The Final Radiation Treatment. Thank you, Jesus!

I can't begin to express how relieved I am to get my schedule back again after my final treatment today.  While there will be followup doctor's appointments and lab work in the months to come, the 9 week daily grind of absolutely, positively having to be somewhere every day does take its toll, particularly when it is in the middle of the work day.  

I am proud to say I was never late for even one appointment and also have a perfect record of demonstrating the joy a serious Christian should have to all I have encountered, even on days when I didn't exactly feel like it.  Just being joyful no matter what the circumstances you find yourself in can be a very powerful witness, it really doesn't require any special words or favorite Bible verses.  It does cause people to wonder why you are the way you are and that's when you can give them an honest answer, telling how much Jesus has done for you and how it's a gift that is available to all who believe.  This giving a testimony by the way you live has never failed me, even in foreign lands and in dealing with people of other faiths.  Rather than beating someone over the head with "My way is better than your way!", waiting for a sincere question works like a charm.  There is no wrong answer if someone really wants to know what makes you tick.  It does take time and relationship building.  The person may come away thinking you are crazy or a zealot, but they will know what your sincere world view is when you're done with your story.  And sometimes, being moved by the Spirit, they want to know more.

I checked in as usual, showing the front office staff my picture of the day and getting my temperature taken for the last time (I always ask if I'm going to live because it's always 96 degrees after coming in from my air conditioned truck!).  I went to the waiting room and listened for them to call for Mr. DeVore.  I tried as hard as I could and still never got them to yell out for Dave or even Mr. Dave.  They are well trained and their mothers brought them up right.  One last time showing the radiation techs my smile of the day, which is what I call the picture.  Then telling them my birthday to make sure I wasn't some impostor just wanting to get some radiation and one last time getting comfy in my body cast.  I thought it was actually a rigid cast of me from the waist down and asked at one point if I could take it home, paint it pink and use it as lawn art to moon my neighbors.  That got some laughs! It turns out it has air in it and they sanitize it, deflate it and use it for the next guy.  Oh well, it was a funny thought.  After positioning me in the radiation machine, the technicians left the room to go behind the slowly closing lead door. I laid there motionless, listening to my last song in that room, which turned out to be piano music like you would hear in a hotel lounge.  I don't know if they have a music service, I've never heard any commercials, but they do play a lot of 60's and 70's stuff for us old guys.  It makes the time go.  The piano music threw me for a loop, I was expecting Beatles or Led Zepellin.  Kind of a surreal ending note!  Once in position, I was looking up at the ceiling.  They have transparent pictures of clouds and blue sky covering the fluorescent lighting.  I really need to get them to put some of my pictures up there, the clouds never change and have gotten pretty boring after all this time. 

Once my treatment was done, I had gotten dressed and made the obligatory mad dash to the bathroom, the staff surprised me with a going away celebration.  Not really a surprise, I knew it was coming, a client of mine had gone through the process at this clinic a few years ago and spoiled it, plus I had suspected several other completion parties during my 9 weeks when I could hear clapping and cheering.  As I rounded the corner to leave the clinic for the last time, at least for treatment, there was the staff, just as I thought, clapping and cheering.  They handed me a bell to ring as much and as loud as I could.  I told them after ringing it with vigor that now I also needed hearing aids!  I was informed of what my next steps would be, blood work and followup visits with my urologist in 1 month and with the radiation oncologist a month or two later.  I was given a bag of goodies, including a diploma and a lucky horseshoe to remind me of them.  When it was my turn to speak, I thanked everybody and told them I had something for them as well.  A printed out thank you note and a different picture for each of them.

I gave a copy to each of the folks at the clinic that I know by name along with a personal thank you written on it and each person got a different one of my nature photos that I printed out myself as 4x6 images.  The ones I never met also got an envelope with the generic thank you and their own picture.  I made 15 of them, figuring about 12 to 15 staff members work at the clinic.  I told the doctor that I thought about a dozen people worked in his practice, but that I had made 15 packages just in case.  He said a total of 15 worked there.  I think a God thing happened!  I gave him the extra ones for those that couldn't be there and we said our goodbyes.

