NAME THE NEW FOG

As some of you may know, Mr. FOG got his nickname during his Lordship’s wedding.  The nickname arose from a logical need.  The Duffy clan needed another way to refer to a second Mario, the Laird’s father.   In any event, the letters F.O.G. represent the abbreviation for father of the groom, and a way to differentiate between Mario, the groom; and Mario, the father of the groom.  

 

Sometimes nicknames stick and sometimes they do not.  In Mr. FOG’s case it stuck.  Mr. FOG is happy with his FOG nickname.  It has become a nice alter ego, or nom de guerre of sorts; and Mr. FOG has accepted the title gracefully; recognizing that a baton of sorts, although in this case with the Laird it may be a crown, was being passed on to the next generation.  The old king is dead, well at least he is older, and the prince son representing the next generation is taking the lead.  LONG LIVE THE NEW KING!!! ; thought Mr. FOG, as the Laird now assumed to coveted “Mario” solo title he had held for so long.

With the upcoming wedding of Anna and Dan, Mr. FOG is concerned that he will have to give up his “FOG” title.  Given that a FOG title has been bestowed on him for the Sherry and Mario nuptials, should Mr. FOG be required pass on the coveted Mr. FOG title to Tom Duffy, the new father of the groom????.  Understandably Tom may deserve recognition as the new father of the groom, but Mr. FOG does not want to give up his Mr. FOG title.  Mr. FOG has served faithfully for eight months representing FOG principles in an exemplary manner. 

He is asking you our faithful Blog readers to help in find Tom a new title that appropriately recognizes his role, as the father of the groom, and yet allows Mr. FOG to keep the coveted “Mr. FOG” title.

Tom, the new father of the groom to be, has been called Tom ” the Often Wise”, since Tom often knows the answer to obscure questions that nobody knows during our Trivial Pursuit games.  He is also lovingly called Big Tom, by Maid of the Mist.   The BLOG is looking to our loyal readers to help come up with a nick name for Tom, to recognize his stately position as father of the groom for the upcoming wedding of his son Dan to Anna. Perhaps it will stick and last.    To help you, here is a picture of Tom with Sherry.  Please come up with something worthy of such a distinguished looking man. 

Cancer Update

Yesterday was a great day.  So far Chemo #6 has been very kind to us.  Mario worked most of Wednesday at his office.  It was good for him to be with colleagues in a work setting again.  Perhaps we are starting to get back to normal.  He was at the office about 11 hours.  Mario started the day early and stayed late Perhaps it was too long, but he was OK and Mr. FOG was close by and he has good friends at AT&T able to help, should he feel badly.   Mr. FOG picked him up at after his yoga class around 7:00 pm and his Lordship joined FOG and his friends, Tom the Lawyer and Tom B, a longtime friend and yoga devotee for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant.  Sorry, Mr. FOG forgot his camera, but this time we did not have a Prickly Pear Margarita experience.  Tom B. and Lord Mario share a passion for golf and told tales of courses they played and would like to play at.  For the time being playing at the Master in Augusta did not seem likely for the men.  

Please include Judi S. in your prayers.  She is Tom B’s wife and as Mario, she is also dealing with cancer issues.

Today on Thursday, we went early to get blood work to see if a transfusion would be needed before Chemo #7.  Mario’s red cell blood counts dropped a bit from Tuesday but were still in the OK range.  The white blood cell count dropped to same low levels he has had before, but he has been taking an anti-biotic which may be helping the fevers and chills, which so far he has eluded.   Mario has been eating better in the last couple of days and went from 213 to 217.  Mr. FOG also gained, going from 167 to 169.

Mr. FOG will be heading back to Asheville, and Lord and Nurse have Memorial Day Weekend plans.

  

THREE LEGGED DOG

Mr. FOG made it back to Vinings Mountain Castle late on Sunday.  This would likely be short stay for the Butler, since Nurse and Lord have the Memorial Day holiday plans and his services would only be needed for a few days.  The scene upon arrival was one of newlywed bliss with Lord and Nurse cuddled in bed watching TV. 

