Peace One Day

I've decided that today is a good day to write about world peace and about an initiative that celebrates that goal. I think it's all too easy with all that's going on in the world to focus on the negative and forget that there are people and organisations out there trying to make things better.

Peace One Day was started in 1999 by the British filmmaker, Jeremy Gilley, and aims to promote the idea of one day free of conflict and war. (I haven't seen it written anywhere, but I guess the goal is that if you can start with one day, why not two, and so on.) After a couple of years of meeting with heads of state, peace negotiators, NGOs, etc., Jeremy was able to convince the UN to pass a resolution declaring September 21st as a day of global ceasefire. The resolution was passed on 7th September 2001 and efforts to work towards the goal were lost a few days later.

Oh, I know what you're thinking...world peace is unattainable, a Pollyanna dream, but subsequent years of effort have shown that the world can still surprise us...

In 2007, Jeremy travelled with Jude Law to Afghanistan and managed to persuade not only NATO and Afghan forces but also the Taliban to hold a one-day ceasefire, allowing women and children to be vaccinated in hard-to-reach provinces. In Southern Sudan NGOs have used Peace Day to get additional food and vaccinations to war-torn regions. There are many other similar stories on the website.

Anyway, I'll leave it there and hope that others will continue to promote the idea. For me, it's a little like the climate change issue, we can choose to do nothing because it's just too difficult, or we can do something. I believe our kids will thank us for choosing the latter.

Oh, and how thoughtful that they should choose my birthday to celebrate the day!!

A short medical update - I completed the first of six monthly chemo treatments last week without too much drama. The dose went from 140mg during radiation up to 300mg this time and will increase to its maximum dose of 380mg next month. The side-effects were pretty much the same as before - mostly fatigue and stomach cramps - and the anti-nausea pills worked well. Now ready to get back on the bike to enjoy the beautiful fall colours.

Peace everyone!

Good times

Just a short note to post a few photographs and update on the last couple of weeks. We tried to take full advantage of my four-week break between radiation ending and chemo starting. Here's a taste:

My Dad and Margaret stayed with us for a week and we took in the Minnesota State Fair, a stroll along the heritage trail, the boys playing soccer, and lots of boating fun...

Check out the look of sheer terror!

(For anyone who would like to see more photographs of the fun on the lake - especially Richard's fun-boarding antics - there's a Picassa album here: 'boating fun')

A clear highlight of the last couple of weeks was competing in the Minneapolis Duathlon with Anna and some good friends of ours. Anna and Curt both ran the two 5k legs and I cycled the 18 miles in the middle with Mary. Unfortunately the official photographers didn't catch us on the course (I'm going to resist a joke about us going too fast) but my dad was on hand to take this photograph afterwards.

Last, but not least was a short trip to Lanesboro in southern Minnesota with Mary and Curt, their kids, Isabel and Alli (all in the photo below), and Carla and Daniel (not pictured). Time well spent on bike rides, a three hour tube ride down the root river (complete with a six pack for the grown-ups), lots of great food, good laughs, and way too much wine.

Outside Whalen's 'World Famous Pie Shop'

That's all for now - I'm off to have a lie down!
Until next time...

ps. There is a tool on my blog where I can view stats of how many people have read the blog (good for my ego, y'know) and where they are from. This month there were nine page views from Tanzania and, as I don't know anyone there, I'm curious to know...who's out there and are you enjoying the blog?

One year ago today...

My life was changed forever. I feel like I want to mark the occasion somehow, but I honestly don't know exactly how I feel about it. I know that some cancer patients mark the anniversary of the date they are pronounced 'cancer free'. But as I'm not, there's nothing to celebrate. This was the toughest year of my life. Anna and I reached the lowest lows and cried more tears than we had in the previous ten years. On the other hand, I've come through two surgeries, two tiring bouts of radiation, a few rounds of chemo, and I'm still fighting. Furthermore...

• I've grown closer to family and friends
• I'm appreciating the everyday moments more - bedtime chats with the boys, a good meal with friends, a chat and a glass of wine with Anna.
• I'm more conscious of how I look after my body
• I'm working hard and enjoying it more than ever
• I'm having more fun and laughs
• I don't dwell on what people think too much (a gift normally reserved for the elderly!)

I don't subscribe to the cliche that 'cancer was the best thing that ever happened to me'. But it has given me a new perspective, a greater focus on the important things, and made me (in Thoreau's words) "suck the marrow out of life". (More on that in the next post).

So, there, I've marked the occasion. It's not positive, it's not negative, it just is what it is.

