Appointment Report

As most of you know, I had my first doctor's appointment at Georgetown this past Wednesday. Unfortunately, it didn't really solve anything, but it certainly wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination. Apparently, my doctor thinks I may not need radiation. If this hits you as a surprise, know that you are in good company, because the news pretty much knocked me out of my chair! As you can imagine, this leaves me just a tad apprehensive because I would rather go after this thing aggressively--better safe than sorry.

What makes this possibility more palatable is the fact that they've got this scan (I don't know how new it is) called a PET scan that, when paired up with a regular CT scan, generally gives a really good report on whether or not there is any cancer. I know very few details about this procedure except that I do know it involves injecting me with a small amount of radioactive material that is attached to proteins and they basically search out and attach themselves to any abnormal cells that may be present in the body. So after this stuff has been given a chance to work its way through my body (about an hour) then the scan picks up the location of the abnormal cells. Since the PET scan oftentimes gives a false positive report, they like to match up the image with a regular CT scan and that gives a pretty accurate report. Even if it turns out to be negative, my doctor is proposing that I get this PET/CT scan combo done every six months to stay ahead of anything that might be there.

So that's the scoop. They essentially want to start over from the beginning so that means looking at the films from pre-surgery (in February) as well as the pathological slides from the surgery. Also, they also want me to see the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) doctor at the hospital which I will be doing next Wednesday. Then the scans on Thursday. Following that, all my medical info will be presented by my doctor at their weekly cancer board meeting to basically decide what kind of treatment I should get. In case you are wondering what a cancer board is, it is the meeting of several doctors from a variety of specialties at Georgetown who work with cancer patients--for example, my radiation oncologist, an ENT, and others that I don't even know about yet.

In other fun news, my work softball team that I am manager/coach for won again on Thursday night to boost our record to 3-0. We beat the Dept. of State, 8-3. Our defense was quite good and for those of you who aren't familiar with softball, it's really tough to hold opponents to 3 runs! Anyway, next week we play against the Office of Government Ethics. I'll keep y'all posted.

Statesmanship is Alive

I'm not sure how many of you have been paying attention to what's been going on in the Senate for the past few years, but since I had the honor and privilege of working there for a while I like to pay attention to what is going on there. That, and the fact that they are my elected representatives has something to do with it, too. Anyway, there's been a lot of things going on in the U.S. Senate about judges with lots of charges being leveled on both sides.

It all centers on a few judges that haven't been yet confirmed in the Senate. Actually, the problem is that they haven't even been brought up for a vote. Basically, the Republicans have been unable to invoke cloture--limiting debate--and force a vote. The only way to invoke cloture is by garnering 60 votes. Now I'm not a lawyer or even a constitutional expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I do know that it was not intended that this 60-vote threshold was intended for judicial nominees. It goes along with the "advise and consent" stuff that you hear a lot about in this business that applies only to treaties and confirmations of judges, cabinet-level advisors, etc. Basically, the rule was being systematically abused recently for the first time in the Senate's 200+ years of history. Both sides were calling the moves by the other "unprecedented" and in a way they were both right. But this is not about finding fault. Instead, this entry is about the art of compromise...actually, just an expression of appreciation to 14 Senators that were able to make a deal that would not grind the Senate's work to a halt while further polarizing the political climate in our country today.

I must say that I gained a newfound respect for Senator Byrd today. I've thought the guy was crazy for as long as I can remember, even if he did understand the Constitution better than probably anyone else on the face of the planet. He, along with Senators Warner, McCain, Pryor, Nelson and 9 others, basically averted any unnecessary alterations (nothing too threatening, just political in nature) to the Constitution and brought back the ability to work together. Basically, it pushed the Senate closer to being what it truly is supposed to be as the world's greatest deliberative body.

Closer...for a brief moment. Between the time that I heard that a deal had been struck that prevented what Republicans called the "Constitutional" option and what Democrats called the "nuclear" option to eliminate filibusters on judicial nominees--anyway, between that time and the time that I got home from the office, it was back to partisan politics as usual. Senator Boxer from California was speaking and already it sounded like my CSPAN-2 was back to political speeches right there on the floor of the Senate.

