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Glad to see you are posting regularly. By my third week of radiation therapy I couldn’t eat or walk and had to drink protein shakes. My uncle died from the same thing at 37 when technology wasn’t there to save him. My sister as well and wasn’t diagnosed until stage 4 but she’s now walking around.
 
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Ray,

July was 4-weeks alone. I’m in my 6th week, but today it seems like they upped the dose and concentrated the dose to a more targeted area. Previously the radiation blanketed my general pelvic area.

So I wouldn’t call it Die-A-rear, but I am having mucho bowel movements. I guess my bowels are being irritated.

Today I’m fading in and out nodding off. 13 more big blasts and it is over, but today it was my first big blast.

Off to the toilet again…

I initially thought the shorter time on the table meant less side effect. I think I was wrong.

I think it will be a rough week…

Cal
 
I have been there and know how it feels. I took radiation to the head for nearly two months and now have verbal diarrhea and I am not talking about bad breath. Well that too.

It’s the unpredictability that has the world on edge.
 
“Maggie” thinks it has been non-stop for over a year, but things are building up.

I know that radiation causes damage. Some cells repair themselves, others die, and some can even mutate…

I think my body is getting taxed trying to repair itself. There is a constant buildup of fatigue and tiredness, and a weekend is now no longer long enough.

I still have 2 1/2 weeks to go… I’m feeling mighty old.

Cal
 
You should be careful not too lose too much weight considering the treatment in front of you. There will be time for that later. I am 5’10’’ and my best weight is 165. When cancer and my treatment got me down to 144 I looked and felt like 10 years had been taken away from me. You may need a few extra pounds in case your appetite or digestion are betraying your best efforts and intentions. I am 170 with a bit of a spare tire now, but I look at it as insurance against what may happen in the future when I don’t feel like eating. You have a really good attitude about this and the doubts will go away after this nadir.

Ron
 
Thanks Ron,

Last night went to bed early. Yesterday after the targeted radiation I lived in a twilight like fog, not fully awake, and somewhat dream like. I nodded in and out in a sort of limbo.

8 1/2 hours sleep on top of all the napping that was most of yesterday.

I even got up a bit late. 13 more treatments left… Hopefully not as brutal as yesterday.

154.6 pounds today and I have not evacuated yet. Most of the weight loss seems to be muscle mass, my small gut remains about the same, so I have spare change.

Around 148 is what I consider my fighting weight. I am small boned.

I know I signed up for the most aggressive treatment plan. This is because I am otherwise healthy.

Cal
 
I am heeding Old Haven’s advice. Had 4 eggs (no yokes), 2 bagels, and now a pita bread with provalone. It’s only 11:00 AM.

Later will have a protein shake.

A new addition is crushed hemp seeds, another high protein source, but also loaded with fats.

My body has to rebuild…

Thanks for the love and support.

Now only 12 more treatments.

Ran into another patient who is undergoing the same “salvage” treatment after a prostatectomy. Same 39 radiation treatments.

It seems his treatment is compounded because he lives an hour’s drive away. Hard for me to imagine dealing with this logistic difficulty. I have it EZ-PZ. There is no room for complaints…

I mentioned that the licensed radiation therapists are all food hounds. Been thinking if I could get an ex-cyclo-peed-ick Chinese cookbook for them to share at work to pass the time. The smut is that this crew talks about food to pass the time at work.

Also I have been doling out some of my cooking secretes. One is using wheat germ to bread eggplant. Kinda crunchy and nutty at the same time. Browns up nicely. Of course use a densely green olive oil. Smells up the house though. “Maggie” complains…

Cal
 
Did you know that the Polish Military is the third largest force in NATO after the U.S. and Turkey. They have F-35 lightnings and F-16’s.

The Poles are spending 4-5% of their GDP on defense spending. They will upgrade their F-16’s to exploit the F-35’s targeting and the F-16’s are kinda launch platform or weapons “trucks” for the F-35’s. Know that F-35’s can launch missles from other planes to attack targets.

