Thursday, April 29, 2010

Day two, round two...

All went well again today. Quicker start and earlier finish meant getting home mid afternoon. Time to make some business calls and sell more spaces for the 50 Plus Lifestyle Shows later in the year (Auckland & Tauranga).

Saw Gerald van Wardenburg in the waiting room when I arrived about 9 o'clock. He and an accomplice were dressed in authentic looking gypsy and were going in to the oncology day stay area where I suspect they were going to do something musical - Gerald had his viola under one arm.

Still having to avoid cucumber (Christine!) and even the thought of it makes me queasy. Apart from a bit of general (non-cucumberial) nausea, I'm feeling quite normal (eek!).

If you put a chameleon in a room full of mirrors, what colour would it turn?
Do movie producers still say "Lights camera, action" in a dark scene?
Do butterflies remember life as a caterpilla?
What do people in China call their good plates?

Cheers,

Bruce

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Day one, round two of chemo...

Everything went fine again today. Had a meeting first up with my Haemotologist who was very happy with results of my blood tests and bounce-back of platelets etc. They also did 13 x blood tests last week checking my to exposure to all sorts of infections and diseases. Fortunately, I'm in a very fine state which all bodes well for the stem cell transplant in a few weeks or so.

Apparently my case has been the subject of considerable discussion amongst my specialist's peer group. The results of the bone marrow biopsy showed just some low grade indolent cancer cells, not more of the lymphoma ones as per a couple of years ago. That is good news, and also increases the potential for the stem cell transplant to well and truly nobble all the cancer.

Back tomorrow and Friday for more chemo.

If your grandmother remarried, would her husband be your step grandfather?
If Barbie is so popular, why do you need to buy her friends?
Was the flying fox invented because someone threw a fox over a rope and then rode it?
Why is a dragon boat not made out of dragons?

Cheers
Bruce

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Hair today, gone tomorrow...

Mmmmm, maybe a bit too much light-hearted bravado about my flowing tresses? Today, I see there is a patch missing on the left side of my heat. Starting to feel like the old moth-eaten elephant (Jamuna? Raja?) at the Auckland Museum and don't like the idea of looking like a rice paddy with chunks missing. I'll go and attack it in a few minutes.

Yesterday, I won a couple of tickets to the Auckland Symphony Orchestra 'Last Night of the Proms' for June 19th. It is ages since I heard a decent sized orchestra live (pronounced live).

The savings on shampoo costs are about to start!

Cheers
Bruce
bbremner@ihug.co.nz

If a bald person works as a chef, do they have to wear a hairnet?
Why do people say "it is only a game" when they're winning?
Why does a round pizza come in a square box?
Why are there braille dots on the buttons at a drive-in ATM?

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Away for a couple of days

We stayed in Mt Maunganui last night and woke to another very lovely clear day. The water is calm and air temp is very pleasant. Don't have time for a swim in the surf.

Yesterday and today are a succession of meeting with exhibitors and potential exhibitors for our Tauranga show later in the year. We'll back to Auckland late in the day.

Rosie is staying at Doggie Dogs (day care and sleepovers) not far from home. She seems to enjoy it there (2nd time) and certainly was happy when we dropped her off yesterday morning.

My next lot of chemo (pre stem cell transplant) is next week, Wed/Thurs/Fri and then a week with daily GCSF injections to bolster my blood count in preparation for taking off the stem cells a week or so after that.

Still have my hair, but starting to notice some carnage and casualties creeping in. I think I'll do my Yule Brunner impersonation again as soon as it gets noticeably moth eaten-looking.

Can I start telling my volcano jokes now, or should I wait for the dust to settle?

Cheers
Bruce

Monday, April 19, 2010

Monday, Monday

Hi Folx,

Had a good weekend. Played golf and mowed the lawns - and I still have my hair!

Nothing gory or interesting or informative to report medically, so I might have to think of something else.

Vicki organised another one of her Golf Days, for which we went to Maxwell's Golf Retreat in Ramarama. What a stunning place. Kaye Maxwell (ex - NZ women's golfing legend) has created a delightful and pleasantly challenging 9-hole course on her rural property, along with superb clubhouse, conference facilities and even accommodation. The golf course is mostly par 3 except for the blind dogleg 7th which is a par 4 (I reckon it should be a par 7, then I would have birdied it). There are some great contours and menacing water features to add to the excitement on several holes. Check it out at http://www.maxwellsgolfretreat.co.nz

That's me for the moment. Better get back to work before I get spotted!

Cheers
Bruce
8455421; 021-941293

Friday, April 16, 2010

Bring on the weekend!

Continuing to feel perfectly normal and still yet to notice any diminution of my lovely flowing tresses! The future of my hair brush is still safe at this stage.

Had a test this morning and another on Tuesday morning which I won't know the results of until I'm next back at the Haemotology Daystay unit. That's fine.

Earlier today, my sister Sue sent through some rather nice quotes - some of which I'm even prepared to share with you! See below...

The exchange between Churchill & Lady Astor:
She said, "If you were my husband, I'd give you poisoned tea."
He answered, "If you were my wife, I'd drink it."


"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend... if you have one." - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second... if there is one." - Winston Churchill, in response.

"He is a self-made man and worships his creator" - John Bright


"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial."
-Irvin S. Cobb

"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it."
- Groucho Marx


Cheers
Bruce
8455421; 021-941293 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              021-941293      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
bbremner@ihug.co.nz
Skype: bruce.bremner

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Time flies...

Deepest apologies to the throngs for not having updated this since the other day (whenever that was).

