Consultations during a good winter break

I was in the SF Bay Area for a 3-week visit over the holidays -- unfortunately, we couldn't visit everyone we would've liked, but it was great to visit again with family, some old friends, former co-workers, & my former housemates. The day after Xmas, I also was able to see that plastic surgeon in Hayward, right after visiting my younger sister Karen & her family in Tracy. I was w/Pete & Kailee in the small exam room & Kailee was a bit restless. The surgeon was really nice & patient w/trying to distract Kailee, while trying to talk with me. She asked how I decided on this type of reconstruction, a DIEP "free flap" surgery, so I replied that I didn't want a foreign substance in my body which might cause complications from implants, which would require a replacement after about 10 yrs. I wanted a procedure which would spare my ab muscles so I could stay active, avoid a hernia, hopefully have a 2nd child, etc. Basically, she told me it would be up to me to endure the long operation (about 6-8hrs), the long recovery (about 2 mos. to resume normal activity), and other possible complications from the surgery itself, including not having the proper blood vessels to do this type of microsurgery, or not being able to have the ab tissue be properly connected & lose it completely. Her other concern was about my tendecy to keloid, that I'd have a thick, "ropey" scar across my ab & maybe at the reconstruction site, & which may itch too. I thanked her & said I wasn't in a hurry to do this, especially since I'd have to time it during a summer or winter break, but wanted to explore all my options & this was the most complicated/advanced type of reconstruction available right now through Kaiser. More food for thought...it would be great not to feel "unbalanced" & having to deal w/a prosthesis everyday.

The next day, I saw my acupuncturist/herbalist who specializes in oncology cases who works out of the Pine Street Clinic in San Anselmo in Marin County. He recommended a "post-chemo prevention protocol" which includes a Chinese herbal formula of raw herbs to boil & drink every day, modified citrus pectin, IP-6, colostrum/transfer factor, a multi-vitamin/anti-oxidant blend w/out copper called "Life Extension Mix", COQ10, alpha lipoic acid, cordyceps, fish oil, calcium D glucarate, & melatonin. That's certainly a lot of things to take & can get very costly too -- can I afford to stay healthy? It's like insurance, right? You pay for it in the hopes that it'll pay off when needed. Or it's an investment in yourself to eat right & put in extra nutrients to prevent a recurrence. I need to find some good prices over the internet right now!

More recent cancer stories -- a friend's uncle here in Hilo recently passed away less than a week ago at 74 yrs old, after a 2 1/2 yr battle with pancreatic cancer; then Pete's friend's mom in her 80's in California is trying to recover from major complications from radiation treatment for breast cancer (her 2nd diagnosis after 15 yrs of being cancer-free). It seems like no one is untouched by cancer.

On an Oprah Winfrey show, she gave every audience member $1,000 to give away to a stranger & they had a week to do it & document it. Many of them were able to leverage that money for a charitable objective & get much more for their initial donations for individuals or for an agency. One woman was on a business trip to Hawaii & decided to buy interisland airfare coupons for families affected by cancer & had to travel to Oahu to tend to loved ones receiving treatment there. GO! Airlines decided to give 40 roundtrips for her efforts. A little girl named Ruth gave thanks for those airfares for her family to visit her -- I think this was the same little girl from the Big Island whose mom keeps a blog on her cancer experience on caringbridge.org, which I have visited a few times. I'd like to do fundraising for breast cancer issues & childhood cancer support -- my next marathon will be dedicated to that. I'm warming up to a marathon by running a 10.8 mile run in mid-March, which is part of the Big Island Marathon. I need a greater goal to keep me focused, inspired & disciplined!