Many of you out there who I have spoken with about my experiences in the Senate already know that I am not a fan of TV cameras in the Senate Chamber. I am all for open government but I think in the Senate, TV's are a mistake. The Senate was especially designed to transcend political party and be able to make reasoned decisions without the worry of political fallout--that's why Senators serve 6-year terms instead of 2-year terms like they do in the House. It acts as a sort of insulation against the current political climate and allows them to make the right decisions even if they are not the most politically popular. So why am I opposed to TV's in the Senate Chamber? Because they have reduced the Senate speeches (many of them) to mere soundbites. I hate soundbites. In this world of sensory overload, all we have time for it seems are soundbites. Basically, they are tiny bits of information presented as if it is the entire argument. Anyway, that's how I feel about that.

So Senator Boxer was back on the floor of the Senate trying to get as many last-minute attacks on Janice Rogers Brown (who will now be confirmed soon thanks to the deal) in before the end of her 25 minutes allowed and all she did was produce soundbites. No substantive argument, just trying to get the last word in on the argument--it actually reminded me of...well...me, when I was about 10 years old.

Oh well, it was a good day for the Senate. And regardless of how soon they go back to their partisan wrangling it was nice for a reprieve even if only for a couple hours.

Okay, sorry for the long entry, and this was actually more for me than for you. I know that it doesn't read very well, but it felt good to write it anyway. Sorry if it was confusing.

On that note, I'm signing off for the night.

Oh yeah, we won our softball game tonight in fine fashion: 12-11. It was a nail-biter.

Two days to my doctor's appointment.

Go Yoda

My church meets in a movie theater. So it was quite convenient to go to church this morning and then stay for the third installment of Star Wars. I didn't even have to switch movie theaters! Talk about convenience.

Anyway, the movie was really good. Not just in a computer graphics sort of way, but the storyline was generally very well done. The script was a little stiff, but what do you expect from Star Wars? I mean, it wouldn't be Star Wars without some half-baked love story with cheesy lines sprinkled in.

I don't really consider myself a huge Star Wars fan, but this definitely held my attention. And if you want to compare it to Episodes I and II...well, it's just a completely different category. For those of you who have seen the first two episodes, you'll be relieved to know that there is only ONE scene that includes the infamous Jar Jar Binks (or however you spell it -- you know who I am talking about). Now I think that Spielberg ought to go back and redo Episodes I and II and remove Jar Jar completely. Not only would he make a bundle, but the public would come out as the real winners because we wouldn't have to see that wretched creation ever again. Of course, I really have no desire to see either of the first two episodes again unless the script is helped. And I mean helped in a BIG way. You would think that after the bazillion dollars he spent to make the movie, he could find some discretionary funds somewhere to pay some decent writers. However, this IS Star Wars and needs the stilted script to make it...well, Star Wars. While he's at it, he should also redo Episodes 4 - 6 with the graphics that we are now accustomed to.

In the end, as one of my professors in college said, it is just a big Cowboys and Indians story set in outer space. Quite true really. When one thinks about it, there are really not that many plots out there, just a lot of variations on similar plots. But I digress. Go see the movie if you are remotely interested because you won't be disappointed. It'll make you want to watch the rest of the installments, too, because if you are like me, then you can't remember what happened in the other ones. But even if you are not well-versed in Star Wars, you know about Darth Vader and that Luke Skywalker is his offspring and this pretty much ties everything together...finally!

But enough about Star Wars...I can't wait for the new Dukes of Hazzard movie that comes out in August. All those crazy people that were in line weeks ahead of time to see Star Wars??? Yeah, that'll be me for the Dukes of Hazzard. I mean, that show helped define my childhood! Any guy now in his 20's who jumped through an open car window as a kid will tell you the same thing. I've seen a couple of trailers for it and all I can say is "YEEE-HAAAAW!!!" It'll be good to see the ol' General Lee looking as it always did but in a present-day setting with the run-of-the-mill Crown Victoria cop cars chasing it all over Southern California...er, I mean...Hazzard County.

