Tuesday at the clinic

I drove up to the clinic and REALLY looked at the parking lot this time.  I learned my lesson yesterday, if the lot was full, there were technical problems happening inside.  If there were only 4 cars or so, everything was back to normal.  It was normal, in fact I was 20 minutes early and never got a chance to sit down! I was in and out before my appointment time.  I told the therapists that it felt like a drive-thru and I wondered if I could get fries with that!  We all got a good laugh out of a very lame joke.  Yesterday was really a Monday for them at the clinic and I put in a very full day myself since one of my key people is on vacation and Murphy's Law was in full effect at the clients he works with.  There was a fleeting severe thunderstorm that passed through in about half an hour over the weekend and it played havoc with lots of networks and computer stuff.  I'm glad today has been a little less frantic.

The picture of the day is another one in my series of the mid-air dance I witnessed last month in Taylor, TX.  These Scissor-tailed Flycatchers are magnificent in flight all alone, together it's really special!

The 6th week begins, 25 down, 20 to go!

I arrived about 20 minutes before my scheduled 1:40 pm treatment and the parking lot at the radiation lab was full.  "What is going on?",  I thought to myself.  Once I showed the girls at the reception desk my picture of the day, they let me know the radiation machine was being fixed, so I was directed to wait in the large waiting room out front with about half a dozen others.  Usually, there are one or two of us conversing in smaller rooms in the back of the building, near the machine, waiting to be called.  I had pounded down a 20 ounce bottle of water on my way to the clinic, since they want your bladder to be full during the radiation.  I got my turn about a half an hour late and I can tell you I made a mad dash to the bathroom the minute I could!  I had the therapists all laughing when I yelled out "First things first!" as I flew away to take care of business before changing clothes.  I was there probably a total of one hour, so it's all good.  These things happen occasionally, I know this latest technology is incredibly complex.  Glad I wasn't the first one they used it on after it was repaired!

Here is the picture of the day, a Painted Bunting near Lake Austin that I saw about 10 days ago.

5 weeks down, 4 weeks plus 2 days to go!

I started on a Tuesday and my last day will be a Tuesday if I stay on schedule due to Memorial Day and the 4th of July.  If something comes up where I miss a day somehow, it will get added to the end so my total will be 45 treatments no matter what.  Today was number 24, 21 to go.  And so far, the side effects have not been anywhere near as uncomfortable as they could be at this point and I'm thankful for that.  I know that things will not get any better than they are now as the treatments begin to add up, but I am always thankful for having the weekend off to let my body recover a bit.  And it's comforting to know that about 2 months after treatment ends I should be back to as normal as I will ever get.

The picture of the day is a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher that I recently captured in Taylor, TX.

Today marks inching past the halfway point! Yippee!!!

Today started out at dawn with my friend Jay on Lake Travis fishing from my bass boat.  We saw a beautiful sunrise and proceeded to catch enough keepers to have a fish fry soon.  More often than not, we are catch and release fishermen, but we had 3 keepers fairly soon and kept them in one of the onboard live wells in case we decided to let them go.  I only got 2 fish, but one was a 3 pounds 12 ounce bass, so I got the big fish of the day.  We ended up with 7 large mouth bass.  I also had my cameras with me and recorded the sunrise and some of the birds and other wildlife we encountered. I put the boat away and got some lunch and a little nap before heading in for my treatment.  It was Doctor Day and I consulted with a different one than usual.  No green check mark for this week, the time out on the water made me less than as fully hydrated as they would like me to be.  A good reminder to be more diligent about drinking a LOT of water.  This was my 23rd session out of 45 total visits, so I am now just past the mid-point in my treatment.  I'm very thankful to be doing so well so far.

The picture for the day is of me with my nice fish this morning, taken by Jay with his cell phone and lightly edited in my computer.