Mario was doing surprisingly well for so soon after Chemo #6.  On Monday morning, Mario went in to the office.  Mr. FOG concerned about having gained a couple of pounds, went to a local vegetable market to get greens, and fruits for high nutrient but low calorie shakes to help shed the extra pounds.  

A photo-op presented itself in the afternoon since the Laird was wearing a gifted shirt from Fritz and Ann.  Mr. FOG decided on a picture montage of Laird, gifts and well-wishes.  Mario wore the shirt, held the golf balls, also a Fritz and Ann gift, plus the “get well”, “thinking of you”, “you can beat this”  cards from Jeff, Bobbie, Brandon, Ellen, Jim, Bopsy, Jimmy, Parker, David, Jack and Louise.  Mr. FOG loves the cards waiting for him.  They may be second hand cards intended for Mario and Sherry, but they are new to FOG.  This time the cards had a white baby bird -- possibly a duckling, a puppy, a little red wagon, flowers, and an inspiring quote from Emerson.  While cards are nice, some say the way to man’s heart is through his stomach.  Possibly this is also true for women, or at least some women.  On this note, the Cunningham Family, represented by Parker, Jack and Louise brought over a BBQ feast for Monday night’s dinner.  Mr. FOG decided that his green power shake with kale would have to wait until Tuesday and he had the BBQ instead.  That evening while enjoying the gifted meal, Lord, Nurse and Butler watched a bit of Jeopardy and Dancing with the “almost” Stars.  

Tuesday was a doctor’s visit day.  As usual Mr. FOG parked the car and Mario began walking to the building lobby.  Mario made it to building much faster than in times past, leaving FOG who had dawdled locking the car and getting some things to catch-up.  When FOG finally caught up with Mario, he remarked that Mario was walking better and faster due to improved health.  His Lordship responded that his walking was that of a three legged dog.  FOG, who can be quirky, was slightly taken aback, interpreting a dark element to the comment.  As an aside Mr. FOG does yoga and the “down dog” or upside down "V" pose has a three legged variation which is used to enhance balance.  Upon further reflection, FOG looked at statement more positively.  His Lordship compared his “improved” walking to that of a three-legged dog that has adapted to having three legs rather than four; hence the three-legged dog can get along pretty good.  He has the positive attitude of making due for the time being.  In any event for whatever the reason, he is walking better and faster, be it a three-legged dog who has adjusted and mastered his condition or an actual improvement in his walking.  Here is video of Yogi, a three-legged dog playing Frisbee.  Please note that unfortunately the dog’s master is not in as good shape as his three-legged dog.  Perhaps the dog should be throwing the Frisbee for the master to fetch so that the master can also get some exercise.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXfcOBU58ko

The doctor’s visit backed up FOG’s positive outlook on improvement.  The Laird’s vitals were good and both the red and white blood cells were still holding up in the near normal levels.  Another visit is scheduled later in the week to check for any significant drop in the red blood cells that would require a blood transfusion before Chemo Number 7.  Likely though, his white blood cell count will drop in the next couple of days.  Mario is taking an oral anti-biotic and working from home as much as possible to reduce the chance of an infection.   Our Chemo Diet is working.  Mario is down to 213 pounds, a cumulative loss of 37 pounds.  Mr. FOG green shake diet has him down to 167.

Tuesday Mario felt well enough to prepare the evening meal of a chicken salad pesto and a lemon couscous.   His own creation, it was a big hit.

New Orleans Revisited  

Mr. FOG’s photo archive includes many unpublished photographs of his trip in March to the Final Four.  He took a walking architectural tour of the Marigny.  This is an old New Orleans neighborhood just east of the French Quarter with very interesting homes, still unshared. 

