The New American Way

As I promised I'm including a few pics from St. Patrick's Day festivities. Some pretty lucky people caught the leprechaun this year, but strangely enough my title refers both to my playlist at the party and the current socio-political climate. I've heard a lot of conservative anger/angst against Obamacare and I've also been directed by my "fair and balanced" University to contact my congressional representative to encourage them to support the new legislation. As the plan will increase health care coverage, especially among low-income high-risk groups, it is public health's short term dream in some major ways. I'm not going to pontificate more on the subject as the scant literature I've read on the legislation is biased and I don't know enough about it to competently comment. But I will say that Dropkick Murphys said it perfectly in my title track, "I know I'll win my battles, though I fear we'll loose the war to the new American way." Socialization is the new American way. You can battle against it if you wish, but I fear you'll lose the war.

Run Like Hell

Saturday, March 20th was the 1st annual Ribbon River Run. It was your choice of a 5K or a 1 mile to benefit the patient and family programs at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center. So my team and I ran the 1 mile with the gray ribbon for brain cancer.

For the conservative base (meaning family) who are offended at my title, you should know that the PG-13 word is not in the lyrics of this awesomeness that is Pink Floyd; it's just part of the title.
Teaser!!! Pics et al. from my St. Patrick's Day party are coming!

Jiggle, Jiggle, Jiggle!

To young people today Bill Cosby is best remembered as the weird, old, suspect, host of the somewhat tired "Kid's Say the Darndest Things." To us twenty-somethings he remains the quirky jello and pudding pops spokesperson; he introduced me to jello jigglers. But I prefer to remember him for the wisdom he imparted in his book "I am what I ate..And I'm Frightened!!!: And Other Digressions from the Doctor of Comedy." In this treasure trove of knowledge Dr. Cosby talked about the male phenomenon of delaying medical care. He posed that "I didn't have it until I went to the doctor," when discussing his high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Some health professionals (especially women) laugh at this aphorism and discard it as misplaced machismo, I however stand before you today to unabashedly proclaim the gospel of Coz and warn all men to stay away from the medical profession.

After 10 months of blessed separation from doctors I needed a doc's permission to go to a cancer survivor's retreat this summer-kayaking in White Salmon, WA. He of course ordered an MRI and the awfulness began...Hours of my life were sucked away waiting for him, various imaging professionals, my neurologist and others only to find that I have definitely felt worse in body and spirit after getting info on exactly how big my tumor is and having my neurologist go into a frenzy and my oncologist wanting to have another surgery and more treatment in Seattle. And I honestly feel a little worse physically as if the little bast*#d has been jiggling around like some keys on the chain of my brain. I've just felt the tumor effects more than I have in several months. For those who want to know it's a little smaller than a squished out pool ball-6cm at it's longest. And I started Avastin treatments again today. It's an IV treatment to constrict blood vessels leading to the tumor site (which incidentally is in my brain, and I know that constricting blood flow to the brain is usually not a good thing). But anyway just stay away from doctors-they only make everything worse. Except for you guys with little kids-take them to the doc, they don't have the immune system to play the avoidance game.

So despite this new realization (or because of it) I'm still planning on "running" in the 2010 Ribbon River Run. Feel free to join my team or donate to my team at tccancer.org. St. Patrick's Day is still on the docket as well-and you all had better celebrate and pass out in your driveway or your kitchen or something. March certainly promises a lot of madness and I am looking forward to it.

PS Just a reminder to pay your taxes so I can get cheap medical insurance next month when I go on Medicare.