Another cloudy day with some sprinkle and Saharan Dust moving into Austin

Just when you think you've seen it all, we have Saharan Dust on the way.  After a pandemic, protests, riots, Murder Hornets and who knows what's next, I'm not sure I want to keep watching the news!  I finished my 22nd treatment today, meaning I pass the halfway point tomorrow.  It's good to have mile markers to keep you on track.  At this point, I'm taking Flomax twice a day since the radiation begins to add up and irritate things in some pretty key places and I'm also taking Tylenol PM to get a good night's sleep.  All in all, I'm doing better than most patients at this point in the course of treatment.  Thank you, Jesus!

I spent about an hour and a half on a very grey morning hiking around Berry Springs Park in Georgetown.  Not sure how well the pictures will turn out, it was pretty dark.  I did see Titmice, Phoebes, a Kingbird, a Red-Bellied Woodpecker, a Great Blue Heron, Cardinals, Mockingbirds, Painted Buntings and a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron to name but a few.  No Armadillos today!

My treatment was routine this afternoon and the picture of the day is of a Painted Bunting that I saw singing its little heart out a Commons Ford Ranch near Lake Austin last week.

Rainy Tuesday

Today started out with some real gully washers, as they say here in Austin, with lots of thunder and lightning thrown in, starting around 6 am.  We will need every drop of that water, since the long range forecasts predict a drier and hotter summer than normal.  We also have a huge cloud of Saharan dust bearing down on us that should arrive this week.  One upside of that is there might be some spectacular sunrises and sunsets as a result and I'm keeping an eye out each morning and evening this week for that.

My 21st treatment went according to plan.   I usually get there at least 20 minutes before my appointment and have made some friends among the other patients that are treated before me.  It's nice to compare notes and to encourage each other.  I guess I have a little bit on my Dad in me, he never met a stranger, only a friend he hadn't made yet.  I've been blessed throughout this whole process, I coun't ask for anything better in any way.  

The picture of the day is an adult Summer Tanager, since the staff liked the baby yesterday and wanted to know what it would grow into.  So, here it is!

20 Down, 25 to go!

Still doing amazingly well at this stage.  I have talked to some of the guys with appointments before and after me and some who are a week or two behind me are having much more difficulty.  Thank you Jesus!  One of my computer repair customers confided in me that he goes to my urologist and also had the same radiation oncologist I have six years ago and he couldn't say enough good things about this whole practice and all of the staff.  He sounded like he actually missed going in for treatment, he remembered a lot of details.  He wanted to know if the dressing rooms were still in the same place, how he looked forward to his Doctor Day which was Friday in his case and how they had a celebration for him after his final treatment.  He should have given me a spoiler alert before telling me about the party, but now I will have to prepare something special in return when my final day arrives.  Stay tuned, the wheels are turning!  I'll come up with something spectacular!

The picture of the day is a juvenile Summer Tanager from Commons Ford Park on Lake Austin that I captured last Wednesday morning just after dawn

The end of week 4. Woohoo!

After 4 weeks, I am still rocking along with minimal side effects.  I am crediting several things.  One is my All-Star Dream team from top to bottom, all of whom have a genuine concern for each and every patient individually.  Everyone on the team is ready to answer any questions or concerns and having a weekly consult with the radiation oncologist is a great forum for each of us to stay on the same page.  I can't say enough about them.  I'm not identifying them by name or the urology practice I am using in this space because I don't have prior approval from them but am encouraging anyone heading down this same road to contact me privately and I'll be happy to refer you to them.  I feel I have found the best professionals and technology in our part of the country for the treatment of prostate cancer regardless of the course of treatment that is decided upon.  Secondly, I have been encouraged to maintain a high level of activity and have been fighting through the inevitable fatigue caused both by the hormone deprivation and radiation therapies I am receiving. And I have taken that advice to heart.  Third, I am also following good advice from the oncologist and eating a heart healthy diet of lean meats and lots of fruits and vegetables.  Fourth, I have discontinued my multivitamins for the time being because the antioxidants interfere with my getting cured.  Instead, I am taking calcium and vitamin D to combat bone and muscle loss.  I'm sure each of these things is playing a part in how well I've done.  Finally, I have God on my side!  Thank you, Jesus!  The Great Physician has me in His care and is not going to let go of me.

