 spine. I spent Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day after in the hospital. I went home that Friday night, still with lots of pain.

I had a neuro surgical consult that Monday with a surgeon. He suggested I have a Kyphoplasty. This procedure takes about an hour. They make a small incision on my back, inject bone cement into the affected vertabrae. This is supposed to give immediate relief from pain and pressure on the spine. At first I was thinking no way, no how. The surgeon gave a look like why wouldn’t you want this. I agreed and we got scheduled two days later, New Years Eve. The surgery went well. I had immediate relief from the pain and pressure on my spine. I’m getting around the house much better than before. I still am dependent on the walker. I have a back brace from the hospital. The healing time is about 3-6 months. In just 3 days, I can move much more easily. I wear my back brace all day. I take it off at bedtime. The brace helps a lot too. It keeps my spine straight. Since the procedure, I haven’t had to have too much help getting in and out of bed, getting up off the couch, getting on and off the toilet. I am still very nervous about things like this but I’m pushing myself to be more independent. I still ask for help when needed but it’s much less than before.

I am so appreciative of the help I’ve gotten over the last few weeks. My wife has been there every step of the way. My mother has come up to help before and after the surgery. I couldn’t even pick up my undies on my own before hand. Now I can do it all on my own. It’s been brutal. I’ve had a lot of depression during the painful parts. Those dark clouds have lifted. I’m much more stable mentally since the surgery. It sucked. I feel like a burden at times but I know my family has gathered around me to keep me going.

I missed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with family while I was in the hospital. Then after the surgery, I missed New Years Eve celebrations with family. I really didn’t miss too much and I didn’t really feel it would be wise to stay up that late anyway. They were just another day. Today is Saturday, January 3rd. I feel much better. I feel some independence with getting up. I feel the love and support from my family. I thank the staff and the surgeon at the hospital. I thank God daily for the relief the procedure has brought me. They told me no bathing or showering for 3 days. I can’t do that. I sponge bathed each day. Today, my wife washed my back to get the iodine or betadine whatever they scrub you with before surgery. She cleaned the site. Minimal blood drops on the cloth. No infection oozing out. I think we are on a good path.

Thank you for stopping by!
~Bruce

What a morning! I have had some back spasms over the last few days, and this day was the worst. I almost rescheduled my MRI appointment. My wife pushed me through. It was so difficult to just get out of bed. My lower back would seize up and cause me to collapse back into bed. My wife helped me up and into the bathroom to get ready. We were about a half hour late to the appointment. I called ahead to let them know we were running behind, and the receptionist said to hurry up to get there. I wore some clothes that didn’t have any metal, the same as last time, so I would not have to change into the MRI gown and pants. The MRI went well. I had to have some help sitting up. It was so painful that I let out a big scream. My wife heard and came running. We got help loading me into the car. I asked the tech to come home with us to help me in.

Results:
The MRI was stable. Yay! The doctor said she was happy with the result. She also told me my tumor was unmethylated. I wish they would have told us sooner. Some new study in Europe showed that 6 months of chemo would be sufficient in this case. Does that mean I’m finished with chemo? She said I could go on for another 6 months of treatment with the SOC. I’m still not sure about it.

Back pain:
I got up today with a little less pain, but it’s still there. Yesterday was the worst of the worst. My wife helped me get bathed and cleaned up. I’m having issues sitting and bending. I needed some help getting up off the toilet and getting my undies and shorts up. It’s very difficult with the bending. Little things we take for granted. I can do this cancer thing no problem; throw in some back spasms, and it’s awful. But we press through. I gotta do this. My wife stayed home with me yesterday. My mother is coming today to help me out. It hasn’t been easy the last couple days, but I’ll get through it. I keep telling myself to push through and do this; you got it, big boy. I have to be able to do things on my own. My wife can’t take off every day during this. I had a few leftover pain meds from surgery last year. I took one last night, and it seemed to lessen the pain. I took another this morning around 4:30 to get ahead of the pain of movement. I hope it will work well for me today.

Be grateful for the help you get and take nothing for granted.

Thanks for stopping by!
~Bruce

Not sure what’s going on. I know he doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas. I haven’t had PT in about 2-3 weeks. No texts for appointments. Last week I was canceled due to double booking. Today I just did my exercises on my own as I have for the last couple of weeks. You’d think if he was getting paid per patient he’d be more apt to contact me and get an appointment on the books. Not the case. Oh well, I have a good memory and I can do it myself. If I don’t hear from them tonight, I will just call the company myself and take care of it.