Following is the text of the open letter to everyone in the urology practice that has treated me:

I thank the Lord for each one of you!  For some of you, mostly the front-line staff, I have been able to bring a smile to you daily with my nature photography.  I am fully aware that there are many more folks behind the scenes doing lab work, designing treatment plans, determining radiation dosages, doing necessary back office tasks and assisting in and performing the various outpatient procedures I’ve needed leading up to my sessions at the radiation oncology center.  The professionalism you have all exhibited has been outstanding.  Regardless of the situation, you have made me feel like I am the only person in the world at that moment.  This is something I strive to do in my own business endeavors, it takes a conscious effort and a natural heart for serving people.  Well done everybody!

As some of you know, I have written a blog detailing my journey with you.  It does not include the name of the medical practice or any of your own names, but I would be glad to share my experiences privately with anyone who asks me or wants a reference from you.  The main goal in writing this blog has been to encourage others, both men and women, to get annual checkups so problems can be detected while they are still treatable.  A major passion in my life is nature photography, so I have brought in a picture a day to each of my 45 radiation sessions and other appointments and you have been eager to see them.  At first, I was suspected of bringing in National Geographic photos, but I pointed out that my copyright watermark is on each of them!  These pictures of the day are at the end of each blog post and in a Google album I made just for you.  Please feel free to follow my photography on Facebook, where I am Dave DeVore.  I have posted at least one picture per day there since January 1^st of 2015 and I credit this discipline for my steady progress.  I currently have over 2000 FB friends and there are many more that look at my work daily, so please friend me or you can just stalk me from the shadows!  I have a professional photography web site at www.photoartbydave.com where it is free to look at my images from central Texas and around the world, including photos from my 19 trips to Kenya.  I have split my time there between leading missionary teams in the slums of Nairobi to correct vision problems for free and instructing anyone in nature photography who wished to stay for 4 or 5 days after our vision clinic was over, always at the best game parks in the world.  It has been quite an adventure!

My blog can be viewed at http://davesexcellentadventures.blogspot.com and the link to the Google photo album I have kept while I have been with you is at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/e7TJALr9jSDha94K6

You have all become an important part of my life during these last 9 weeks and I will truly miss you.  I look forward to bumping into you during follow up visits and maybe out in real life.  It may be hard to recognize each other since we’ve been masked this whole time!  My hope is that when you think of me, you’ll remember that joyful Dave guy with the pictures who always tried to bring a smile  with a kind word or a bad joke.  We have laughed a lot together, it promotes healing, both physical and spiritual.  Please send me an email if you would like an electronic version of this document to make following the web links easier for you.  Blessings to each of you, you have been a huge blessing to me.  Amen!

Dave DeVore, info@photoartbydave.com or cell or text: 512-815-5045. 

The last picture of the day, for this phase of my relationship with the clinic anyway, is of a Black-chinned Hummingbird sipping from a Texas Red Yucca plant at the South Mueller Greenway butterfly garden.

44 Down, 1 to Go!

I was in and out pretty quickly today for my radiation session.  I met a guy who was on his first day and he wanted to know how I had held up as I am nearing the end.  He had already had some surgery previously and was not a candidate for the Lupron shot since he has diabetes, so I told him there was nothing unbearable and to keep a good attitude.  I also told him there was no comparison because in my case we caught it early during an annual physical, I haven't had surgery and I was getting the Lupron treatment.  I think he felt comforted to see that I appeared to be in pretty good shape and joyful as I finish things up.

Today's picture is of a Blue Grosbeak that I got out by Lake Austin in May.  It is still around, but this is the best picture of him I've gotten so far this year.  I'm not done yet, now that I won't have a hole in the middle of my day, I'll be able to spend a little more time hunting him down!

Let the Countdown begin! 3...2...1! Finished this week!

I was talking to a friend over the weekend and they remarked how quickly my treatment plan had gone by.  I said "Maybe for you!" and we had a hearty laugh.  I really couldn't have picked a better time to get cured since travel is still pretty well out of the question and I have been able to work from home.  I've been blessed in so many ways it's hard to know where to start.  The outpouring of love and prayers from my friends has been humbling and has been a great help to me.  Thank you everybody for that.  The wonderful attitude of everyone at the clinic has made me look forward to seeing all of them each day.  One of the radiation techs told me the other day that saying goodbye after the last session is a bittersweet experience for her, because oftentimes friendships develop.  I would expect no less from people who have dedicated their careers to helping others in less than ideal circumstances in their lives.  They help patients overcome their fears, they put a positive spin on everything and are loving with the facts when less than pleasant procedures become necessary.  I can't say enough about what a difference it makes to be cared for at such a hospitable medical practice.