The picture of the day is of a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher demonstrating where it gets its name.  I love these little guys!  This one is from Taylor, TX last month.

My 4th Doctor Day!

If it's Thursday, it must be Doctor Day.  I got in a little early for my appointment in case they could sneak me in.  Everyone loved my picture of the day.  The radiation treatment went as usual, you don't even know it's being done.  One of my friends, who was treated for breast cancer, thought I would benefit from a special skin lotion, since her radiation caused skin problems.  I asked about this today and the radiation therapist told me that the machine I am being treated with actually has the radiation beam moving in an arc over my body and the prostate is being hit from many angles ranging from nearly horizontal on each side and up and over me, so no one area of the skin gets very much radiation at all.  I know some people have expected me to have hair loss or be radioactive, neither one of which is true.  I'm not receiving chemo, which is associated with hair loss and I don't have anything radioactive implanted in me.  I am no more radioactive after each session than if I had been given a dental X-ray.

The doctor is still real happy with my prep for the treatments and I got another Green Check Mark.  Yay!  All kidding aside, it's good to review each week to make sure everyone is on the same page. We looked at the X-rays from each day this week and my bladder was sufficiently full to protect surrounding organs from serious side effects.  I'm all about staying away from serious side effects, that's for sure!

The picture of the day is another one of the cute Screech Owlets I saw at Mills Pond about a month ago.  I haven't seen them since, but that day was special.  They posed for a solid 20 minutes for me and my friend Rob and were still there when we left them.  People were actually getting decent pictures of them with cell phones!

Just another day in paradise!

I spent from dawn until about 9 am at Commons Ford Ranch this morning in search of Painted Buntings and more and was not disappointed.  I'm convinced that hiking all over the place for two or more hours a day is essential in helping me fight off the fatigue brought on by the double whammy of the radiation and the hormone therapy that are being used to defeat the cancer.  Nothing like drinking in the beauty of God's creation each and every day to lift your spirits.  I was blessed today to be joined by my friends Mea and Calvin, she a recent grad of Concordia University and he from Concordia High School, respectively.  Great for an old guy to have young ears and eyes around to spot subjects for me!  There were lots of teaching moments, little things like how much difference moving even an inch or two to the right or the left, or up or down, can make in the final result.  Many times it's the difference between a good and an outstanding image.  Also, it can be the difference between a little or a lot of computer work before you publish your work.  We always keep it light, with a lot of laughs, but a good deal of learning goes on and it flows both directions.  These young friends keep me on my toes...

The picture of the day is of a Cardinal at Berry Springs Park in Georgetown last week.  This image breaks two big rules.  You never do a frontal face shot of a bird, it just doesn't look right like people portraits do.  And you don't shoot into the sun.  Rules are meant to be bent or broken in the right circumstances and this shot is one of them.  I believe this Cardinal had a question for me...

Adventures in Lost and Found

I looked all over my house for my tennis shorts that I wear for my radiation treatments.  They were nowhere to be found.  The last place I remembered having them was at my appointment Monday, so I called the radiation oncology lab and my therapist laughed and said she just knew they were mine!  When I got to my session today, I went in a few minutes early and checked the room with the medical bottoms.  Each patient has a slot with their name on it and a pair of bottoms, in case you had to come in and were still in street clothes.  You can't have any metal in your pants or shorts when you are in the equipment.  I got changed and my therapist spotted me in the hall and asked me if I found my shorts.  I laughed and told her I was wearing them!  At least I didn't forget my appointment.  All is well so far after 16 treatments.  I'm very thankful that I'm not experiencing many of the common side effects yet.  

The picture for the day that I showed anyone who would look is of a Great Blue Heron flying over Berry Springs Park in Georgetown last Saturday.  I took it at dawn and got the beautiful "Golden Hour" warm yellow light on it.

