The M&M Story

I've been hit pretty hard with fatigue and shortness of breath this week, but it seems to be getting better. It was expected. We also got oxygen delivered a couple days ago, and that has helped me catch my breath more easily. Chemo damages red blood cells, which carry oxygen, so that combined with my already damaged lungs has not made it easy. But perhaps today we're on an upswing. From Isaiah 43: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

IM000319 Originally uploaded by shmeliot . And the New Yorkers have joined in. I love you guys.

maynor boys Originally uploaded by kwparker . There's a whole hilarious set of shaving photos by Kelly on Flickr. Just click this picture and you'll go to her set.

Head Shaving 010 Originally uploaded by Maynor . My hair's going to fall out this week, so we decided on a pre-emptive strike. We had dinner at the Parkers' on Friday night, and I planned to have Todd shave my head while we were there. The other guys then decided to join in for support. You'll never find a more dedicated group of buddies. (picture by Melanie)

Post-shave Originally uploaded by Maynor . That's Andy, Todd, Peter, me, and Aaron. And yes, they all have jobs.

Infusion #1 is complete (the Adriamycin), and I'm headed into the hospital in a couple of hours for infusion #2 (Taxol). It's going to be a good day--my buddy Mike Smith is taking me to the hospital and hanging out for a while, and then my brother Peter is coming to watch the beginning of the Cardinals playoff game (it's a four hour infusion). Between visits, I'll listen to my new iPOD as I reread The Chronicles of Narnia to get ready for the big movie this Christmas-- The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe looks like it's going to be a good one. So far, I'm feeling pretty good--better than I have in weeks--but I am pretty hopped up on drugs, so that helps. The drugs are just for this week of infusions, so the nurse says I sould enjoy this while I can--next week will be worse. But it's all part of the process, and I'm learning (slowly) to embrace the process, all its ups and downs. For now, I'm adding songs to my iPOD, so I've gotta go. Thank you

So the IV nurse showed up about 7:00 pm, so I've been on chemo for about an hour and a half. My hair hasn't started falling out yet. It's still luxurious. Male pattern baldness doesn't run in my family--luxurious hair does. So I'll be the second bald guy in our family--my brother Allen shaved his head once in college. He looked pretty good, but at the time he weighed about 60 pounds more than I do now. I remember when I had long hair in college and cut it before graduation. I got a little weepy. Back then I NEVER cried, so it was a big deal. But for the last ten years or so, I've been a little more in touch with my emotional, sensitive side, and I tear up in church, or at a good story, or when my 3-year-old goes poop on the potty. I haven't cried at a Hallmark commercial yet, or at least I'm not going to admit it. Some of those Volkswagen commercials, though--you've gotta admit they're poignant. All the Men's Men writers I've read, though