I’m also about to start my next round of chemo. I’m due to start on Sunday. My specialty pharmacy doesn’t have my meds available to refill. I mean, there are no refills available on my app to order. I let my nurse know yesterday, and she said she would wait until my latest lab work, today, to see how my levels were, etc. I hate doing things last minute. I know I don’t have to be exact with the date, but I do like to maintain a schedule. I hope it works itself out. Don’t get me wrong, chemo sucks. I’m not looking forward to it. It’s one of the least favorite things in my life right now. But I do want things to go without a hitch.

I’ve had some good days lately. I’ve been teaching my wife how to cook some recipes, and she’s nailing it. We meal prep on Sundays for the week, that way when she gets home from work, she does not have to cook a full meal. This week we made a couple of things. One was a Spanish-style pork stew with hominy, mirepoix, potatoes, and seasonings. It’s been delicious. The other thing we prepped, which we are having tonight, is a copycat Carrabba’s style sausage and lentil soup. Also very delish. Quick heat up, easy clean up, and quick preparation.

My boy Chip has been staying with me most of the day. Pancake doesn’t bother; he just comes in, eats, and leaves. Chip is my baby boy. He stays either right beside me or watches over me from his tower.

A few weeks ago, our soundbar in the bedroom went out. Normally I could troubleshoot it and fix it, but my vertigo and balance issues won’t allow me to. So my wife to the rescue. She’s not tech-savvy or an audio tech. That’s my wheelhouse. This issue caused the TV not to have any sound. So just turn up the TV speaker volume, right? Wrong. It wouldn’t work. The remote on the Vizio TV is so basic there was no menu button to access it. There is a way to hard reset the TV sound, but walking my wife through that seemed difficult with blind button presses. And to make things worse, the power cord for the TV fell out from the back of it. So she had to feel around blindly for where the power cable feeds in. Finally, we got that working. Now on to the soundbar. We ended up having to reset the router. So unplug and plug right back in. With the Sonos Beam soundbar, it’s all app-based, so I needed to be able to sign in. No such luck without the router reset. Fixed that, signed in. Now with the soundbar mount, the device is screwed into the mount. Great idea until you have to reconnect it. You have to pull the power cord and hit an arc button. It’s close mounted to the wall. So I had a good idea: flip the switch to kill the power on the power strip and then press the arc button. Same thing, right? It worked! We have working sound in the bedroom again.

Next neglected issue. My boy Chip, when he was a baby, knocked off a surround sound speaker in our TV room. Loose speaker wire and a broken mount have been staring at me for years. I ordered a knockoff replacement mount from Amazon. It was the exact same mount as the Rocketfish mount I originally used. I Frankensteined it together with a piece I needed and talked my wife through mounting it. She did great. She had to rewire a banana clip and mount the speaker back to the mount with an Allen key. Again, not her wheelhouse, but she freaking nailed it.

So that’s the update. Thank you for stopping by!
~Bruce

The last 3 weeks have been good. Lots of weekly blood work, lots of YouTube videos. I watched an amazing series on Netflix, Poldark. Highly recommend. I got into watching an oldie but goodie, Babish videos. I also love watching Matt’s Offroad Recovery and Laura Farms. Great channels to pass the time. I’ve been doing my normal workflow. Orders, processing, etc.

I started my 5th or 6th round of chemo tonight. I can’t remember. I’m trying something a bit different with my meds. The zofran is 3x a day as needed. I filled my pillbox with lunch and dinner dosages, skipping the zofran at breakfast. Trying to help my constipation from it. We will see how it goes.

Big decision time. I received a notice in the mail that my health insurance is ready to renew. Great, I log in and see my premium went from $587/month to $840/month. I self-pay as my work doesn’t offer any assistance. My payroll company doesn’t either. I can’t join a group plan; this is nothing new. It’s always been like this. Now how is this affordable? When the ACA was first passed, I was paying around $150/month. This is hardly affordable now. Here’s the awful decision I was forced to make. I can’t afford to have health insurance. I can’t afford to not have it. What to do? We already scrimp and save as much as possible. I have to choose between a car and insurance. I can’t afford both. Since I’m not driving anymore, the decision was easy. Let the Jeep go. I wanted to cry all week having this looming over my head. I’ve only driven once in the past 7-8 months since diagnosis. It’s not safe for me to drive. I feel like I’m DUI when I’m just walking. It would not be safe for me to put others at risk either. We will make it work. Have you had to make a decision of this magnitude? It stinks; it’s BS. I love that truck. I love living more though. I’d rather be here. I can’t live without treatment. I can live without a car. Other insurance plans may be cheaper, but by $50 or so. Will my treatment center accept different insurance? I’m sure they will. The savings of switching companies aren’t enough for me to risk. Currently, my treatments are covered and all my prescriptions are covered. I’d rather stay with a higher premium, I suppose, than have worry over my head. Ugh, this sucks. Cancer freaking sucks. The insurance game is a joke. But here we are, surviving and managing. Am I thriving? I don’t know, but I’m surviving; that’s all I can ask for right now.