On his nocturnal walks, Mr. FOG also took photographs of many things that happen in the French Quarter.  Many of these photographs are of things that he could not put in a family oriented blog.  As you may know, one common custom in New Orleans is for people to stand on the many balconies overlooking Bourbon Street and offer passersby plastic beads if the passersby expose their chest.  Young, attractive girls, often intoxicated, are the ones most sought after.  It is an odd custom.  If you care to learn more about this or see the graphic images, you may Google the many web sites that offer videos of these girls gone wild on Spring break.  They give strangers a quick view of their breasts for cheap plastic beads.  Why the girls do this is odd to explain.  Rebellion against authority, seeking admiration or approval, or just a lapse in judgment are possible explanations.  Always on the lookout for the unusual, MR. FOG has a picture on this theme, showing one woman’s handling of this sensitive situation.  You can be judge of her actions.

"Mother's Day in Vinings"

Hello to all -- and good wishes to all Mother's on this special Sunday!
Phillip, Bettina, Jane, Mario and Sherry enjoyed a Saturday morning Brunch at Old Vinings Inn.

                                            Phillip, Jane and Mario

                                           Phillip, Bettina, Jane and Mario

                                           Phillip, Sherry, Jane and Mario


Big Tom and Mist have had a wonderful weekend with Sherry, Mario, Tom & Dan (Charley & Banks too - woof, woof). I am so blessed to have such a loving family and it was very special to spend time together. We missed having Anna with us but know she is having a blast in France for the Cannes Film Festival. We enjoyed a Saturday night dinner at Houstons (Mist's favorite).

                                          Mario, Tom, Sherry, Mist, Big Tom and Dan

                                          Nurse Sherry and Maid of the Mist

                                          Lordship, Tom and Sherry

                                           Big Tom and Dan

His Lordship left this morning for Amelia Island to attend an AT&T Atlantic Coast Conference meeting. He and Jay enjoyed a nice dinner at the Ritz Carlton with colleagues and will even get to play a round of golf after their meeting tomorrow. They return to Atlanta tomorrow night late.

Tuesday morning, Nurse Sherry will take his Lordship to the Piedmont Hilton for round 6 chemo treatment. He will be there for the week and returns home Saturday to re-cooperate. We hope he will be able to dodge the fevers and blood transfusions this go round.

Dr. Tran will order a PET Scan a week or so after he finishes round 6. By then we should know if the tumor in the leg is still shrinking. Mario will receive two more chemo treatments in June and then have the month of July off all treatment. Around Aug 1st, he will begin the 6 weeks of Radiation and we hope all will be completed by mid September.

Please keep him in your prayers as he enters this stage of his treatment. He feels so blessed to have your continued love and support.

Mist and Big Tom are leaving for St. Simons on Wednesday morning. We are hoping that Sherry and Mario will be able to visit us for Memorial Day weekend if all goes well with his treatment. It would be so wonderful to have them with us for a few days and have them enjoy some well deserved R&R.

Mr. Fog returns to Vinings Mountain Castle on May 20th to help out with his Lordship's recovery. We hope he has in enjoyed his time off back in Asheville, NC. I know all his blog fans will be happy to have him back!

Mist signing off.....

Good night!

TAKE TWO ASPIRIN, AND ……

Today the Laird, Nurse and Butler saw the neurologist.  Mr. FOG has been pushing to see the neurologist to get a better idea of the prognosis and see what things we should be doing now to increases his chances of a full recovery.  We want to both win the cancer war and restore full function to Mario's leg/foot.  Is this too much to ask??

The neurologist got a medical history of the symptoms and their progression, and examined the Laird’s nerve sensitivity and muscle function in both legs.  Essentially the appointment confirmed what we had already been told.  The neurologist said that the tumor likely compressed the nerve/nerves as it grew, causing damage to the myelin sheath (Schwan cells) of the Tibial nerve. This is what usually happens with cancer tumors. Peripheral nerves, such as the Tibial, do repair themselves and even regenerate. If the tibial nerve is very badly damaged or severed, it can’t repair itself, but can re-grow back. However regeneration, or regrowth, is very slowprocess of about 1 inch per month. Hence recovering from severe nerve damage can take a long time. In Mario’s case we don’t know how severe the damage is

