Brad is my hero...

This week marks the end of my brother Brad's visit with me. He's been
here since I was diagnosed (we were supposed to fly to Hawaii that day).

He did all of the little things that I couldn't, like pick up dropped items off
the floor, do dishes, wash clothes, remember which pills to take, etc.
He was an extension of myself and I'll never be able to repay him.
He's a great person and I hope you all have a chance to meet him and
know him.

Thanks for everything, brother.

So now I'm on my own, but I've figured out how to do most things and
my strength keeps getting stronger (can strength get stronger?) each
day. I'm cane-bound, but doing pretty well with it. I even tried driving a
bit the other day, just to see if I could do it. If I'm feeling strong enough,
I can go short distances by myself, but I'm very cautious and still plan
on getting rides everywhere.

I'm getting chemo on Tuesday this week. I'm very excited because it
marks the halfway point for me. Week 6!

It was a tough week last week. The chemo I received on Monday
was especially toxic. I was injected with Nitrogen Mustard, which they
have to mix and inject right away because it starts reacting so quickly.
They sent me home with a bed pan just in case I puked in the car.
Didn't though. I was mildly out of it Monday night, but didn't experience
the nausea they warned me about. Whew!

Tuesday was rest day. Not too much nausea, but still out of it.

The nausea came on Wednesday and Thursday and really hit me hard
for parts of the day. Friday was up and down as well.

On Thursday night, I saw a good friend perform at Alcazar, a local
tapas bar. Her name is Kirsten Candy. Maybe you've heard of her.
She played a set with her piano and gave away copies of her new
single, "Whisper." Yes. I'm doing a little promotion on the side.
I've seen her several times, but I think this was one of her best sets.
A great mixture of soft vocals and fun tunes. She even dedicated one
of her songs, "Prayer," to me. She said she was thinking about me
as she recorded it in the studio. I was very touched. She's awesome.

I spent the weekend getting myself organized for the holiday season
so that I can get some good things done this week.

I'd write more, but the cooler story (don't miss it!) wore me out. I'm
done typing and want to watch "The Simpsons."

If you're leaving early for the holidays, have a safe and wonderful
time. Look for updates when you get back.

For the rest of you, stay tuned. I'll still update each week since I'll
be in Santa Barbara for Christmas.

Have a great week.

m