At my appointment today, I already had to say goodbye to one of the radiation techs who will be off for the next couple of days.  I thanked him for all of the good care he gave me.  He said I would be back in 4 months to see the doctor and that I really needed to say hi to everyone.  I promised I would, but only if I could bring a picture with me.  He agreed!

The picture for the day is of a Black-chinned Hummingbird framed by a Texas Red Yucca.  These little ones have become a favorite subject of mine lately and I'm getting as many pictures of them as I can before they are gone on their inevitable migration.

The end of week 9!

I got in and out right away today for my last radiation treatment of my last full week.  Three more to go next week and then I will have a series of blood tests to look at PSA levels over the next 18 months or so to see exactly where I stand.  I want to thank everybody for the prayers for healing so far and would like to ask that you continue, since there won't be a clear answer as to the effectiveness of my radiation and hormone therapy for some time to come.  I do know that based on catching my cancer early, the results of my biopsy and the statistics on the course of treatment that was chosen, the odds are overwhelmingly in my favor, but there is no greater factor than having the Great Physician in your corner.  Have a great weekend everybody!

The picture for today is a sunrise over Lake Travis that was taken from my boat near Commander's Point.  The Great Blue Heron in the foreground took direction well and provided a perfect silhouette and reflection!

Beautiful morning on Lake Georgetown and my last Doctor Day at the clinic

Even though I had to get up at 4:30, it was worth it to see the sunrise over Lake Georgetown from my boat.  I was on the water by 6 am, sunrise was around 6:40.  What a peaceful time of day.  I didn't see much in the way of shorebirds, other than a half dozen Great Blue Herons flying by before dawn and a couple of Cormorants as I left.  No Great Egrets, no Spotted Sandpipers or Killdeer.  Even though I didn't hear any Painted Buntings, I spotted one on the shore up river, drinking from the perfectly calm water with golden early morning light on him and a really good reflection.  I'm hopeful some of those shots will turn out.  On my way back to the dock, I did encounter a large number of Purple Martins hanging out on the dead stickups.  I had seen this a couple of years before.  I don't know if some of them roost there or not.  We have a very large colony of them that come in to roost a couple of miles from my home in the trees in a mall parking lot.  I need to get over there to catch them coming in at sunset before they are gone.  I was off the water and packed up by 9 am to make sure I got home in time to get ready for my next treatment.

I got to the clinic a little early because there is a questionnaire that you need to fill out each week about side effects and any questions you may have for the radiation oncologist during the post-treatment meeting.  The radiation session went as usual and I got to see the Doctor right away.  He was very please with my last 5 treatments and I got another Green Check Mark.  Woohoo!  I asked him about how soon the side effects of the radiation and particularly, the Lupron injection, would subside.  The radiation takes about a day of recuperation for every day of treatment.  I've had 45 treatments, with weekend off during the 9 weeks, so I already have about 20 recuperation days racked up.  This means that in 2 weeks to 2 months the problems that the radiation caused should be gone.  I got the Lupron shot in late April and it shuts off the testosterone for 6 months, so in late October or early November, my body should start producing it again.  He said some guys get back to close to normal in a couple of months, others take longer.  There are medications and other procedures for any of what I call the 3 "I"s, incontinence, impotence and the need for Immodium.  I'm hopeful the new normal will be close to the way I was before all of this.  And the Doctor did like the picture of the day and I reminded him he had been short-changed, the staff will get 45 of them and he only sees 9 of them, one for each Doctor Day.  More on that next week when I surprise the staff on the last day.

The picture for the day is of a Black-chinned Hummingbird at the South Mueller Greenway near the old Austin airport, in the neighborhood that I lived in for 23 years.  I took this picture on Tuesday after my appointment, since it is only 5 minutes away from the clinic.  I spend 20 minutes or so there after some of my appointments in the hopes of getting shots like this one.

Hump Day Happenings and a Tuesday Evening Blessing

Even during these unusual times, it is still possible to carefully gather with friends and support our local businesses which are hanging on by a thread.  For more than 25 years, a group of men from my church has been meeting for dinner every other Tuesday.  The venue has changed a few times, but the format remains the same. We start with a prayer, end with a prayer and whatever happens in between stays there.  Most of the time, it's a lot of tall tales and laughs.  Occasionally, one of us needs some straightening out or has something so heavy on their heart that only a band of Christian brothers can help sort through it.  We probably have about 12 regulars, with maybe 6 to 8 showing up at any given dinner.  Some of the original members of this club have gone to Heaven and others have come along over the years to take their place.  I have become the de facto social secretary and send out a reminder email prior to each event.  Four of us were able to make it last night and it was so good to see each other and hear about how things are going for each other and our families.  