Except for physical therapy, the neurologist can’t help Mario right now.  The cancer fighting drugs he is taking, especially Vincristine, is especially bad on nerve function.  Even if the tumor is being reduced, the injured nerves can’t possible regenerate until the chemotherapy and radiation is finished.  It is a little like trying to rebuild Leg-ingrad while the armies are still shooting artillery at the buildings. The leg is still a cancer war zone, and the neurologist can’t evaluate or treat him until the chemo cancer fighting stops. Mr. FOG thought that Mario was walking better, but this is not due improved nerve function. His motor skills are about the same, but the reduction in pain has made it seem as if he is walking better, but not really. One would think that the occasional shooting pains he has, suggest the nerve is traumatized and damaged, but intact. If so, given that he is young, the body itself should heal itself after the chemo trauma is over. Let’s hope and pray this is so.

While the Laird, Nurse, and Butler may have heard different things.  The Butler's version is:  In many cases patients recover the lost nerve function, but it could be either complete or partial.  Any recovery probably will take time if the nerve has been severely injured.  It is also possible that there could be no recovery or very slow recovery if the nerves were too badly damaged.  It is difficult to assess Mario’s prospects now while he is undergoing chemotherapy.  Mario should probably have physical therapy while in chemo to help with the muscle atrophy in the right leg/foot.  The physical therapy may also help with nerve function.

Chemo #5's Report Card

Chemo #5 is about over, and Mr. FOG gave it and its related symptoms a grade of C-.  Chemo #5 may have gotten an A+ in its cancer killing, but we don’t know.

Mario has had pain through most of the Chemo #5 recovery, a fainting spell, and even during the “well” week, we still had to go get a blood transfusion.  This was his third blood transfusion and unlike the first, fortunately there were no ill effects.  He has about six days before he starts Chemo #6.  It seems we were just at the hospital and have to go back May 15, six days from now. 

Soups on

Nurse Sherry adds her finishing touches to a soup made by Kellie Bell.  Kellie’s cancer fighting soups of Italian Bean and Spicy Carrot Ginger were Vinings Mountain Castle favorites.  Thanks Kellie.

Happy Mother’s Day

A very happy Mother’s Day from the Laird, Nurse and Butler to all the Blog readers who are mothers.  We know it is a tough job and one not appreciated enough.  Here is a link to the history of the holiday. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother's_Day

If she is able, Maid of the Mist will do a Blog posting  while Mr. FOG is away.

KENTUCKY DERBY RECEPTION

Newlyweds To Be

Saturday was one those “blue moon” days with both the 138^th running of the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo occurring on the same day. 

Tempting fate, since last Saturday was the Prickly Pear Margarita incident; Lord, Nurse and Butler decided to go out for drinks and watch the Kentucky Derby at Social Vinings, a local bar.  Nurse Sherry did not think we would want to return to Noche in Vinings, the site of the Prickly Pear Margarita incident, for a little while longer, or perhaps never again.  In any event Social Vinings was perfect, with comfy leather chairs, lots of TVs, an upscale thirty to fifty crowd, and good food and drinks.  It is within walking distance of Vinings Mountain Castle, and this spot may become a FOG favorite.  They had reasonably priced tapas style plates and drink specials. 

Still the Newlyweds

While Sherry and Mario are still officially the Blog  “newlyweds” for a few more months, time does goes on.  The Blog is pleased to report that in a few months a new couple will assume the coveted Newlywed title.  Anna Beaver, the “Almost a Duffy”, and Dan Duffy, who would probably  be “Almost a Beaver” if society were not still somewhat sexist, will pledge themselves to one another.  They have set the date for Saturday, October 13, with the nuptials taking place at St . Simons Island. 

Given these matrimonial plans, our Kentucky Derby Reception became a pre-nuptial celebration for the happy newlywed couple to be.  This is one of many receptions I am sure, before the wedding, as friends and families celebrate the engagement.  Please join us in wishing Anna and Dan much happiness.