Just finished treatment number 15. I'm a third of the way there! Woohoo!

It's good to have goals and milestones.  I know that as the radiation treatments add up, I'm in for some unpleasant, but temporary, side effects.  I am just thankful at this point that my fatigue level is no worse than it is and that most all of my plumbing is functioning pretty well.  They moved my time up 10 minutes to 1:40 pm this week for whatever reason they had and that's fine with me.  I arrived at 1:20, got my temperature taken at the front desk and showed the girls there my picture of the day.  I got into the radiation machine after a short wait and was out the door at 1:37.  Pretty good.  I saw another patient that is usually right before me as he donned his mask in the parking lot and realized for the first time that he has a mustache!  It's funny how we imagine the rest of faces from partial information.  We got a good laugh when I pointed this out to him in the clinic.

The picture for the day, which brought oohs and aahs and smiles to everybody is one I entitled "Lunch to Go" which placed in one of my local photo contests recently.  It's an Osprey with a half eaten fish that took exception to having his picture taken, so he flew to the next tree.  Lucky for me, I was at the ready.  These beautiful raptors are also known as Seahawks in other parts of the country,

Week 3 is now in the record books

14 down, 31 to go.  The days fly by.  Having my treatments around 2 pm gives me the blessing of being able to get things done early in the day.  I am an early bird and do like to be out in nature at dawn as much as possible.  The beginning of each new day is special.  The only downside is that not much can be accomplished in the late afternoon, especially as more and more fatigue will inevitably set in before this course of treatment is over.  Here in Texas, we'll soon be looking at 100 degree plus temperatures as the norm, so whatever can be done will likely be indoors.

Now I get the weekend for my body to recover a bit from any side effects of the radiation.  I'll be doing some nature hiking with friends tomorrow morning.  My church is doing a limited reopening this weekend, but I'll still be streaming it online and participating in a study of the Gospel of Luke via Zoom with about 20 others.  Finally, a Sunday drive in the countryside to get my girlfriend out of the house and to run her car.  I should be recharged and ready for more fun at the radiation lab by Monday!  Have a great weekend everybody!

The picture of the day is one that placed in one of my local photo contests this year.  I call it "Wait til your father gets home, young man!".  I used to hear that a lot from my Mom.  I never did understand why. This is 2 Cormorants at Mills Pond in a spat late last year.  

Lucky 13! Continuing to inch closer to the goal...

I spent the morning on Lake Travis with my friend Jay.  He caught a few fish, I had a line in the water but you know me, I also got several good pictures as well of herons and other wildlife.  I always have a camera nearby.  Nothing like a beautiful morning on the water to make you feel alive.

I had my 13th treatment today and things are going quite well.  Compared to some of the other guys I've met, I've tolerated the Lupron and the radiation about as well as can be hoped for.  Thank you Jesus!  Today was "Doctor Day" and I got another Green Check Mark, meaning I've done a good job of coming in well hydrated and with empty bowels.  Not a pleasant or easy thing to have to do day after day, but it becomes a discipline and knowing these steps I take will help to reduce side effects down the road makes it worthwhile.  

Here is the picture for the day I shared with the staff and the doctor today.  It's a Great Crested Flycatcher at Mills Pond last month in its finest mating plumage.

An even dozen! All is well...

I got out to Taylor for some bird photography and hiking from 7 am until about 10 am and saw a pretty good variety of shore birds at Murphy Park and the usual Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and Green Herons at the sports complex with some Caracaras and a bonus Turtle thrown in.  My back to nature exercise program is working well, so far I haven't gained any of the expected extra pounds that the hormone therapy tends to put on.  And I'm doing what I love to do in the process.  It doesn't get any better than that!