I was actually blessed by one of the side effects of the radiation.  About halfway through dinner, I excused myself, put on my mask and headed to the back of the restaurant for the bathroom.  Lo and behold, there was Lupe, the owner and a dear friend.  Over the years, he has gone on mission trips with me and the Redeemer  gang to Mexico to help build churches in Saltillo and Matehuala and has even been to Africa with me to serve people in the slums of Nairobi.  He's not a member of our church, but is one of our best members anyway!  Just the sight of each other caused us to forget all about the virus and we immediately shared a hearty hug!  It was well worth any risk and I'm not worried, we were both masked.  After pounding each other's backs, we parted from our embrace and shared a hearty laugh.  Thank you, Jesus!  I'll be so glad when we can have contact with each other again and not have to even think about it.  God designed us for relationship with Him and each other.  Our current situation is completely abnormal.

Things went well today, I arrived about 20 minutes before my appointment, only waited about 5 minutes to get into the treatment area and was out the door before my appointed time.  Woohoo!

Today's picture is from Berry Springs Park in Georgetown on July 11th.  It's a Black-chinned Hummingbird drinking from a Pride of Barbados plant in the butterfly garden.

   

Tuesday and things are winding down a day at a time...

I was out at dawn at Hornsby Bend, a waste treatment plant on the other side of Austin from me.  With the lighter than usual traffic ever since the virus hit, I got there in a little under half an hour.  I was just scouting out how it is for future reference.  The smell wasn't too bad, but I just cruised the gravel roads between the treatment ponds and got out occasionally to listen and look for birds.  Shore birds were pretty absent, I saw some Barn Swallows and heard a fair number of Painted Buntings in the trees along the shorelines, but never did see one.  This area was closed to the public until June 15th and I know there were a number of species of shore birds reported at that time.  I guess I'll be waiting until the fall migration and watching my area birding sites for when the action picks up again.

After spending about an hour there, I drove up to my old neighborhood and checked out the butterfly garden at the South Mueller Greenway.  My goal was a few Hummingbird shots and I was rewarded with several good ones.  It's been an overcast morning, not good for hyper-sonic speed subjects, but the sun poked through a few times.  After half an hour, I packed up and headed home to get some work done before getting ready for my daily radiation.

My appointment went well and was pretty close to my scheduled time, as I thought it would be with the new gentleman now in front of me with some unique needs being wheeled in for treatment as I arrived.  I did learn something from one of the therapists.  While it is true that the prostate is in a different position each day, requiring precise aiming of the equipment, it really doesn't move around much on its own.  It is more of a function of how full or empty the rectum and bladder are on a given day.  A very full bladder might push the prostate in one direction where an emptier one might allow movement in another one.  This is the reason patients are instructed to empty their rectum one hour before each session and to begin loading up on water.  It protects the surrounding tissue and holds the prostate in the best position for the radiation.

The picture for the day is of an immature Summer Tanager.  When this guy grows up, he will be a bright shade of red that puts even male Cardinals to shame!

Week 9 - My last full week of treatments begins!

Hard to believe I've gotten to this point so quickly.  At least it seems that way now.  Just doing what needs to be done day by day adds up, a good lesson for life in general.  It was good to have the weekend off to let my body recuperate a bit.  So far, I am not taking a lot of meds for side effects.  Just Flomax twice a day, Calcium and Vitamin D supplements and most nights I am taking some Melatonin and Tylenol to make sure I sleep well.  Ever since I entered the second phase of the radiation, they have been avoiding my "plumbing" and are aiming at different areas of the prostate, so the most uncomfortable side effects should remain about the same until I am finished, then they should subside quite a bit after another 2 weeks and I should find out what the "new normal" is like in about 2 months, about the end of September.

I got to my appointment a little early as usual and a new patient on his first day was ahead of me.  He was in a wheelchair, wasn't very communicative and couldn't stand up on his own, so the therapists got their exercise dealing with getting him hoisted onto the radiation table and accustomed to what each treatment would be like.  They handled it with good cheer, the staff is truly among the best I have ever seen in any medical practice and I am thankful that they take great care of me.  I was in and out fairly quickly and was able to go get some pictures of Hummingbirds at a nearby butterfly garden, get my second haircut since the COVID hit and then treated myself to a burger.  A good day was made complete by a 20 minute nap in my Lazy Boy when I got home.  Thank you, Jesus!