Joining the couple at Social Vinings for the celebration were Mr. FOG, Tom (the younger), Nurse Sherry, his Lordship Mario, Jay, and Megan.  A good time was had by all.  Dan has a number one, to indicate our winning Kentucky Derby pick.

Although not sporting the traditional Derby hat, Nurse Sherry or Megan easily won the best dressed in our little group, or perhaps even the bar.

Jockey Mario Gutierrez rides I'll Have Another to victory
 in the 138th Kentucky Derby. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Back to the Kentucky Derby, lucky Lord Mario had placed bets on the race to make it more interesting.  It adds to the excitement if you are rooting for your horse.  Mario placed the bets, but allowed Nurse and Butler to pick their favorites.  Obviously thinking alike, both Nurse Sherry and Mr. FOG picked “I’ll Have Another”, number 19, as their favorite.  Great minds and drinkers both think alike.  Surprisingly,  a bit of a long shot and with a bad post position, the horse won!!!    At the last moments of the race, apparently spurred on by the bar tender announcing it was “last call”, I’ll Have Another, got into gear and won the race.  Hopefully he got his second bag of oats or whatever he was having.   The Laird is about $150 richer, we think, thanks to the Nurse and Butler pick.  

Ask Mr. FOG

The evening had many different conversations going on simultaneously and all around our Kentucky Derby group.   For the most part, Mr. FOG understood and or could hear what being said, but got lost a few a times.  He blamed the generation gap and his hearing for missing some of the stories and jokes.  He drifted from conversation to conversation , but also strayed away, enjoying the people watching of those at the bar; and speculating on relationships—a father and daughter perhaps, or perhaps not.  It was almost like being at a piazza in Italy.  Well, almost.  Here are a few things that peaked Mr. FOG’s interest during the evening.

Correcting Bad Habits:   During the soiree, someone said “I have broken him of this bad habit”.  This reminded Mr. FOG of the old wedding joke, that women marry men hoping that they will change, and they don’t.  In contrast, men marry women hoping that they don’t change, and they do.  Although easier said than done, Mr. FOG thinks, we should try to accept people, and especially spouses or significant others, for what they are.  Changes or the lack thereof are part of life, and often only happen if the person wants to change, and not because someone else want him/her to change.  Setting positive examples and asking the cooperation of a mate in changing a bad or irritating habit is a better approach.  A spouse is not a stallion or mare to be broken.  Also discussed, can a virtue, such as cleanliness be a bad habit to be corrected?  FOG would say probably not, except in very rare cases where it becomes an obsession.  Ultimately if you love the person enough to be with them, you were attracted by the overwhelming good that drew you to that the person in the first place, and with that should come the willingness to accept the little bit of bad you knew was there before you selected the person.  Again, this easier said than done.  Mr. FOG, mostly self-described as a sociable loner, probably has grade of B- in relationships, so consider this when reading his advice and work out your own life strategies.

Mars Understanding Venus:  Mr. FOG saw a lady at the bar playing with hair as she was talking to a man at the bar and wondered what this body language meant? Mr. FOG already sort of knew the answer, but looked it up to make sure.  The gist is that women give out subtle signals, while men tend to be more direct.  In relationships, and especially when relationships are new, it is important for the man to decode these signals correctly to avoid a relationship faux pas.  A woman playing or toying with her hair or jewelry could be sign of nervousness, but more often it is a positive sign that the woman is receptive to the man.  If she is smiling, looking at the man, and otherwise engaged in the conversation with him, either by sharing her thoughts or attune to what he is saying; this may reinforce the signal.  The attached link discusses this further; giving options of what perhaps the man might want to do to be sure he is decoding the signal correctly.  http://www.askmen.com/dating/heidi_100/129_dating_girl.html

