Hello, all.  Seems it's been a while.  A lot to get to today, and it's late, so I'm going to be all business. (Please.  Keep the snickering to yourselves...)

First and foremost, I got my radiology results today.  If you recall, I had a 'hot spot' on a rib that was flagged by the radiologist as a potential tumor when they looked at my bone scan.  The rib was x-rayed last week, and the films were clear.  (Yes, I know they haven't used film in eons, but let this ex-Kodaker enjoy a moment...)

So, bottom line is no metastases were detected anywhere in my body.  The upshot is the cancer is confined to my prostate, as suggested by the Gleason score (6) and the stage the cancer was caught (T2).  This leads to the best possible prognosis.

So, that's a relief.

Now, what's next?  Or should I say, what else has been going on?

I'm so glad you asked.  The answer - in a word - plenty.

I started my hormone therapy and had my first shot of Leuprolide Acetate (henceforth, 'Lupro') on Monday of this week.  Among the side effects I was warned to anticipate, I have experienced a few - as well as one I didn't anticipate...

Here they are (in order of pain-in-the-assedness; if there were such a measure):

Headaches.  I wasn't expecting to have headaches each morning for the past few days.  Not entirely pleasant, I must say.  It effected [Editor's note: Please don't parse my writing to the nth degree - I admit I get confused in the usage of effect and affect - but I suspect I'm not in the minority on this one...] my mood, for sure.

Which leads me to number two:

Mood swings.  As we have already established, I can turn on a dime from uber-friendly to unbelievably sullen in about 7.5 nanoseconds on a good day.  I'm not quite sure how to quantify the onset with the shot yet, but stay tuned.  I'm certainly hoping that I can step back out of myself and reflect before I react, but...

Hot Flashes.  I have to admit, I told the ladies in my Wednesday night Psychology 475 class (shout out! - now finish up those Powerpoints for next week...) that I can now empathize.  Luckily for me, I dress to accommodate this particular affliction.  The cure?  The sleeveless sweater vest (yes, Kenny and April, that one is for you...).  Lord knows, I love my sleeveless sweater vests (and I have positive evidence from at least one of my former college students who used to tell me, "Mr. P, sweater vests are hot!"  Of course, I assumed she just had stock in wool companies...

Fatigue.  This one is also rather irksome.  I am having a very hard time keeping up with my usual schedule, and find myself needing to schedule more down time than normal.  Now, regular readers (and perhaps those without enough fiber in their diet) will recall that down time is very important to me.  And, sadly, illusive.  I'm going to have to power through this, though, and I think my diet and weight control will help me in the long run.  Again, stay tuned.  This all just started three days ago.

I just want to acknowledge once again that this is an imminently curable form of cancer.  I know that I will be healthy in no time flat, and hopefully on my Harley, eastbound, on the 10th of June... Further, I want to send love, energy, positivity, and great respect to those who are dealing with situations far worse than mine. Please, remember, that everyone you meet carries his or her burdens in their own way.   Please, just be aware - and be good to each other.


One housekeeping item I'd like to talk about here:  It's often been said to me that the blog is really best when enjoyed from the beginning.  That one can see things unfolding or evolving.  As you read my posts, you will notice a few randomly scattered admonitions to do just that - read the whole thing, and read it from the start - that sort of thing...

I'm curious, especially since the entries are becoming more numerous, how the readers feel?  Tell me, did you pick up the thread from the early days, like my friend, Billy?  Or are you someone who has only just come to the blog? [Editor's note: I started to list some notable new readers and the list was heartwarmingly long... Sorry if you read this and said, "What about me?"  I just don't want to start that roster and leave someone off...  I love all my readers!!!]

I'd like to hear from both camps:  Those that stumbled in and read from September 2012 to present and those who wandered by and read a few entries, eventually reading backwards chronologically?

This is a long-winded way of saying, "Should I post the 'Read from the outset' reminder again?"

That is all my feeble brain can support tonight.  I still have pent-up topics that I am dying to share with you...

Tomorrow night is "Stella night!!!!"

You shan't be hearing from me for a bit.  Don't worry, though.  All is right with the world.

Tonight, a word from a few of my adult students:

"I must tell you, the thought of 10 weeks College Mathematics gave me panic attacks. Thankfully, with a teacher like you, you made math tolerable (even 37 years later). Be well and don't ever stop teaching."

"Having you as my math teacher was great.  I now feel more confident than I ever did in the past 10 years. U ROCK!"

"I am so thankful to have had you as my teacher for the my last 3 classes.  You have made a huge difference in how I view math. Thank you for everything!"

"You are a very special teacher, with a gift.  The methods, humor, & patience that you bestow upon your students is a talent that I have never witnessed before... especially in a math teacher :-)"

What more could I possibly add?  Good night.

Carpe Diem.

Hang on.  A quick post script here:

I have to mention my footwear.  Most evenings, blogging is the last thing I do before I turn in for the evening. As such, the dress is quite, uh, casual.  This evening, I wanted 'a little something' on my tootsies.  Given that my slippers are already packed for the trip to "Stellaland" tomorrow, and socks just wouldn't quite do it, my mind began to search my RAM to see if I could come up with a solution.  Just then, I remembered a find from my unpacking activities a week ago.

In one of the boxes I unpacked, I had found a veritable treasure.  A true one-of-a-kind item.  And tonight, they would serve me - and my feet - oh so well.  I'm talking about yarn, crochet hooks, and my dear old grandmother, Alice Myers Petronis Kehoe.  What a woman she was!  My last direct link to my incredible grandmother is this pair of crocheted booties...  I know many of you - including my ENTIRE family who are reading this - are nodding their heads up and down in appreciation.  The annual Christmas gift was as big a hit in my family as any robot or Tonka truck.

Mine are now reserved for special occasions - which is, of course - anytime I put on my booties for a stroll down memory lane...

Sweet dreams, y'all.