The Process of Prostate Cancer Treatment PART CXX

 PART CXX 

 We motored on into Ottawa for what's become an annual trek to Joe's urologist. Happily, his quarterly injections have been here in town. His PSA tests will be once a year, as well. 

We had to leave at 7:45, which for a couple of retired old farts results in a bad sleep the morning of. 

Imagine my surprise when we had to divert due to construction and a closed road. Not so bad in rural Ontario! Gillian GPS wanted me to cross back over the river and I refused, knowing where I was. Not only that, but once around that construction, I realized I'd programmed the Civic not the General Ottawa Hospital. Oh my. We're not failing!

The wind blew. The clouds were delightful as I sat there in the park. 

This dude decided he'd do business on speaker phone. I was trying to read. I put the key in the ignition and turned up the radio, hoping he'd get a hint. I couldn't concentrate!

There were lots of dog walkers! 

By 10:45 the road was packed. Parking is expensive at the hospital, and they were beginning to get people to move their cars from the roadside parking. They left me alone in the park parking lot. 

I made a huge mistake driving home, the road I usually took south was closed with construction. We ended up driving across the city on Baseline Rd. It was truly ridiculous. It was nice seeing the canal, though! There were several car incidents with police and flashing lights. I'm glad I wasn't one of them.

Anyway, home by 12:30, and we tried to unwind. 

Original Sin

I sat at the park and tried to read Jake Tapper's new book on former President Biden. What a tale. Many have dissed it. I was amused by those complaining about him flogging it on every CNN show! 

Joe read it first, and then told me about it. I thought I'd give it a go. 

Biden's family tragedies seemed to be the beginning of his decline. The premise is, that the president was unfit to run in the first place, but the party faithful and his family blinded them to the fact that the man was in decline. His cognitive issues were covered up by all. There was a powerful group who controlled his actions, wrote his speeches, and kept his public visibility hidden. 

People misjudged whether to convince an 80-year-old to cede power, and put the country before the president himself. The authors write of the Biden White House administration believing that he was the one to defeat Trump. Until the debate.

 But he's not the only politician. There are other people in power whose cognitive decline was covered up, or the individuals, like President Biden, don't know what they don't know. We have all heard of people who are trying to convince adult parents to stop driving. What irks me is that Kamala Harris had no chance. As with many presidents, they fail to mentor or give their vice-presidents a chance to shine. 

Back to reality today. We've 21,000 people evacuated by horrific forest fires. Things in California are on fire, as well. It is truly shocking. 

Speaking of battles, I may have won with miniFreds 1 & 2. I'll have to do the lawn today. I hope it doesn't terrorize them! 

PART CX: Treating prostate cancer

 Miracle of miracles. Thanks to COVID, having an appointment with our Ottawa urologist is much easier these days. COVID seemed to make a difference to these issues. This, from Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP):

Effective December 1, 2022, the Schedule of Benefits (the Schedule) has been amended to reflect the new virtual care funding framework, as set out in the PSA and communicated in INFOBulletin 221002.

At the beginning, our Ottawa urologist switched over to treatments (the Lupron injection) three times a year in Perth, and once a year in Ottawa. Then, things changed. No more phone consults as OHIP's remuneration went from $37 to ↓$15 payments per phone 'visit'). Something changed again. 

 There is a new schedule of fees: Virtual Care 1: Comprehensive and Limited Virtual Care Services. 

They offered us the annual check in on Zoom. What's not to love? Our Perth GP has been great having their office monitor the PSA, and the upcoming bone density scan. He is the quarterback.

Virtual Visit

The trick is that they ask you to sign in 30 minutes prior to the meeting. On we went at 3:15.  Joseph Brian had to use my computer, as we had issues with his iPad. He played cards while I watched a TV Christmas movie!

This is so much simpler, rather than a 90-minute drive into Ottawa, not to mention having to work in meals. Dr. C. connected by 4:13, which isn't too bad! Then we found we were muted, and the camera was off. Familiar tale! All fixed, there he was!

During the Zoom call, he asked about JB's symptoms, but there are no changes in symptoms, which is good.  

Last year's bone density test (Dec. 2022) shows low bone mass fracture risk is low, though. Dr. C asked if he is still taking calcium and Vit. D supplements, as well as Alendronate once a week. It won't improve his bone density, but it does slow the deterioration. It is a drug meant for osteoporosis.

Will have a follow-up, another Zoom in 6 months. 

The cancer is well-controlled, at this point. Has to see Dr. C once every two years, according to OHIP rules.

Joseph Brian walks daily for about an hour, most days. It is an excellent workout.

walking from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Things 'r hoppin' 🐇

Things are hopping here. 

bunny & deer from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Everything's hopping, except for JB who has to be lying down on the job, at some point (see below!). We anticipated rain, but we continue to be the stone in the river. We had only 0.7 mm. The rain goes all around us! We haven't planned much outdoors! 