The picture for the day is of a Great Egret in flight over Taylor, TX.  They look so graceful once they are airborne, but they also look very clumsy, an eggbeater comes to mind, as they attempt to lift off from a tree or the shoreline, at least for the first 2 flaps of the wings or so.

Week 8 draws to a close

I now get the weekend for my body to recover some.  While I don't feel anything at all during each treatment, I am well aware that there is damage being done by the radiation, even though it is precisely targeted and the goal is to blast the cancer out of existence.  The combination of the hormone therapy and the radiation is nothing short of amazing.  My understanding is that this type of cancer feeds on testosterone, so by lowering the testosterone to essentially zero for 6 months via a Lupron injection deprives the cancer of the nourishment it needs to live and multiply.  The radiation has the effect on the cancer cells of making them lose the ability to reproduce, while sparing the healthy cells from this fate.  This one-two punch is much more effective than either strategy alone and statistically is very close in end results compared with surgery to remove the prostate altogether.  

I now have only 8 treatments to go, so I am truly in the home stretch now and my minor side effects have not gotten any worse after the 6th week, which is what the radiation oncologist told me to expect.  Thank you, Jesus!

Today's picture is of our cute triplet of Screech Owlets from earlier this spring when they were not very old at all.

Doctor Day! Should be my next to last regular one of these...

If it's Thursday, it must be Doctor Day, when I check in weekly with any of my questions or concerns and when the Doctor assesses my progress and imparts any information I may need to know at each stage of the game.  I was pleased to hear that my level of side effects is right where it should be at this stage.  This includes fatigue from the hormone therapy and changes in bathroom habits which should subside quite a bit 2 weeks after radiation ends and should be completely gone about 2 months after the end of treatment.  I was given a brochure titled "Follow Up After Radiation" which discusses what I can expect in terms of blood tests and frequency of doctor's visits for the next 2 years or so.  Basically, my PSA will be checked several times during the first year or so to establish a new baseline and to look for any spikes that may need to be addressed.  This brochure also addresses the lessening of side effects over time and healthy diet and exercise ideas.  As far as diet goes, it's just the standard heart healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, lean meat, fish, etc.  Also, antioxidant supplements like a daily multivitamin are recommended although these have been stopped during the treatment to make it more effective.  I will also need to keep my Calcium and Vitamin D levels up to promote bone health and recovery from the radiation.   More to follow as my treatment winds down.

Today's picture is one that I entitled "Great yoga pose bro!"  It is a Cattle Egret commenting on the position that this Great Egret in its mating plumage managed to find itself in at Murphy Park in Taylor, TX earlier this spring.  Note the beautiful green around the eyes that the Great Egrets have during their mating season.

35 down, 10 to go!

Just like yesterday, the clinic was running a little ahead of schedule.  I got back to the waiting area at 11:15, 15 minutes ahead of my treatment as is requested and I waited for less than 5 minutes.  I was walking out at 11:29, one minute before my appointment.  Cool!  Everything is still going according to plan and I'm still doing well.

I was able to get out to Taylor, TX this morning to do some bird photography at the rookery in Murphy Park.  Here's is a cell phone of the way it looked shortly after dawn.

There were a few less birds than in previous weeks, perhaps many of the adults were already out gathering food for their young.  I drove back to Austin and got to see my Pastor, who was doing a drive-thru meet and greet for the congregation from 8 to 4:30.  He had a fan blowing on him in his lawn chair when I pulled up.  We talked for a while about everyday life and church business and he was ready to say a prayer over me when a delivery guy showed up with Tiff's Treats.  He had a box of freshly baked cookies, so I got a chocolate chip cookie along with my prayer.  It's been a good day!

Here is the picture for the day, a Painted Bunting from a couple of weeks ago.  They will be here for another 2 or 3 weeks, so I'm looking for them every day.  You can never have enough of these little guys!

Tuesday and starting to tackle my last dozen sessions

Duty called this morning and I had to get out for an early morning computer repair.  No bird photography for me.  The new appointment time of 11:30 makes it hard to do anything very ambitious in the mornings right now.  Yesterday hit 108 degrees in some parts of town (real temperature!).  In nearby Lampassas is was 111.  Wow.  Today will be slightly cooler, predicted to be ONLY 107.  

