Cancer-MCR style

For those of you who haven't heard, I am back on the sauce. That's right, I got an IV infusion of decadron (dexamethosone) yesterday, and I am going to the pharmacy today to get it in pill form. It reduces swelling in the brain, but has other side effects like swelling in the face and head, weight gain, peeing all the time, and a few other minor stuff. Good news is it had an immediate positive effect and I woke up early today, did homework, exercised a little, and feel much better. I just hope it continues after I start BCNU chemo treatment this week. I take that through IV every 6 weeks. I have another apt with my doc in 2 weeks to talk about the steroid and how I'm doing, and an MRI in 6 weeks to see if BCNU has helped at all and if I should continue getting it.

I don't know if I posted this link here or somewhere else, but seriously My Chemical Romance's music video for their song "Cancer" is amazing. If you don't tear up while watching the little girl's support for her friend (who is a cancer patient) then you have no soul and you are an embodied minion of Satan. Just to clarify, hair loss is not a usual side effect of this medication, but I have no problem with shaving my head (as many of you know) if it comes to that. I just wanted to share that song with you as it helps explain some feelings many cancer patients (including myself) have and deal with from time to time. Just to assure you, this song's lyrics are appropriate for all ages unlike many of My Chemical Romance's other material. You are safe.

Auld Lang Syne

So looking back 2010 was a pretty okay year. I'll hit a few of the highlights if you're too lazy to just go back through and read my posts.
I finally broke down and saw the doctor and got a new MRI in February and went back on the juice (avastin) soon after.
I had great St. Patrick's Day party in March complete with a real after-party that was a smashing success. People in my singles branch finally started to realize how cool I am.
This summer I went Kayaking with FirstDescents a company that provides week-long kayaking and week-long mtn climbing camps for young adult cancer survivors.
In July I went to my 10 year high school reunion and saw some old friends. I also went to San Francisco to see my old roommate.
I went to Seattle for a couple of days with some friends, toured Safeco and got Francona's autograph on my Red Sox hat in September.
I moved to Utah in October to find a wife.
Thanksgiving in November with all my family except my brother on a mission.
Christmas in December.
Lots of good memories from this year. It's best to focus on and remember the good times instead of the bad, so I left out all that negative stuff. Here's to a happy new year!! May 2011 be everything 2010 was and more. Should auld acquaintance really be forgot? It's important to live in the now and plan for the future, but don't forgot the old long since.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

One of my favorite ESPN commercials is the one they ran for a few years during Bowl Season. They declared Bowl Season as the most wonderful time of the year-and it is!! It just so happens that it coincides with Christmas and New Years. I started a new family tradition last year-the annual Pulsipher family Bowl Pick-em Challenge. Everyone sends in their picks for each bowl before the first one starts, and winner so far only gets bragging rights (we need to up the ante). I only got one game right yesterday (BYU over UTEP), but everyone in my family got that right so I'm not doing that great. Justin, my brother -in-law, is in the lead batting 1000 so far. I am proud of my sister for finding and marrying such a great sports prognosticator, but I hate him for beating me (I think he won last year too). I have mixed feelings to say the least.
Christmas season is really here, I finished my shopping, made a gingerbread house, saw the lights at temple square, went to our ward's Christmas party, watched the First Presidency's Christmas message, and went to a Christmas fireside.
Here's to the best Christmas ever!!

The Monkey's Uncle

Who remembers the 60s Disney Classic with the chimp and Tommy Kirk? The Monkey's Uncle was an instant classic. While everyone who knows me well knows that I don't like animals unless they are grilled and on my dinner plate, I do like being an uncle and sometimes it seems like my nephew and nieces are little monkeys, climbing all over the place and look at those cheesey grins! I got to see them all for Thanksgiving at my parent's house, and it was a blast, they are so fun. We played hide and seek and button button, read books, watched movies, and ate a lot of good food!

Above is Grant (4) and Olivia (2) in one picture and Brynlee (almost 2) in the other. Cute little monkeys huh?

The Monster Mash

I know you've all been waiting for it, and so here I come to fulfill your hopes and dreams, and fill your little heads with pics from Halloween. As some of you know I've been growing a full beard for almost 3 months to get ready for Halloween. I made an epic Moses and gained a lot of respect from all the guys when I told them the beard was the real mckoy. With all due respect to Chad Riding (Moses was his costume last year) and Charelton Heston (the model for my costume), I made the best Moses ever. I went to a few parties and even danced The Monster Mash a couple of times. The cops even showed up at the last party so you know it was awesome, and it reminded me of when the cops showed up at my parties when I was an undergrad.

Miracle

So I've seen my fair share of miracles in my short (ha ha) life. But this week takes the cake. So I had to change my vehicle registration to UT. The emissions and safety tests were normal in that I failed and had to get something fixed; the miracle occurred the next day when I had to go to the DMV and get new plates. Expecting a long wait, I brought a textbook with me. I walked into a silent empty room! My number was called before I even had a chance to sit down! I couldn't believe it, it made no sense, it was truly miraculous. Adding to the experience was the fact that I got my "get out of jail free" card updated and renewed. I once again have the power to park right by the door in a full parking lot. As soon as word gets around I will be the most popular guy yet again.
"Huh, only one miracle this week," you say. "Not much to write home about." But, no! It doesn't end there. I went on a blind date that was actually really great! We went to a really cool charity concert/event thing. The MC did amazing impressions, the band was pretty cool, and the other entertainer was a great singing performer-his dance moves were amazing, his hips were awesome! Tori (my date who as it turns out is not blind, big plus!) and I may have had 1 slightly awkward pause all night, but that's it. For those who know me, especially post-cancer me, this is a miracle in and of itself. But I couldn't believe that she was short, pretty, and cool (she likes ACDC and the Red Soxs), that's never happened on a blind date before.
Two miracles in one week! I hope I haven't used up all my miracle karma; next week is key as I have several Halloween parties, an MRI, an internship interview, and plenty of other stuff going on and hoping for little miracles.

One Week

It's been one week since I've laid eyes or feet on the lush soil of Washington. It doesn't feel like home here in P-town yet but it's getting there. I've enjoyed old favorites (La Caretta, BYU football) and new favorites (The Parlor). A nice surprise was to see that Robbie Hamblin (an old friend) is in my ward, and they just finished reassigning all the big callings, so it looks like I'm destined to be a hymn-book coordinator.
Friday night I got to be a chaperon at a Halloween party for mentally disabled kids in Orem. We played Halloween bingo, Halloween pictionary, and pin the tail on the (Halloween?) donkey, We had fun, and I didn't have to sit at home alone on a Friday like a loser because I don't really know anyone yet.
I live in a 2 story 5 bedroom 2 bathroom duplex. It's fairly spacious, but with 5 guys in there it's kind of cramped. One of my roommates (Sean) just bought an old fridge so now we have 2 and that will help a lot. Our duplex is on the corner of canyon rd and 2680 N (222 E 2680 N), it's less than a mile from the stadium so I can walk down to football games. It's a pretty good location altogether, close to the dollar theater and Buy Low Market area, not far from University Mall in Orem, and right off of University Ave and Canyon rd so everything's pretty accessible.
If you come to town make sure you give me a shout-out.