I was in and out of the clinic in only about 15 minutes today.  I've learned that if I show up about 25 minutes before my appointment instead of the recommended 15 minutes, I can many times get snuck in between other folks that are running behind.  While I was waiting, I talked to another patient that is in his second week of treatment and the Lupron hormone therapy is really kicking him in the butt with fatigue and hot flashes.  I told him how I've made a conscious effort to stay very active, no matter how much fatigue I have to fight through.  While different individuals react in unlike ways, I told him I thought that exercise was a key.  I shared my picture of the day with him and told him I'm being active doing one of my passions and maybe he could do the same whether it is golf, tennis, hiking, jogging, whatever.  I'm glad I got to be an encouragement to him.

The picture of the day is of a juvenile American Robin at Mills Pond last week eating berries from a tree.  If they eat too many of the wrong or fermented berries, they get quite drunk!

If it's Tuesday, it must be visit number 11!

It took a while, but now that I've had 10 radiation sessions, I'm in double figures! Yay!  So far, any side-effects have been minimal and I'm sleeping pretty well.  My level of fatigue has increased a little bit, probably mostly from the hormone therapy.  I keep fighting it by staying active, I spent 2 hours hiking around Berry Springs Park this morning at dawn carrying about 10 pounds worth of photo gear and taking over 200 pictures.  I saw quite a few birds (15 different species) and a deer.  It's going to be 102 or more here today and it was already getting uncomfortable by around 9 am when I called it a day.

The picture for the day is one I call "The Dance" and is from a series of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher flight images during their nesting and mating in Taylor, TX last month.  They are elegant in flight, but you really need the camera to stop their action to see how intricate their aerial acrobatic moves are.  Not easy shots to get, but well worth it when it works out.

Start of the 3rd week went well

My alternating radiation therapist and her assistant greeted me and I am now at my permanent time of 1:50 pm every day.  I'm making a point of being 20 minutes early and often am done and gone before the actual appointed time.  Everybody I showed my "picture of the day" loved it.  It's a one in a million shot of a Painted Bunting in flight.

Finished the week strong!

Still doing very well with minimal side effects.  The radiation oncologist says I'm right where I should be at this point and am doing all the right things to minimize the damage from the radiation.  I'm continuing to get out and hike around in the woods and fields every morning carrying all of my camera gear for at least an hour, usually much more.  Most of the migrating birds are already done passing through, but I always find something to take a picture of!

Today was my 9th treatment, marking 20% of the radiation treatments down, 80% to go.  It's good to have milestones.  My radiation therapist and her assistant will be off next week and I'll be back to my team from the first week as the practice works hard to keep everyone employed in these unusual times.  I'm hoping they can get back to full strength again soon

Here is the picture for the day that I showed everybody, I call it "I need a Covid haircut bad!".  This is a Cattle Egret in his full mating plumage at Murphy Park in Taylor a couple of weeks ago.  The wind helped with this look.  They are much more plain during the rest of the year, but he is a sharp-dressed man right now, as ZZTop would say!

If it's Thursday, it's Doctor Day!

I arrived for my treatment about 20 minutes early as usual and showed everyone who would look my picture of the day.  Of course, they took my temperature and everyone is still in masks at this point in time.

Each Thursday, I fill out a questionnaire about side effects, any pains or other unusual sensations I'm having and other information.  The doctor then sees me, either in person with masks on for Covid-19 mitigation or I can request a teleconference in which we are both at the clinic but in separate rooms making masks unnecessary.  I prefer to be with the oncologist in person, even with a mask.  That's the one thing we are really missing during this pandemic, the human touch.  We are designed for relationship and it is quite a revelation to realize how important the mouth is in communicating with each other.  Even though it can still be used for speaking from behind a mask, many nuances are missing now.  A smile, a questioning look, anger.  There are so many emotions that are conveyed with the mouth being a key element.

He gave me a Green Check Mark again this week, meaning I had done a good job of showing up with an adequately full bladder to protect tissue and organs near the target zone from the radiation.  I told him that as a kid, we got Gold Stars in grade school and I never got any because I was always sitting in the corner. He produced a sheet of paper that had a picture of a Green Check Mark followed by an equal sign with a Gold Star on the other side of it.  I was thrilled!  I guess he's seen so many patients over the years, it's hard to come up with one he hasn't heard before, but we had a laugh.  Maybe I'll frame my Gold Star!