I got to the clinic 20 minutes early and they got me right in.  I was actually walking out of there at 11:27, three full minutes before my appointment.  I told the staff it was not the worst part of my day.  I am sending in my Federal Income Tax this afternoon.  We all had a good laugh when I told them before my session I had an even dozen treatments to go  and that I was looking forward to missing them!  I drove over to the Mueller Greenway butterfly garden and got a few hummingbird and lizard pictures before heading home for a late, by my standards, lunch.  

The picture for today is of a Cooper's Hawk at Mills Pond earlier this spring.

Week 8 begins - a good Monday for a change

After 2 Mondays in a row that were disasters, I'm glad my new appointment time of 11:30 worked out well.  I was at Berry Springs Park in Georgetown this morning at dawn and got to see Painted Buntings, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and several Hummingbirds for highlights, as well as a Downy Woodpecker.  I got some good shots of each of them before they flew far, far away!  I had to time when to come home and left at 8:30 just to play it safe so I could get a few things done before getting prepared to go into my appointment.  I hiked for about an hour and a half and drank a 20 ounce bottle of water, which is not nearly enough, given that it was almost 80 degrees at dawn.  I'd like to do about a quart an hour to stay good and hydrated for my radiation treatment.  I did pound down a lot of water on the drive home and once I got there.  This new time will take a little getting used to.  I'm hoping to still be able to do a couple of hours in my boat early one morning this week, I'll just have to stay focused on the time.  

After today, I have 12 more treatments to go.  Things are still going well, none of the possible side effects of the radiation or the hormone therapy like hot flashes, weight gain, incontinence or diarrhea have manifested themselves in any big way.  I've been very blessed so far in each of these respects.

"OH NO!!! My wife gave me a Covid haircut!"  Today's picture is of a male Cardinal I took last week at Commons Ford Ranch near Lake Austin.  This Cardinal is molting, the changing out of all of his old feathers for new ones.  Some bird species do this more than once a year.  It happens in an orderly fashion, obviously all of the flight feathers couldn't fall out at the same time or a bird would be helpless.  I have seen other Cardinals and Blue Jays that were completely bald, it looked like they had a turtleneck sweater on!

Week 7 comes to a close

Hard to believe, but I finished my seventh week of treatment today.  They have not all been full 5 day weeks though.  With the Internet outage Monday, Memorial Day and the 4th of July thrown in, I won't actually finish up until Wednesday, July 29th if everything stays on track until then.  I need a total of 45 treatments no matter what comes up.  I was informed that my time for treatment has been shifted, with my consent, to 11:30 am next week and then 11:40 after that.  I picked early afternoon to begin with to allow me to get a good nature hike or a cruise in my boat in at dawn each day for my mandated exercise.  I'll still be able to do that, but I'll need to be more mindful of the time and of staying fully hydrated, especially during the hikes as the weather becomes hotter.  We are expecting a string of 100 degree plus days for the next 10 days or more, with this Sunday being forecast at 107 degrees actual temperature by some models.  Wow!  I'm looking forward to the weekend to let my body recover a bit as I head into week number 8.

The picture for the day is from shortly after sunrise at Mills Pond in my Wells Branch neighborhood of Austin.

Thursday, let the last third of the sessions begin!

It's been an interesting week.  As I enter the home stretch of my treatment plan, I am still being blessed by other men reaching out to me to give me encouragement.  In turn, I've been working with several friends who are in the deciding what to do stage now that they've found out something MUST be done.  One has been in the active monitoring phase for a while and his PSA has spiked, while another is a good candidate for either the same treatment I am getting or surgery and is researching both thoroughly.  Each course of treatment has its pluses and minuses.  I've put him in touch with others that have taken one option or another and they have graciously shared the good, the bad and the ugly willingly.  I've also prayed over each of them and they for me.  It's very moving.

Today was my 31st session and it was also Doctor Day.  The radiation oncologist told me I'm doing well and am in the home stretch, a good thing to hear.  I showed him the picture of the day and told him he was getting shortchanged.  He will only get 9 pictures, one a week, while all the others in his practice are receiving 45 of them, one for each treatment.  He asked me to look at his phone to identify a bird picture that a friend of his had sent via email.  As soon as I saw it, I laughed, it was a Secretary Bird.  I've seen them in Kenya, they look like they have quill pens sticking out of their heads.  They are usually on the ground, but I have gotten pictures of them flying up into trees to perch.  They are usually found around herd animals.  What are the odds that he would show me an African bird and I would know instantly what it is?  Here's one of my images of one from the Masai Mara National Game Park in Kenya in 2018.