End of radiation (2)

Yesterday I had my last round of radiation (again). I'm very happy about not being 'zapped' (as Anna dubbed it) every day, but most of all I think I'm happy about getting the time back. Although I was only in the hospital for 30 minutes or less, the round trip was an hour and a half, followed by some downtime and a nap - I was losing a good three hours or so a day. I'll take chemo until Friday and then have a four-week break for good behaviour! Higher dose chemo starts on September 12th and will run for 6 months.

We celebrated last night by going to our favourite Irish pub for some comfort food (mmm....shepherd's pie!) and a Guinness (for me, not the boys!).

Now I can get back to working full days again. Well, at least until I take vacation in a couple of weeks for the summer onslaught (am I allowed to say that out loud?) of family visitors.

In the words of a wise man..."and that's all I have to say about that".

Managing Energy

Sorry about the lack of posts lately. I guess there just hasn't been much to report (medically) and too much good stuff going on to spend time blogging. That's good though, right?

A lot of people have told me how well I look recently which has made me think a lot about people's perceptions and expectations of cancer; and how I'm managing my own treatment program.

While there are aspects of the treatment that are no fun (chemo stomach cramps, hair loss, sore scalp, etc.) I'm trying to focus more on managing energy than on controlling (or complaining about) side-effects. 

One thing I'm really happy about is that I've been able to work throughout the first four of these six and a half weeks of radiation/chemotherapy. I really only expected to last a couple of weeks and then take medical leave and now I'm hoping to just work through the whole thing. The one thing I've done to help is take a couple of Fridays as vacation to give me long weekends.

I've also tried to keep up with cycling and yoga (and napping) as much as possible to keep the energy reserves topped up. I don't always feel like it beforehand, but I'm always glad I did afterwards.

I've been asked a few times what's been different this time compared to the October/November treatments. I think the main differences are the faster recovery from the second surgery and the fact that I worked hard to get in shape before the surgery and up until this round of radiation.

One thing I do know...I have never felt as alive as I did last night watching U2, leaping around in the torrential rain to 'Elevation' - what a blast!

Here's my favourite photograph from the night...

The best use of time

I'm often asked (as I'm sure many cancer patients are), "has your perspective on life changed?". The short answer is 'yes, of course' but I'd like to clarify a little. Probably the main thing that I've given a lot of thought to is the use of time.

I suppose when time is precious, which it is for all of us, how we spend it comes into sharper focus. For example, the back of our garage has needed cleaning and tidying for weeks, but as long as the boys want to play a game or kick a ball around, it'll wait. The amount of time spent watching mindless TV has been drastically cut; books that don't grab me in the first 100 pages are cast aside; and I've taken a long, hard look at my social media intake. In fact, dear readers, it was touch and go whether the blog would be continued - unfortunately for you, it will be!

I remember a conversation I had many years ago with a close friend and we asked each other, "How would you change your life if you'd been given the all clear from cancer?". I never thought then that I would really have to make those changes, but here we are. My priorities now are now family time, living healthily, and making the most of free time - from coaching soccer to relaxing with a good book and a glass of wine. I'm also fortunate to have a job that I love, so no changes needed there.

All of this makes me wonder...why have I waited until now to make these mindful choices?

I'm very happy to report that today I achieved one of the goals that I set in this post - to be up on the wakeboard by the end of July!

I'll finish with a couple of shots of the boys from this weekend, using their time well!

Mayo visit 2

Anna and I went down to the Mayo Clinic on Friday to meet with the neuro-oncologist who we hoped would give us a definitive answer on what type of tumour was removed in the April surgery. The results he had suggested that it was the same type as before (Glioblastoma) but said that there was still some uncertainty and that he would ask for some additional pathology tests to be performed. He also suggested that I return to Mayo today to meet with the radiation oncologist to discuss treatment plans.

In today's meeting I found out that the pathologist has downgraded the tumour to an anaplastic astrocytoma (there will be a test at the end of this post!) which is a grade III glioma, based on the additional tests performed on Friday. Although this seems like good news, it doesn't change the treatment plan and the original tumour site remains the primary concern.

The treatment is basically a repeat of the combined radiation/chemotherapy I had before Christmas, then a break of a few weeks, followed by six months of higher dose chemotherapy. There are some risks associated with having two rounds of radiation so close together, but they are far outweighed by the risks of the tumour returning.

I know this is not the most upbeat post, but I feel like I've had a few days of talking about/thinking about brain tumours and the treatment plan for the next 7/8 months and it has taken its toll. Maybe I just need a change of subject (or a good bike ride).