Okay, that's all I've got for now. Oh yeah, my first doctor's appointment is in 3 days. Woohoo.

My Nose is Raw

I don't know what the deal is this year, but my allergies are driving me nuts! I haven't been able to stop sneezing for the past two days--I feel like I'm back in my dorky high-school days--sheesh!

For whatever reason, the pollen season out here just won't go away. Very odd considering that in previous years I've not had much of a problem with them.

I used to say that the best months in DC were April - June and September - October. Now I'm going to say that it is just September and October because these allergies are getting really old really fast.

Anyway, despite the allergies, I've managed to get a head start (sort of) on my reports that are due on a weekly basis. Without question, this is the busiest part of the week for me so y'all are lucky (or unlucky) that I have found time to blog tonight!

Until next time...

"Golden Age" of Cancer Research

I think it is reassuring to know that so many cancer researchers are optimistic:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050517/hl_afp/ushealthcancerresearch_050517121025

Long Term Effects

Here's an interesting article that I found on CNN.com today:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/conditions/05/17/cancer.children.ap/index.html

It makes me glad that I have cancer now and not in the 70's or 80's!

National Race for the Cure

I'm trying to stay as active as I can before my radiation begins (probably next month--in June). One of the things that has been my responsibility at my job at the USDA is coordinating our team that will be running in the National Race for the Cure. Naturally, I'm going to run the 3.1-mile race not just because it's good for me to get exercise (especially now) but also because it is for a really good cause. Anyway, I'm raising a small amount of money toward this event. My personal goal is only $50 just because I know that I'm not going to spend much time raising money for this when I've got all this other stuff going on. Additionally, I have no idea how much I'd be able to raise even if I did try and I can always change my goal--those are a couple of reasons why I'm starting low. If I need to revise it upward, then I can. So with all that said, I would be ecstatic if you decided to contribute even a little bit--the good news is that your contribution would be tax-deductible.

In addition to listing some information below about the event, here is the link to my race home page where I raise money: http://race.nationalraceforthecure.org/site/TR?px=1081065&pg=personal&fr_id=1000


This is from their website (www.nationalraceforthecure.org):

What: The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation National Race for the Cure® is a 5K run/walk hosting more than 52,000 participants in 2004. The Race will return to the streets of the Nation's Capital on Saturday, June 4, 2005.

Background:The Komen National Race for the Cure® has grown from 7,000 participants in 1990 to over 52,000 participants in 2004. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died of breast cancer at the age of 36.
Today, it is an international organization with more than 75,000 volunteers and 100 Komen Race for the Cure® events across the country and internationally. Since its inception, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has funded more than 1,000 research projects. The Foundation remains the nation’s largest private provider of funds for breast cancer research and community outreach programs.

Thanks for reading!

I Love Modern Medicine

This is a pretty cool breakthrough even if it isn't for my type of cancer...

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050516/D8A47UQG0.html

MIA

It's been mentioned to me a few times that I need to do a better job of keeping this blog updated. That's good to hear because it's nice to know that people are out there reading it! Sometimes I fall into the pattern of thinking that nobody's watching for updates and then I feel silly for posting stuff to cyberspace for my own gratification.

Anyway, it's been a busy couple of weeks, not that this is an acceptable excuse, but it is true. Since my last posting--I believe it was about insurance (boring) but I didn't check before I started writing this one--I have had a number of out-of-town guests, I've gone to two Washington Nationals games, I've gotten sick with the worst flu I can remember, I had my 27th birthday, and our work softball team (of which I am the manager) had our first softball game. I'm sure I'm missing quite a few things worthy of note but this just give you an idea of what I've been up to the last couple of weeks. Oh yeah, one HUGE thing that I did was schedule my first doctor's appointment with the radiation oncologist at Georgetown University Hospital for May 25. That's a big development...kind of the whole reason for this blog, in fact.

So I'm providing a brief update now while I'm waiting on my laundry this Sunday afternoon. I promise to be better about keeping y'all in the loop.