The picture for the day is of a female Mallard with interesting swirls surrounding her from one of my local ponds.  View it full screen if you can, I titled it Mallard Swirls in a recent photo competition.

Hump day treatment, 30 down, 15 to go

I scanned the parking lot carefully when I got to the clinic today and there were a lot of cars there.  Oh no!  It was a false alarm, things were running smoothly in the clinic, I was seen about 10 minutes late, but all was well.  I am now two thirds of the way through with my sessions and am thankful for how well things have gone so far. 

The picture for the day is a Painted Bunting singing up a storm at Commons Ford Ranch in Austin.

Got Week 7 started a day late but everything was smooth today

It turns out that the fiasco yesterday was caused by a construction crew cutting through a Spectrum fiber optic cable in the neighborhood where the radiation clinic is located.  The technicians that work for the radiation practice had been told that all of the computers and servers that were needed to do treatment were all contained in that one building.  And they were supposed to be.  This incident pointed out to them that there needs to be a fix made so that this doesn't happen again.  Some of the guys that stayed until the bitter end told me today they never did get treated, so I'm glad I left when I did.

I got some good news from the radiation therapists today, I am starting the second phase of my treatment.  The first phase included radiation to the seminal vesicles and to the prostate, from now on the target will only be the prostate.  They also said my 4 days off was a good thing for me, my body got a little extra time to heal at the cellular level.  No complaining from me, that's for sure!  Thank you, Jesus!

I told the girls at the reception desk that they were not getting a new picture until I got my next treatment, so they looked at the same one I showed them yesterday and remarked that they had heard and seen these little guys in their back yards.  This is a Carolina Wren, probably the loudest bird per ounce of anything else in nature.  Their tail is usually cocked up like a spoiler on a race car, which makes them look like they have a real attitude.  And they do!

Starting Week 7 today - some thoughts

I had a special blessing over the weekend.  As a result of this blog and of being public about my treatment at my church, I had the opportunity to encourage two other men that may be following in my footsteps.  I was able to answer a lot of questions about the procedures and steps that I have come through so far and was able to talk a bit about the reasons the course of treatment I am receiving was chosen as opposed to other options like surgery, chemo or hormone or radiation therapy alone rather than in combination like I am getting.  Over the years, I have learned that it is always easy to say "I'll pray for you" and then I can feel good about myself whether I follow through or not.  It's a much better thing to say, even on a phone or Zoom call, "Can I pray for you right now?" and then do it immediately.  In every case, it has been a profound experience and my close friends always tell me they covet being prayed over personally, as do I. 

I wasn't always like this.  I grew up Lutheran and my idea of public prayer was saying the Lord's Prayer with the rest of the congregation at the appointed time in the church service while I was thinking about what I was going to have for lunch.  I was the Prodigal Son for 25 years and not long after I came back to the church when I was 45 years old, I was asked to do the Scripture readings during one of our Sunday services.  I was comfortably sitting behind the altar with my Bible when our Pastor, upon finishing weekly announcements, declared "And now Dave will open our worship with prayer!"  Talk about sheer terror!  I approached the microphone and the most beautiful prayer came out, supplied of course by the Holy Spirit.  That was one of my first lessons in the fact that when we are doing the Lord's will, He supplies everything we need.  You can't fail, no matter how badly you mess up, because it's being used for His purposes anyway.  That's a very liberating thought.  Since then, on each of my 19 mission trips to Kenya, I have had that lesson reinforced over and over again.  On one trip in particular, to a rural community called Kiambu where we were serving because of security concerns in Nairobi after the Westgate Mall attack, I REALLY learned to pray.  One day, I had to split the prayer duties with one of my Pastors.  We saw 439 people that day and I know I prayed over more than 200 of them, one on one for needs ranging from abusive spouses to alcoholism to children with university degrees that were jobless.  It was pretty humbling.  It also taught me that it wasn't me doing it, all of the right words at the right time came from above.  What an amazing thing to have happen to you! It is probably the closest I will come to having an out of body experience, I felt as though I was watching someone else laying hands on all of these people who were hurting or in some cases just wanted a prayer said over them to praise God for all of His daily mercies.  So what's the lesson in all of this after rambling on?  I would say be quick to listen, you will hear the joys and the pains of others if you only do that one simple thing.  If you listen, people will think you are a great conversationalist!  Next, be quick to pray and offer to do it gently, getting the person's permission.  I can't tell you how many times people have said "Not just now" only to return to me at a later date when they were ready or their circumstances had changed and they remembered my offer.  And even if you're turned down, you can pray for them anyway after you've parted company.  It's all good.  Thank you Jesus for giving me some insight into the power of prayer!  And to those of you that have read this, I hope my words have found open hearts.