Where You Shop:   What does where you shop say about you?  Some shopping options to draw help contrasts are thrift stores, Walmart, Target, Macy’s, and designer shops.  And even among these one can pick, "styles", e.g. out doorsy, business casual, etc.  Also age comes into play.  An older person would look silly wearing even trendy clothes typical of another generation.  It is important to remeber that people have different styles and clothing is one of the way we express ourselves.  Also clothing may not be important to you.  Mr. FOG  already has so many clothes in his closet he doubts he can use them all before he dies.  Therefore, Mr. FOG doesn’t really shop for clothes anymore.  He only buys consumables that he can use before he dies.  Booze and food are at the top list, followed by things he will enjoy, such as things for his garden, hobbies, ect.   “Use” is also an interesting term.  “Use” for Mr. FOG means wearing out the clothes completely.  Perhaps “use” should mean that when clothes have a permanent stain, no longer fashionable, or you simply do not like them any more, they should discarded or given to charity.   Admittedly. Mr. FOG may need help in clearing out his closet. He might ask Nurse Sherry to help, but then he may not have any clothes at all.  For Mr. FOG, shopping is usually about value and you can find value in any of these places.  Designer stores generally offer fashion, a status symbol, and often better quality, but this usually comes with a higher price.  It is probably a personal decision, but if you select good clothes and traditional styles, you may get a very good value even if more expensive.

Washing:   We also duscussed how often one should wash clothes and yourself.  Options for the clothes were, daily, weekly, monthly, or when you run out of underwear.  Apparently for some this is determined by number of underwear one has, but we shall save this washing discussion for another Blog. 

DUI  It appears that you can get a driving under the influence citation skateboarding, kayak paddling, etc.  DUIs are not just for motor vehicles.  Beware the next time you are on roller skates.

READER COMMENTS ARE WELCOME.

LEG THANKS ARM

You may recall the BLOG posting dated April 27—“Running For Mario” showing Richard (Dick) Correa with his arm sporting the message “4 Mario & Jack”.  Dick is a college buddy of Tom the Often Wise, Nurse Sherry’s Dad.  He ran the Boston Marathon for Mario and his friend Jack, with “4 Mario & Jack“ written on his arm.  Spectators cheered and shouted words of encouragement as Dick made it the 26 miles. 

When we showed Mario’s leg the picture and explained what Dick’s arm had done, the leg was so overcome that it wanted to say thanks in the same way. 

Mario, Nurse Sherry and the Butler decided it was good idea, and using the logic of what is good enough for an arm is good enough for a leg, came up with a way for Mario’s leg to show its appreciation.  Thanks again Dick for a fine run.  We hope that you and your arm can compete in many future marathons and that you have cooler weather next year.

More Thanks

Mr. FOG has three get well cards to share.  Bettina, Bopsy and Jim choose dogs to cheer up Mario.  A sleepy shaggy white dog with the message “things will get better”, contrasted nicely with a pack of frisky dash hounds with the thought that even dogs with short legs can make it, “one step at a time”.  Jim and Ellen’s card conveyed “a glass is half full attitude” with the message that although hospital bills are high, you still get breakfast in bed. 

Unfortunately this reminded Mr. FOG that he has not gotten breakfast in bed in long, long, time.  Although he prefers to get up for breakfast, preferably “al fresco”, he may have to make his own breakfast and take it back to bed.  Perhaps tomorrow he will have his breakfast on the Vinings Mountain Castle balcony and wave to the neighbors as they go off to work. 

Thanks again to all for the words of encouragement.  I know Mario and Sherry appreciate your cards very much and I get a laugh, inspiration, or some self-reflection from your messages.  Also a big thanks to   Hillary, Beth Anne, and Roberta from AT&T for the Whole Foods gift card, and to the Smiths, Susie, Eric, and Bucky for the Trader Joes gift card.    The newlyweds will put them to good use, and sometimes Mr. FOG gets a tasty treat.

Being away, Mr. FOG may have missed your card, so if yours has not been listed, please blame Mr. FOG and hold Nurse Sherry and Mario harmless. They have a lot on their plates.