Today's picture is from a fabulous sunset at Mills Pond.  I ran across an older couple taking it in and thought that having the two of them in the shot made it extra special.

One more day closer to being done

Things have become routine at this point.  I've been showing up at the radiation lab about 20 minutes before my scheduled time and more often than not, I get seen right away.  I think the staff is using me to keep the schedule tightened up.  They are now trained to look forward to their picture of the day and seem to be genuinely enjoying them.  At first, they thought I was getting pictures from National Geographic or some other source, I think I've finally convinced them that I really am pretty good at what I do!

With all of that said, here is the picture for the day.  It is a Great Egret coming in for a landing at Murphy Park in Taylor recently. See you tomorrow!

Tuesday appointment went well

The following is more detailed information about the prep for therapy that needs be done every day and is meant as an encouragement for other guys that are deciding between various options like surgery, hormone treatments, chemotherapy or radiation,  I can honestly say that nothing has been that painful along the way and I was always told what was going to happen next before any procedure went forward.  Yes, some things felt unusual, but it was all quite bearable, so there's nothing to be afraid of guys!

Apparently, one of the hardest things for many men to do is part of the standard prep for each and every appointment.  One hour before treatment, you are expected to empty your bladder and bowels and then drink at least a 16 ounce bottle of water and hold it until after the radiation.  The reasoning behind this is that you want the rectal area as small and far away from the prostate as possible, even with the SpaceOAR device that I had implanted providing some extra protection.  This minimizes side effects in this area that were much more serious in the past.  The full bladder helps push other tissue and organs out of the way and protects the bladder itself.  If it were empty or partially filled, it can fold over on itself and more of it is exposed to damage, plus the other areas become less protected as well.  I am thankful that so much progress has been made in the last few years in mitigating side effects, most of which go away a few weeks or months after therapy ceases.

As far as staying hydrated goes, I'm a star.  Ever since having a kidney stone removed physically two years ago, not crushed with sound waves, I have been careful to drink a minimum of 3 liters of water a day as instructed by my urologist.  During the later stages of my treatment, I may have a harder time holding it, so the oncologist already has me doing exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles that control this.  They've thought of everything, this isn't their first rodeo!  Even though the clinic is not at full capacity due to Covid, I did find out that at least 60 men are being treated daily just like me.  Imagine how experienced the entire staff of this radiation oncology practice is, seeing so many folks day after day.

I had to wait a while for my session yesterday.  It turns out that Monday is when many new patients start out and they each need some orientation and it takes a little longer to get them in and out.  Due to Memorial Day, my first Monday last week happened on Tuesday.  Also, delays can happen because the equipment is very complex and can self-detect small problems before they become big ones.  The machines will only operate if everything is optimal, sometimes a part needs to be replaced, other times a service call from the manufacturer is needed.  If delays are less than an hour, it is hoped that patients will stay around and remain hydrated.  If longer, a day is added onto the end of the schedule since all treatments are necessary.  All of this comforts me that everything must be in order or everything stops until it is.

Here is the picture of the day for the staff.  It's a Yellow Crowned Night Heron at Mills Pond burping.  I call it "When you've gotta belch, do it!"

5 Down, 40 to go!

Week 2 has begun!  So far, so good.  Still feeling great, I'm sure hiking through various nature preserves for an hour or two every day is helping me to keep my energy levels up as both the hormone therapy and the radiation will gradually begin to take their toll.  I'm doing everything I can to stay out in front of that.  I've begun a resistance exercise program using large rubber bands to fight the loss of muscle and bone that will occur, especially in my upper body.  I have also begun taking calcium and vitamin D supplements at the suggestion of the radiation oncologist to help with this as well.  

My original radiation therapist and her helper are on duty this week, so I just had to introduce them to my picture a day routine to keep them smiling.  Everybody liked this one, a Burrowing Owl that I saw in rural Granger, TX in January.