My appointment today was supposed to mark the beginning of my 7th week and was to be my 29th treatment.  I drank a 20 ounce bottle of water on my way to the radiation center, I wanted to be sure I was fully hydrated.  When I got there, nearly every parking space was full. Uh oh!  I knew what that means.  They're backed up.  There was a problem last Monday when they had some technical difficulties with the radiation machine itself.  Everything has got to be right on the money with the radiation machines and with the computer network, off site servers and the Internet connection.  If any key sub-system is having issues, they won't perform treatments and I am thankful for that.  I waited for over an hour past my scheduled appointment.  As time went on, I had to partially empty my bladder a couple of times, something that takes a lot of practice and which requires exercises to strengthen certain muscles.  When you need to do this, you are glad you took their advice and did the exercises!  You must have a full bladder during the actual treatment to protect surrounding tissue, organs and the bladder itself from the radiation.  This would have been funny if I wasn't so uncomfortable.  Looking around the room, I could tell even with masks on that the other guys were in distress: crossing their legs, dancing around, taking turns with the bathroom, etc.  An hour can be an eternity under the right conditions!  Eventually, they gave each of us the option of going home, which I did because even though the radiation machine itself was in working order, the supporting computerized equipment was not communicating with the server.  Being a computer guy myself, I know you can't predict how long these things will take.  An extra day will be added on to the end of my original treatment schedule, meaning if all goes well, I'll finish up on Wednesday July 22nd.  On the bright side, I got yet another lesson in self control!

No picture of the day today since I didn't get my treatment.  I'm going to make an album of the 45 pictures, one for each treatment, and give everybody at the center a link to it as a thank you when I've completed everything to remind them of that Dave guy that just made every day into a party!  And I will publish the link here as well so you can see the images all in one place.

6 Weeks down, 3 plus change to go!

Today was my 6th Doctor Day.  This week is shortened due to the July 4th holiday, and I started the Tuesday after Memorial day, so I've now had 28 sessions with 17 to go.  I can honestly say that so far my side effects have not been unmanageable or particularly painful.

I re-read the literature I was given at the beginning of my treatment plan and it says that weeks 7, 8 and 9 should not be much different than week 6 in terms of any incontinence, problems with being able to urinate or defecate or pain in any of those vital areas that are involved.  I've been blessed compared to some of the other patients that I talk to that have had a week or two less under their belts (ha ha!) than I have.  I'm the veteran in the group and now a new guy just started this week that's right after me, so I've been telling him what he might expect.  It's kind of a brotherhood the guys I meet have.

The doctor was happy with all of my appointments this week, I've been concentrating on being well hydrated after slipping up one day last week.  Another Green Check Mark for Dave!

I am fatigued from the hormone therapy, but managed an hour hike around Mills Pond early this morning.  I am a little concerned that I won't have any natural setting to photograph this weekend since Austin and the surrounding cities are closing the parks to discourage large gatherings during the 3 day weekend.  I'm hoping solitary pursuits like hiking, jogging or biking will be allowed, it's a little unclear at this point whether that will be the case or not.

The picture for the day is from a sunrise over Lake Travis last week, the same day as the fish picture I posted was taken.

Wednesday is done, only one more day this week!

I got to the clinic about 20 minutes early and just like yesterday, I was in and out in no time.  I have my regular Thursday Doctor Day tomorrow to figure out how things are going and then I get a 3 day weekend to recover.  I'm looking forward to that because the treatments do begin to add up after a while.  So far, I've lost a couple of pounds, which is good, because the Lupron can cause many to have a rapid weight gain.  So, I've continued to be diligent about staying active as much as possible and monitoring my weight every morning.  Everyone at the clinic was in a good mood, I think they were just glad they had not had a repeat of Monday.

The picture of the day is not a bird for a change.  It's a butterfly called an American Lady.