😕Proposed Gun Range

We watched the township meeting by Zoom. They voted to defer the decision on rezoning to permit a gun range until all the information was in. Probably a good move, for complex reasons. It is agony for all of us, though. Evelyn Harford has a new article in the Perth Courier.

😷PROCESS OF MANAGING PROSTATE CANCER PART CIV – Last minute Bone Density Scan #7 Wed., Dec. 7th. (Appointment #104 – if you are counting.) 

They are backed up for a year at our local hospital, 15 minutes away, and he was supposed to have one in October. The tests are only valid for 6 months, we've been told. It is a snapshot in time of the bone mineral density.  His bones are deteriorating, with his cancer treatments. They had a cancellation in Smiths Falls, and he was good to go. 

Thing is, the woman who called Monday to book the appointment said it was Tuesday, but the automatic reminder voice phoned and told us it was Wednesday, Dec. 7th. I don't know if I misheard, or she misspoke. Whatever. Fortunately, I'm not fired as a personal assistant. 

I phoned again, left a message, but they didn't phone back. JB went anyway, just in case. They don't work on Tuesdays. Sigh. His appointment is Wednesday. Today. Happily he can go one his own, I don't have to drive him. Unlike driving into the city!

Bone Scan #2 (Fri. Sept. 19, 2014) Here he is in 2014.

🥀 I am working on a planter design for my amaryllis. I've had some pretty flowers in the past, which I've put outdoors in summer. This one was a challenge. I had to tie it to the chair to keep it standing.

I ordered paperwhites, as well. In 2018, I put paperwhites in the rabbit. I've been looking for said rabbit planter, but I vaguely remember breaking it.  Ain't old age grand?! 

You'll notice they get fairly tall. I read that you can slow down the growth by watering it 1:7 cheap vodka to water. I think not! That, and the fact that you cannot regrow them. I tried. It is a lost cause. 

I might go buy some smooth river stones. I ordered two bulbs. One bulb arrived and it is beginning to put out a bud. I best hurry. Maybe I should just buy some potting soil. 

This is the amaryllis that arrived first. You can see it is ready to go. I filled a punch bowl with rocks, and then some marble eggs. You are supposed to keep it in the dark until the roots are strong enough. We shall see. In the meantime, I'm growing a liquor bottle!

I had choices for the paperwhites. I went with a vase. 

This is amaryllis #2. Don't ask what colours they are. I forget. Either way they will be a bright spot of colour in the cold, dark days. 

🎥 🎥 🎥 🎥 🎥 🎥 🎥 🎥 🎥 🎥 🎥 🎥 🎥 🎥 🎥

We are still watching Agatha Raisin on Amazon Prime. It is a fun, light mystery, with lots of silly jokes and puns. Just what we need. Eventually, we will move on to Three Pines, which has just been released on Prime. 

📘 For bedtime reading, Louise Penny's latest book will be under the tree for me, once we get set up! I am anxious to see how her books translate to video. 

I am still finishing Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone. It is a hefty 800 pages. 

Oregano cat and the magic stick

 I've taken in all your comments about our visitor, 😼Oregano <= I've tracked my sightings of him there. Having two tabbies, Cinnamon and Nutmeg, it is funny seeing him on the trailcams. I agree he is a healthy (intact) cat, and likely has a home. I tried feeding him when he first showed up in January, 2021. I put out cat food, which he quite enjoyed. It began to freeze. (The raccoons were sleeping by then, so I wasn't feeding them.) I put the heated cat house out, but he wasn't interested in it. Then I cleverly put the food in the heated cat house, which prevented it from freezing. 

I think I've only seen him once in the daytime, and found this video on my computer. Most of our 'wild' critters don't come around in the daytime. They know to avoid humans. This is from 7/6/21.

Oregano from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

My frogpond trailcam is doing its best. You get what you pay for!

 

Clover & pumpkin from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Cinnamon begs to go out in the predawn. This is when he is most vocal. He knows 'walkies,' as a cue word. They seem to know 'out,' and 'Muskoka Room' as well. JB is teaching Nutmeg 'treat.'

They both went out for an hour in the -7 C. dark, looking for mice friends. No birds in the dark! They hustled back in, quick and sprightly. It was chilly. We let them out into the Muskoka Room for fresh air. They like watch the leaves blowing in the wind across the snow.

 

cinnamon meows from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

I went for a walk in the forest. This was the strangest thing! This stick was apparently swaying in midair. 

 

magic stick from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

🌬Monday was really windy. It seemed to increase over the afternoon. I was going to go out and pick things up and tie them down, but I thought I'd best wait. The wind wasn't letting up. JB agreed. Baby bear fell over! I retied them to the railing yesterday, putting them up on the bench. Now we can see them through the window at night. I ought to cover the bench. Something bright red would be fun. The snow does pile up on it, then melts. It was a lovely time putting out some new Christmas decorations. 

A package of greens from the grocery store, and made myself a pretty planter. It requires tweaking, but the soil is frozen! This half barrel is on its last legs. The bottom is rotten. It's going to be decommissioned in the spring!

