Airport parking

Friday afternoon I had to pick up my Aunt Sherry at the airport. I arrived early and went through the hourly parking line to get my parking ticket. I grabbed the ticket from the ticket dispenser, and placed it in the dashboard gauges area as I always do every time I get a ticket for a parking garage. This works great in my car, but not so much in Dennis' truck. As soon as I released the ticket I watched it disappear. CRAP! (not my exact words) I tried to pull the plastic dashboard out enough to get my fingers in there and feel around for the ticket. No luck! I couldn't feel the ticket, and was afraid to pull too much on the dash in fear of breaking it! Now what? I explained to one of the guards at the door what happened and asked what my options were. He was a very nice gentleman, and after showing me the flight board to check on the planes arrival time, and pointing out the area where my aunt would be arriving from, he suggested I check at the information desk. The ladies at the information desk put me in touch with the parking department, and I explained what happened. Since I didn't have my ticket I was informed I would be charged a lost ticket fee of $17. The normal parking charge is a dollar an hour, and I was wasn't even going to be there an hour. I was not a happy camper. I had about 5 minutes before the flight arrived, so I went back out to the truck to try again. I felt up under the steering wheel area, but there was no way I would be able to reach up very far. I pulled again on the plastic dashboard and was able to get a few fingers in there and feel around, the whole time hoping the dash wasn't going to break, or squish my fingers if I lost my grip. I finally felt the ticket, pulled the dash out a little more to get a grip on it, and pulled it out. Whew, what a relief! My fingers were a bit sore, and I did have an indent mark for about a half hour from pulling on the dash, but hey, parking only cost a dollar!!!

I'm still employed!

Yesterday truly sucked at work. It was awful hearing throughout the day who they let go. Unfortunately, it seems they are releasing long time employees and that doesn't sit well with me since I've been there for twenty years. I know of at least sixteen they let go. Two were from my department. I also heard of three people who put in their notice. Since I wasn't very busy yesterday I took the time to go through my work area and box up all my stuff. There wasn't much, everything fit in a 11 x 17 box. When my time comes it will be a fast exit!

Layoffs...

Here we go again!!

It's been 7 months or so since the last round of layoffs. Layoffs started yesterday, with more coming today. I heard about forty people will lose their job.

Work's going to SUCK today!!!

Hummingbirds

Last week I enjoyed watching the hummingbirds in our yard, and was lucky enough to get a few pictures. I stood very close to the feeder and use the zoom just to get these shots. Wow! For such a small bird those wings sure do make a lot of noise. I could always hear the birds before I could see them!

Ahhh... the feeder all to myself.

Hey! Where did you come from?

While taking pictures I happened to catch one of the birds doing acrobatics. As a second bird flew over to the feeder the first one fell backwards, was hanging upside down, and then turned his head to check out the other bird. It all happened in a split second, and I'm truly amazed I even got the shot!

Lab Reports

Dennis' labs were normal, and he will continue to take Votrient at full dose. After the awful side effects he had last weekend there was talk of possibly lowering his dosage. This was the first major episode of side effects since being on the medication. Dennis didn't feel too well on Saturday and skipped his meds Saturday night. He wasn't any better on Sunday, but did take his medication. Monday morning he couldn't eat, and couldn't keep water down. It was awful to see him so sick and not be able to help. He forced down water to stay hydrated, and by the end of the day was able to eat a little, very little. Dennis was able to eat more on Tuesday, and by Wednesday he was back to feeling "normal". The new "normal", you know, post cancer diagnosis normal. If Dennis has another episode like that, he's to call the nurse immediately.


Another area of concern is his eating. When he's on the meds food doesn't taste good and he doesn't eat enough. He also has a "full" feeling even when he's not full. He had the same issue with Nexevar. Dennis needs to pack on a few pounds. Well, more than a few. At this last checkup his weight was 148. Being sick right before his doctor visit didn't help, as I'm sure he lost 5 pounds over those few days! The nurse suggested making milkshakes using ensure or boost as the liquid. As long as it's chocolate, it shouldn't be a problem. Chocolate is his favorite food group!!!

Dennis' next CT scan, oncologist visit, and Zometa infusion will be in 6 weeks, on July 7th. We're certainly hoping and praying to hear more good news about shrinking spots!!!

As you enjoy this holiday weekend, please take the time to reflect on its true meaning. Memorial weekend is not about sales, a day off of work, or the start of summer. It's about those that made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Abstracts...

Sometimes I wonder about abstracts, or maybe I just don't understand them. A few days ago I read an abstract, Early experience with targeted therapy and dendritic cell vaccine in metastatic renal cell carcinoma after nephrectomy. Maybe it's just me, but I found the whole study questionable. For starters, the study only involved 2 male patients with metastatic RCC, and there was no mention as to where their metastatic disease was. How can only 2 people in a study be conclusive?


From the abstract: 
Sunitinib (50 mg per day) was given for 4 weeks, followed by radical nephrectomy after two weeks. DC vaccine was initiated immediately after surgery and repeated monthly. Sunitinib was restarted daily after 2 to 3 weeks of surgery with a 7-day interval every 4 weeks. 


Results: Follow-up in these patients at 9 and 10 months demonstrated a stable disease in both, as shown by imaging and clinical findings, with no further treatment required. 


Conclusion: The immune response obtained with DC vaccine combined with the antiangiogenic effect of sunitinib and the potential benefits of cytoreductive nephrectomy in advanced disease could represent a new option in the treatment of metastatic RCC. Further prospective trials are needed not only to elucidate the ideal dosing and schedule, but also to better define the proof-of-concept proposed in this report and its role in clinical practice.


The abstract never mentions the length of the study. How long were they on Sunitinib after the radical nephrectomy? It only mentions they had a 7 day break every 4 weeks. The DC vaccine was given monthly. For how many months? The follow-up was at 9 and 10 months. They both were stable, with no further treatment required. And...  Sorry, but this abstract is lacking information.


I love the last line in the conclusion. Further prospective trials are needed not only to elucidate the ideal dosing and schedule, but also to better define the proof-of-concept proposed in this report and its role in clinical practice. 


Obviously!!


Update: I found the original abstract, and it did answer a few of my questions. Here's the link to the original.

Dick's Last Resort

While vacationing in Myrtle Beach this year we ate at Dick's Last Resort. This restaurant was sooo much fun. It's a dining experience like no other, and a must do if you ever get the chance. Check out Dick's Last Resort to find a location near you.

For those of you who can't read the hats - mine says I'm not wearing any panties, and Dennis' says I'm wearing her thong with an arrow pointing to me. Too funny!!!