New Orleans Revisited

While we may have more New Orleans flash backs, since Mr. FOG still has a photo tour of the New Orleans Marigny neighborhood he has not shared. For now you get to see what appears to be the world’s shortest man with the world’s tallest one. Below are the pictures of Mario and Mr. FOG at an AT&T corporate brunch reception held at Redfish. In addition to the Bloody Marys and fresh oysters, the highlight of the activity was a photo op with basketball legend Moses Malone a NBA hall of famer.

Today’s Cancer Update

For Chemo #5 the symptoms seem to come and apparently go away quickly and unexpectedly.   Mario drove himself to work on Wednesday, but once there, he started getting severe chills, a precursor of a fever; and had to come back home.   At home he generally was fine, and able to take conference calls and work from his computer. He actually sounded pretty good and involved in his work. The fever this time was not as bad as the one on Monday. He is hurting at times, but works through the symptoms. 

Thursday was not a good day. Generally he was in bed and working but in pain. Tomorrow we see the doctor and a recheck his hemoglobin levels. Hopefully they will be OK and he will not need a blood transfusion. To his credit, he has not complained, wasted time on self-pity, or had a harsh word for those helping him get through this.

Cancer Treatment Plans

We have gone from infrequent blogs, to two blogs in as many days. 

This morning the cancer warrior trio of Lord, Nurse Sherry and Butler met with Mario’s oncologist.  The Laird’s vitals were good, although the heart rate was a bit high and he may have gained a couple of pounds.  The blood work, as expected, was the usual low.  The hemoglobin was at about an 8.3 and the white blood cell count was at a very low 0.2.  These poor remaining white blood cells have to work very hard to keep out infection, which is mainly from Mario’s own digestive tract rather than external sources. 

Mario’s oncologist agreed with the physician on call that probably a combination of factors such as sun, tiredness, the chemo treatment, perhaps dehydration, and probably the Prickly Pear Margarita all conspired to produce the fainting spell.  With Cinco de Mayo coming up, the attached link has the recipe for the Prickly Pear Margarita.  Please do not blame the BLOG if you also faint.

Prickly Pear Margarita   courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2007

Ingredients:  3 ounces tequila blanco ,1/2-ounce Cointreau, 1 1/2 ounces lime juice, 2 ounces prickly pear syrup, Kosher salt and turbinado sugar, for garnishing the glass Kumquats and lime peels, for garnish

Directions: Combine the tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and pear syrup in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously to incorporate. Wet the rim of a margarita glass and dip into salt and sugar mixture. Pour margarita into glass over ice. Garnish with a kumquat and a curled piece of lime peel.

 She also explained that chills Mario experienced the day before often precede a fever.  Although Mario looked really good compared to the most of previous chemotherapies, the symptoms of Chemo #5 were actually similar to the earlier ones.

Blood cultures were taken to make sure he did not have an infection and follow-up appointment was made for Friday.  On Friday another blood test will done and the results of the blood culture should be back.  If the blood count does not improve by then, likely Mario will have to receive a blood transfusion.  His third, if it occurs.

In the months to follow, the cancer war plan is: 

·         Chemo #6 is scheduled to begin on May 16.

·         A PET Scan will be done in late May after Chemo #6 to assess the size of the tumor and re-look at the liver.

·         Probably even if the PET scan shows that he is cancer free, Mario will likely have all 8 rounds of chemo, based on the reasoning that he is young and strong and can handle the treatment.  This may add a margin of safety that all the cancerous cells have been eliminated.

·         He received another Eco Cardiogram while he was in the hospital during Chemo #5 and his heart is doing well against the Red Devil, tolerating the toxins without coronary damage.

·         The 8 rounds of chemo which should take him through the end of end of June.  You may recall that we started the chemo therapies in January, so it will have been about a six month treatment.

·         He will be allowed to take a break for the month of July.  Not sure why there is a break in treatment, but as it gets closer this too will be answered .

·         In August he begins localized radiation treatment daily for 6 weeks.  The radiation treatment should only take 30-45 minutes each day and the side effects are usually less severe than those of chemotherapy.