Lab Rat Update # 6

Well… BIG NOTE to SELF! “Always be prepared and always expect the unexpected”
Wednesday I went to Duke with the high expectation that I would be back home by 2 or 3 o’clock. All I had was blood work, an EKG and a visit with the Clinical Trial Nurse and Doc’s assistant (PA). Yea!! All I have left is the visit. They walked in with a deer in the headlights look and said “your phosphorus level is life threateningly low…as a matter of fact it doesn’t even register!” Huh? What! They had said it was low (1.5 versus normal of 2.5-3.5) and I was taking a supplement but I guess I didn’t realize the seriousness of what it meant. They said I had to go right then and get an IV infusion and it will take 4 hours. I’m embarrassed to say that my first reaction was “Damnit! I’m not going to make it home by 3!”. “Can’t I just go home and eat a bunch of kitchen matches?” Phosphorous! Who knew?
It’s called Hypophosphatemia…scary stuff!

I finally got started at 3:15 and fortunately they were out of chairs so I got to lay in a day bed for the IV. I was able to sleep most of the time so it wasn’t too bad but needless to say I rolled home about 10:30PM. Not a good day…..at all!

I’m told that the infusion will make me feel better….not so far.

I’ve recently had a lot of new readers and I thought I would take the time to review my “Interior thoughts” on all of this in case you didn’t read it in past posts:

1. You will never see me refer to this disease as “My cancer”. You hear and read it all the time….”Oh, My cancer has come back”. Well, it ain’t my cancer! It’s a nasty virus that is trying to eat my body from the inside out. My body and the drugs are doing the best we can to fight it! Oh, you’ll never me use a capital “c” in the beasts’ name.

2. I’ve never said or thought “Why me?”. It has to be somebody and I just chose the short straw.…that’s all. Besides, whom would you ask? Could they help? Would they tell me? Now, 2 ½ years ago when I was just starting chemo, the marriage had tanked, the economy was (is) in the toilet and the IRS decided it was a great day for an audit! I did ask “Why me…..ALL AT ONCE!?”

3. As would be obvious, the last 3 years in particular, have been life altering to say the least. And it continues to. Most of it for the better mentally and from a perspective standpoint. It’s been gradual in some cases and really fast in others. Two weeks ago a young soldier named Travis Mills was close to coming home from Afghanistan and he stepped on a bomb that blew off all four limbs…….that was only two weeks ago. Not only has his life changed forever but the lives of his young wife and 2 small boys has changed as well. Ya know, at 62 years old it’s real hard for me to complain about my situation. I think there’s a web site Travis Mills something .com.

4. I’m not afraid of death, the dying part doesn’t sound all that appealing but we all will have our chance to find out. “No one get’s out of Here Alive” (Jim Morrison, the Doors)……he didn’t.

5. I believe in God. My definition may be a little different than most but as far as a supreme spiritual power goes I’m on board!

6. Family, friends, life, health and ATTIDTUDE are all that matter.

There is more money being spent on breast implants and Viagra today than on Alzheimer's research. This means that by 2040, there should be a large elderly population with perky boobs and huge erections and absolutely no recollection of what to do with them.


Thank you again for the Spiritual Lights and Prayers coming my way. They’re received and returned. Bob