I told my wife, “You better kiss me before I start my chemo meds.” I stole some kisses from my kitties today as well.

So that’s the update, shitty but here we are.

Thanks for stopping by!
~Bruce

I’ve been doing my usual daily routine. I get up, have breakfast, and watch the news. Feeling terrible for Jamaica with Melissa closing in.

I’ve been teaching my wife some recipes for dinner. Easy one-pot, 30-minute or less healthy meals. I have not been able to cook lately. I get the ingredients ordered and prepped, but my wife has taken over the cooking responsibilities, and let me tell you, it’s been delicious. I still get to express my creativity with the meal planning and prep; I just can’t stand there to cook. I can do all the veggie chopping and seasonings for liquids. She follows my instructions, and it’s like I haven’t stopped. This weekend we prepped some pot roast and had that for the last two nights. It was delish. The sauce was luscious and rich. I’m proud of her. Tonight we are having a type of sweet and sour chicken with peppers, onions, pineapple, and sticky rice. I’ve been working out the recipe in my head for the last couple of days. It should be yummy.

I’m about two weeks out from my last chemo round, and I have to say the week of it was brutal. Lots of weakness in my legs. Some brain fog. I hate being constipated from the Zofran. But I won’t trade it for the nausea and vomiting. That sucks.

Today is Tuesday, meaning bloodwork. We made it on time, but the lab was about a half an hour behind. Not too bad; usually, we only have to wait like 5 minutes. My specialty pharmacy was texting me overnight regarding my next refill. I pushed it through, not sure when it will arrive. My next round starts November 4th. I’ll have to let the medical oncologist know when that starts to see if my bloodwork is okay for the next round of chemo.

Thanks for stopping by!
~Bruce

I started my 4th round of chemo on Sunday. It’s a much higher dose of the TMZ. Last round I was on 350mg. This round is 480mg. I was okay Sunday and Monday. I went for my weekly bloodwork today. Fatigue is awful. I have some little dark spots developing on my right arm. I have had it before with previous rounds of chemo. I’m not too concerned about the spots. They go away. My jaw is sore at the hinge. My teeth get so cold sensitive during chemo week. That started today. My appetite is fine. No nausea as long as I stay on the Zofran. Constipation is present. The nurse at my medical oncologist’s office said that is from the Zofran.

Today is my 3rd day on the chemo dose. 2 more after today. Can’t wait to finish this round. Hopefully, all these symptoms will stay the same or lessen. I’m so tired today and the day has just begun.

I’m not the woe-is-me type of guy, but this week is kicking my behind. I try to stay positive throughout all the tests and blood draws, etc. It can be overwhelming. Stay positive and have faith. That’s what I keep telling myself today.

I recently started giving my wife some cooking lessons on some of my quick easy recipes. Sunday she made an Italian-style tortellini soup. We had that for two nights. It was delicious. Tonight I am teaching her a quick egg roll bowl recipe. Super easy, super cheap to make, and no carbs. WW approved meal, very low points. I’m glad my wife is up to cooking. It’s nice having a home-cooked meal and not a sodium-riddled frozen dinner or salad every night.

So that’s my week thus far. It’s been a toughie. I’ll make it through like any other week/obstacle. The weather has been nice. 60’s in the morning. I was a bit chilly when we left for blood work today. I saw a meme on FB that called it Florida’s False Fall. We’ll probably be back in the 90’s next week.

Thank you for stopping by!
~Bruce

I had another MRI yesterday at a different location than we are used to. The MRI was easy and only took about 45 minutes. My patient portal showed the appointment was at 12:30. I checked the time again yesterday for the address to load into my Google Maps, and the time changed to 12 noon. They didn’t inform me of any change, so we just had to put a little more pep in our step to get there on time.

Now the meat of it. I had an appointment with my medical oncologist 90 minutes after the MRI. We went to the cafeteria and had lunch while we waited. We finished and made our way to the doctor’s appointment. All was good. The staff was so kind, coming in to check on us. It makes for an easy appointment having such caring staff. The doctor comes in and gives us the news. There has been 1 cm of shrinkage! This is major. 1 cm may not seem too big in the scope of things, but it is massive in regard to the size of my tumor. In March, it was measured at 6.1 cm. Yesterday it was 5.1 cm. Huge difference. I’ll post the pic of the scans since the beginning. Top left is the current, and bottom right is the initial. Amazing news.