I took Daisy's Christmas tree down to the driveway. This is the one she kept chewing, until she burned her tongue and couldn't eat or drink. That was a lovely adventure figuring it out at the vet.

Managing prostate cancer

📱We had a phone appointment with the surgeon Monday afternoon. All is going as predicted. A Bone Mass Density test will be scheduled in Ottawa. (Our local hospital has a one-year waiting list.) The surgeon is in Ottawa. JB's been having injections here in town with the GP. Sadly, as of Dec. 1st, OHIP won't let doctors bill for phone calls anymore. For a 5 minute conversation, it saves us driving an hour and a half into the city, parking, figuring out how to manage meals, and gas costs. It is discouraging. But we are still smiling! 

Our quarterly appointment

Thursday, May 10th

JB had his regular appointment in the city, at Ottawa General Hospital. It is every 3 months. We woke early. At 6:45 a.m., our power went out. Then it came back, then it went out, again. In between, I posted my blog post. Good thing. I put my makeup on by lantern, and got dressed with it, too! We flushed for the last time, then decided to go into Manotick for breakfast. It was on the way.

8:09 a.m. 

Once we made it out of the garage, JB had wisely opened the door in between power outages. I closed it manually. It was POURING rain! It was gun day at the recertification and training range for the OPP.


On the radio, hooray for Lake 88 and local radio, we heard that 7000 people, along our corridor from Perth to Rideau Ferry, were without power due to a lightning strike.

9:25 a.m. breakfast 

After an hour and 16 minutes, plus 82 km, we were in my old stomping grounds, Manotick. The restaurant was packed, with only one server.  Happily they had wifi, and we had time to kill. We were only 35 minutes from OGH.
 

10:30 a.m.

We had time to waste. Manotick is undergoing much development. I lived here, after my divorce, from 1993 – 1997.



We took a leisurely drive from Manotick to OGH.

Next, we toodled around Nicholls Isl. looking at the houses. This spot is where the Long Isl. Lock Station is located, as well. The history of the building of this station is interesting (1860s).

 

Nicolls Isl. is a lovely spot. The houses are a bit too cheek to jowl for me... This is the dashcam video, sped up a bit!
Nicolls Isl from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

We took you here, Yam, when you visited! (Yam's Visit to Southeastern Ontario) It was a much nicer day, that day. The camp sites aren't open yet. This is part of the Rideau Canal.


This is amazing old house. You wonder the stories. I would imagine it is the lockmaster's house, from back in the day. I did more research and Twitter buddy, Andrew King, November 2017,  did some research. There was a whole village here in the 1860s.


More dipsy doodling, a little further north I hung a left on a short street, and I saw this amazing sculpture!


Then, at the Terry Fox Athletic Centre, it was the National Capital High School Classic track and field competition. It was sopping wet! I loved this big crow, playing in the water in the parking lot!

11:20 a.m. shopping

What the heck, let's go inddors: Billings Bridge mall, I bought new shoes! There is the quilted bag you made for me, Jean! I did a bit of a sketch, waiting for brekkie!

12:17 at the hospital

The parking lot, again, was full. They now have parking lot attendants, and you can leave your keys with them. This is a trend, three months ago we had trouble finding a spot, too. 

Pretests: Bone Scan #5 was in April. That was a day of power outages, as well.
He has his quarterly blood test, for PSA, as well. It remains at 0.08! This is good news.

12:30 in the waiting room

We were in to see doctor Cag. at 12:45,  to debrief those test results, although our GP did this, as well. JB has osteopenia. He's to take 1000 mg calcium, 1000 mg vitamin D, to stave it off. He could have been prone to it prior to treatments, and it is a predictable part of side effects. It's part of the disease trajectory, and it can be ameliorated. The naturopath, Dr. Jen, has been helping with this, as well. His cancer has been slowed, this is the good part.

In checking his pills, he's already on all this. We spend $200 every so often, for all this stuff. He's worth it!

His supplements

13:00 and we're done

I have photos of this building being built. Now, we are back to springtime.

13:17 on the road again

The people beside us in the parking lot, she still had a catheter in her nose, had to go back in as they'd forgotten to pay for their parking inside at the machine. I felt so badly for them. You have to pay at this machine, which validates the ticket.

Still, people sitting waiting for a parking spot.

13:34 jerk in the intersection

Traffic was slow in his lane, so he was about to pull right out in front of me, in the middle of the intersection, on Hunt Club. What a jerk. Then, he pulled in behind me, and then around me on the right, pulling in front of the red truck beyond the intersection to proceed to yell at me. The woman in front braked suddenly, and I had to brake.

intersection from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

14:49 stopped in Rideau Ferry for 'lunch'

One hour, 32 minutes later (95 km), we arrived at CC's on the Rideau. Time for 'lunch'.


Look closely, where the debris and bubbles line up, driven by the wind. These are called Langmuir Streaks! I looked it up, once, when I noticed them on Long Lake. Langmuir figured out what it was.


The new owners have redesigned the menu. It's quite yummy!

16:11 we were finally home

The next day, the sun came out.