Home stretch in NZ

We have about 10 days left in New Zealand and have pretty much finished our touring of the South Island. Check the NZ blog for lots of great pictures and some stories about our travels here. We'll spend the home stretch in Christchurch, seeing more of the city, and checking our long shopping lists of souvenirs for those of you back home.

Since Trophy Shard II came out my pain has gradually come down to where I can eat a few different kinds of foods.  I have good and bad days, but more good ones lately.  The Kiwi Oxycodone has worked so well that I've not taken my other pain med in over two weeks.  That also means fewer daytime naps.

So, barring some freak accident the trip will end on a medical upbeat, and we win our gamble on getting here and staying for the entire 9 weeks.

But, this is Cancer World, so even when life's on easy street, there's danger at the door.  Every day brings us one day closer to May 1 and that is now creeping into our future plans ever so steadily.  We'll have a whirlwind of activity once we get home and the 22 days from touchdown in ATL to "Mr. Metzler, please start at 99 and count down as far as you can..." will fly by.

We heard that Maureen Vellia's surgery went well--clear margins and no surprises.  She is in recovery at Northside Hospital for 3-5 days then home for the next stage of her treatments--the infamous "Gifts that keep on giving"--chemo and radiation.  Please keep the Team Mike Good Vibes going for her--she still has a big struggle ahead in many ways.

Mike

A good friend gets bad news...

 

I subscribe to the Head/Neck Cancer board on the Cancers Survivors' Network (CSN).  I found CSN about two years after completing my treatments and it has been a great source of friendships, information, and support for the past 3+ years.  I read it about 4-5 times a week and post to it periodically.  From my posts about my emerging problem with ORN two years ago, I started to communicate with Pat, who had the same original cancer as me, and two recurrences since, but had managed to survive for over 14 years since his first diagnosis.  His name on CSN is "Longtimesurvivor." Key word two sentences ago: had.  He wrote to me yesterday that he's had a third recurrence--this time it can't be treated or cured. He has not been given a timeline yet, but his cancers have been fast-growers--this one came totally undetected by him in the last two months.

From the distance Pat has been a mentor to me as my ORN developed.  He did not have ORN, but did go through a procedure similar to my upcoming jaw replacement, so he could talk from much experience.  I think he has a medical background--he knows way  more about cancer and its treatment that could be taken from personal experience alone.  He has provided many people on CSN with authoritative answers to the many questions we all have about Cancer World.

Pat is a former world traveler, hunter, backpacker, and SCUBA diver--still hiking until just a short time ago.  He and I shared some stories about SCUBA diving, and he offered to send me a special mouth-hydrating device in the event I am cleared again to dive.

I had it in my mind that Pat and I would get to meet in person one day, so I never felt the need to know more of the details about his life, his cancer experiences, and his stories about New Zealand--he hunted NZ several years ago, and I am in NZ right now, so that gave us another bond in recent weeks.  As I pondered my options about coming to NZ now or waiting until the jaw procedure was over and healed, Pat was very clear--I can get my jaw replaced any time, but this opportunity in NZ was one-off, "So get your asses on the plane and worry about later, later."

My mind tells me to be really angry and sad that Pat has lost his long battle and I am losing one of the cornerstones in my own battle with the Prairie Dogs and their side-kicks, chemo and radiation therapy.  I really wish I could come up with a reason to rant and rave over Pat's impending death and my loss of a friend--but I can't, so that void is being filled for now with the numbing realization that anger will not solve anything, and that I need to stay focused on the rest of our time in NZ and my upcoming procedure--just as Pat would tell me to do.

mike

Update from Kiwi Land

Terry and I have settled into a nice routine in NZ.  We stay in Christchurch during the week--doing a combination of work for here and work for our jobs back home.  Terry does her work for HealthMPowers and takes yoga and BAT (Butt, Abs, and Thighs) classes 3-4 time a week, and I get ready for the gigs I'm asked to do as part of my fellowship, and cover bases at GSU from the distance.

On the weekends we usually rent a car and head out to tour the South Island.  Last weekend we went to Kaipoura, a small peninsula about 3 hours north.  The photo above shows one of the views from the front porch of our rented bungalow.  That view didn't last too long, as the clouds moved in to obscure the Southern Alps--but we did have a great time seeing some wonderful sights, including a pod of sperm whales from a high vantage point on land.

Tomorrow we head back north, this time another hour and a half further to Picton, in the wine country.  Next week, over the Southern Alps to the West to see the Tasman Sea coast and some of "wild" NZ.  After that it will be time to think about heading home, leaving NZ on April 7th.

Even in the middle of such a wonderful trip, Cancer World goes on and lingers in the background.  We have not heard directly from Maureen Vellia, but have been told her second opinion doc confirmed the need for surgery, which is scheduled for March 26.  That's when her world gets turned upside down--having to stop her practice--and her income--and having to concentrate on her recovery.  Please, please, send her all the Good Vibes you can before and after her surgery--she will need every bit of support she can get.

Lingering in our background, of course, is my jaw surgery on May 1.  My pain level has dropped a little since Trophy Shard II popped out, but Vicodin is still my best friend on a daily basis.  I'm able to eat a little wider range of food, but not much, and I'm still extra slow at chewing and swallowing.

But, since I've received no Care Package of Vicodin from Team Mike, I've had to use the local medical system to make sure I can continue to make it through the days here.  Funny thing--Vicodin is not even recognized here, and hydrocodone is not allowed, so my new best friend will soon be...

...Oxycodone!

Eat yer heart out, Harv.

Yes, one of the most abused and illegially-trafficed drugs in the US is readily available in NZ, which would explain why people here are so mellow, watch a lot of The Shopping Channel, and the national blood pressure is about 100/60.

To be honest, this is not good news because it means I have to introduce a new drug into my daily routine and be extra careful to monitor any side effects that differ from the Vicodin.  And, my past two de-tox's from Oxy were not walks in the park.  But, I'll deal with that when the time comes.  In the meantime I will be comfortable for the last 3+ weeks in NZ, and be able to re-stock my wardrobe with great deals from The Shopping Channel.

mike