Feeling pretty much normal (whatever that means!) again. Haven't had an anti-nausea pill since Sunday morning. All is well. Thoroughly enjoyed the perfect timing of a major veg-out patch watching much of the Masters Golf from Augusta over the weekend - AND Monday morning! Have been working hard since then and think I'm managing to justify my existence OK.

A bunch of us are going out to Kaye Maxwell's Golf Retreat boutique 9-hole course on Saturday. Should be fun. A lot more interesting than the Ellerslie 'pitch and put' 9-holer.

Not a lot else to report right now.

Who were the people who hung out with the people who started Cobb & Co?
Why didn't Forrest Gump get tired?
Why does it rain cats and dogs and not hamsters and mice?
Can you line dance diagonally without a mullet?

Cheers
Bruce
8455421; 021-941293 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              021-941293      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
bbremner@ihug.co.nz OR bruce@50pluslifestyle.co.nz

Sunday, April 11, 2010

So far, so good. Still got hair!

I have had the last two mornings pretty much vegged out in front of the TV watching the Masters Golf from Augusta. Great stuff. It is just a pity those guys don't know how to play very well. Maybe next year?

Yesterday I still had quite a bit of nausea, but today has been an improvement. The food smell which I find by far the most 'dangerous' is (oddly enough) cucumber. I suspect it is the connotations I have with the sandwiches they offer during the chemo which nearly all have salad and cucumber as part of the deal. There is a weird smell association that really churns my stomach.

This afternoon we've had a nice visit from Claire & Chris and Hannah. Little Hannah has bossed me around (as she likes to do) and we've had a pleasant day all round. The munchies are starting to bite and I'm seriously giving major consideration to some take-out black chili chicken and some beef fried noodles from the Canton Chinese place in Kingsland. The flavour of these two items is absolutely outstanding - and having typed about it, I really think I just need to go out and get some!

Again, we really appreciate your support,

Cheers
Bruce & Jeanette
bbremner@ihug.co.nz
bruce@50pluslifestyle.co.nz
8455421; 021-941293

Friday, April 9, 2010

First round - finished...

Again, pretty uneventful today. A false start with the lure placement, so switched to other wrist. No dramas. Feeling more of the tendency to nausea as cumulative effect of the chemo mounts. They have given me good meds to ease that stuff.

Tonight, I think it might be Burger Wisconsin for dinner: Chicken Avocado & Bacon for Jeanette, and my new choice: fish, coriander and lime.

Tomorrow morning, I'm looking forward to vegging out and watching the Masters Golf from Augusta.


"Doc, I can't help singing the Green Green Grass of Home". Mmmm, "That sounds like Tom Jones' Syndrome to me". "Is it common"? "Its not unusual"

You know, someone actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on the windscreen. It said 'Parking Fine' - so that was nice.

Ireland's worst air disaster occurred early this morning when a small two-seater Cessna plane crashed into a cemetery. Irish search and rescue workers have recovered 1826 bodies so far and expect that number to climb as digging continues into the night.


Cheers
Bruce
bbremner@ihug.co.nz OR bruce@50pluslifestyle.co.nz
8455421; 021-941293 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              021-941293      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Thursday - 2nd 'hit' of first round

I'm pleased to report that today went very smoothly again. I drove myself there and back and did a couple of errands on the way home. The anti-nausea drugs seem to be pretty effective, not quite 100% but getting up there! I even cooked up a storm for dinner tonight. (A 'storm' by my standards would be barely a ripple by anyone else's assessment. Oh, all right, if you must know it was only Hoki fish fingers in lemon pepper, accompanied with smashed potato and a fresh garden salad).

When sign makers go on strike, is there anything written of their picket signs?
When you open a new bag of cotton balls, is the top one meant to be thrown away?
When your pet bird sees you reading the newspaper, does he wonder why you're sitting there staring at the carpet?
Where do forest rangers go to get away from it all?
Why do they report power outages on TV?
If you lick the air, does it get wet?

P.S. - still haven't lost my hair! Not sure how long I can say that this time...

Cheers
Bruce
bbremner@ihug.co.nz or bruce@50pluslifestyle.co.nz

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Wednesday, April 7, 2010

First Day all went well...

I am now instilled with a cocktail of three different chemo potions which my body hasn't sampled in the previous sessions in 2008. The procedure seemed very much the same. The staff at the Haemotology Daystay unit are superb and certainly make a difference.

I finished the 1st of the three consecutive day's chemo hits a couple of hours ago. So far so good. Not noticing any nausea (thanks to the appropriate medications whose side effect is constipation. Yay!)or metallic tastes or other symptoms. My hair hasn't even fallen out yet! Obviously it will be something of a wait and see regarding how this all plays out and how my body reacts this time around. I'm certainly hopeful it will go with a minimum of disruption and collateral damage.

Had a brief but encouraging visit from Leanne, the Haemotologist, who said the initial results if the bone marrow biopsy done last week look more favourable than she expected. Timing is good. Instead of 3 x 21-day cycles before the stem cell transplant (three weeks in hospital), it may well only require 2 x 21-day cycles. I'm very happy to save 3 weeks off the total time frame.

Thanks for the many messages of prayer and love and support. It is always very tangible.

I guess this brings us to the point where we inject some lighthearted stuff:

* Two blondes walk into a building..........you'd think at least one of them would have seen it.

* Phone answering machine message - '...If you want to buy marijuana, press the hash key...'


* I went to buy some camouflage trousers the other day but I couldn't find any.

* I went to the butchers the other day and I bet him 50 quid that he couldn't reach the meat off the top shelf. He said, 'No, the steaks are too high.'

Cheers,
Bruce Bremner
bbremner@ihug.co.nz
8455421; 021941293

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