I am also scheduled to start my 4th round of chemo. There is an increase in the dosage with the steroid weight gain. I won’t forget my Zofran anti-nausea pills this time. That was a nauseous nightmare not having the anti-nausea meds in my system.

Every morning and night before I get up and before I go to bed, I pray for stability/shrinkage of the tumor, aka Rudy. We would like to see him dissolve more. I feel like it is working. Please keep your positive vibes and prayers coming my way.

Scanxiety got me for a week prior to yesterday’s MRI. I was so nervous to hear the results. My wife asked me the night before if everything was okay. She could read my face like a book. I told her I was nervous about the scan, and she understood. I feel like I am on a good path with the recent scan. I am hopeful to continue down this positive path.

Another one down, on to the next. Chemo meds are ordered and will arrive Friday for my next round. I’m due to start that on the 12th.

Thank you for stopping by!
~Bruce

This week has been okay. The chemo really got me exhausted Thursday. I slept a lot. I didn’t realize it was knocking me out until I woke up. Today, Friday, would be my last day on this round of 5/23. No nausea this round. I’ve been taking the Zofran as directed. It really does help. I had blood work Tuesday like every week. We stopped for a breakfast sandwich afterward. The coffee was so good. A cold brew with cold foam and toffee bits atop. Delicious.

We have a new kitty coming Sunday. His name is Leo. We’re calling him Uncle Leo as he will be the boys’ uncle. The person who had him before us is moving into a place where she can’t keep him. It’s a sad situation, but we are happy to be able to help out. I hope the transition and introductions go smoothly. It’s not the first time we’ve introduced a new member to the family. But it can be stressful for the kitties and the humans. I asked the previous owner to sleep with or keep a towel or washcloth with their scent to allow for soothing familiarity for Leo. I’m not too worried about the introductions. Our boy Pancake is very open to new members of the family. Chip can be a brat at times. Leo comes from a house where he is the only cat. This only slightly worries me because he hasn’t had cat friends before. He should be fine though; from what I hear, he is a pretty calm and chill boy. He is a chunky slow boy, so we will have to get that weight down. He’s going to be my in-laws’ cat. They are familiar with him, and he with them.

So that’s my week. It’s been good except for the fatigue yesterday. Hope y’all are doing well.

Thanks for stopping by!
~Bruce

Getting to the lab was a breeze today. Not too much traffic. I noticed there was a fast food restaurant with a new iced coffee drink. It piqued my interest, so we stopped on the way back. It was delicious. Salted caramel toffee iced coffee. Yum. It really hit the spot. It went down so quick and smooth.

Today I receive my 2nd round of 5/23 chemo via UPS. It will be my third round of chemo. I start that next Monday. I won’t be forgetting the Zofran this round. I hated being nauseous last time. I only vomited once, but that was enough to ensure I take my meds.

The lab techs love me. They all know my name. They’re all happy to see me and my wife. They love her hair. Every outing, we have someone who compliments her hair color. I’m not jealous lol. I have a Pac-Man tattoo. That gets me compliments a lot. Not as much as her hair, though. I think it’s cute that many people say something about it.

The cats have been good lately; the big one had an upset tummy yesterday and vomited a couple of times. Today he seems good. Sometimes I think he overeats and forgets he just ate, and then barfs. Chip has been wanting to roam each night. Usually, he goes in his room and has a calm evening. The last few nights he hasn’t wanted this. Last night was a calm, structured night for him. I got up around 4:45 to go pee, and he heard me. He puts out a baby cry to get his way. We let him out then. Prior to this week, he would get up around 1-3 am and ask to come out early. No problem; he’s a good boy most days. It was nice to not hear it at 1 am.

That’s about it for this week’s update.
Thanks for stopping by!
~Bruce

Today I treated myself to a much overdue haircut. High and tight was the answer. The question, how long will this mop get? I feel so much better having a nice fade again. It’s been months. My wife drove me down for the appointment. She got to meet my stylist. Instant friends, love that. I had a huge bald spot in the back from the radiation. My hair was long in all the other areas. It looked worse than a bad toupee. The hair was hanging over the bald area. Awful. Skin fade and longer on top. She really hit the nail on the head.

After the cut, we went to the job and I signed some checks and rolled around the shop to see what all I couldn’t see on reorder reports. I have an idea of fill-in orders to plump up some inventory. We need it. It was a nice adventure out for a few hours. Nice time spent with my main squeeze. It was nice riding somewhere other than a blood work appointment. That’s tomorrow morning anyway. More blood work, but that can wait till the morrow. I’m done for the day. It took a lot out of me and I’m pretty tired. Tonight we are just going to have a quick meal I can throw in the oven.

Thanks for stopping by!
~Bruce