Also know that the F-35 is stealthy and is like a mobile command center gathering forward information. It communicates target data deep over enemy territory in an AWAC’s like manner. A deadly eye-in-the-sky.

The F-16’s are being updated so they will be fully integrated into the F-35’s capabilities. This is mucho smart. The idea her militarily is rapid response that is effective and deadly in an overwhelming manner.

This is a tech-war… Air superiority will hurt and slow down any enemy. This is not the Ukraine.

If you understand history, Poland has been throughout history been invaded and over-run on all sides. Pretty much the flat landscape lacks mountains or high ground to aid in setting up a defense.

Like the Cantonese, history has breed them for fighting, not through the vehicle of feudalism, but constant invasion or threat of invasion. They have to be mucho fast response and highly nimble.

My guess is they don’t want to be under Putin control.

To grasp the nearly 5% of GNP spending take into account that Ronald Ray-Gun mandated a 5% defense spending here in the U.S. in the 1980’s. Pretty much the U.S. economy was three times the size of the USSR, and Russia kinda went bankrupt trying to keep up. Effectively this spending ended the Cold War.

The way I read this, the Polish don’t want to be the next Ukraine. Understand that Poland is an easy and likely target.

Putin’s worries of the west is not invalid. They share a large border and defending it would be difficult.

Cal
 
I seem to be doing much better than yesterday. Still a bit tired, but not so spacey as yesterday. Only 12 more radiation treatments.

I learned today that the area targeted now is where my prostate was. To add clarity my prostate and surrounding nearby lymph-nodes were robotically removed by a team over a dozen people. The anesthesiologist had two assistants, and know that biopsies were performed on tissue in the margins.

My surgery was suppose to be 3 hours but it was closer to 5.

So far I’m doing much better today.

You should know that I also take a multitude of vitamins under the guidance of my PCP and my old geezer hematologist to help boost my red blood cell production. 5 pills every day after my Inhibitor and steroid.

Still I fight anemia…

In the markets new record highs, and gold is above $3.4K again. Gold as a hedge never went away, and gold as an insurance policy is not diminished. I also too note that oil is trading lower in the $62.XX range on higher U.S. inventory, which translates to lower demand and also a slowdown. Hmmm…

Don’t forget that the U.S. is a major oil exporter, so oil prices have a profound exaggerated effect on our economy.

Some questions as trade with China is in truce mode to support further cheap imports to have inventory for the Christmas season, and to help stall the slowdown underway from getting worse. While I am not a big farmer, I wonder who will buy U.S. soybeans and corn as Brazil gains in food exports to China.

In my book American farmers are being thrown under the bus. The BRIC’s are the developing economies that are now trading/bartering among themselves, bypassing the U.S. Dollar.

India is buying Russian weapons and Russian oil. China is buying food from Brazil instead of the U.S., and of course there is lots of trade going on between Russia and China…

This BRIC economy exists outside the world market and all this trade does not involve the U.S. Dollar. No one seems to notice, but eventually this will all add up. There is an emerging/separate rogue economy developing in the world.

When I see the U.S. having F-35 sales being canceled it concerns me because foreign sales help subsidize not only our military industrial might, but also they lower costs because of economy of scale, and they kinda ensure spare parts and logistic support.

There are impacts to supply, resupply, logistics that will have a profound effect on mission readiness and capability.

Meanwhile the A-10 is being retired. If you are on the ground and need support A-10’s are the most favored asset for close ground support. It remains a very feared weapon. Does not cost much per hour to fly, and in a fight in support of ground troops the fire power means enemy destruction.

Originally designed to level out the superior amount of Soviet armor and tanks by number, it is still a great weapon with a purpose. Big mistake retiring the A-10. Ask anyone on the ground doing combat.

BTW only the U.S. has the A-10. The Russians kinda built a A-10 clone, the SU-22.

That road from Kuwait that had all that death and destruction was two squadrons of A-10’s doing 2 sorties. Brutal fire power.

Cal
 
An economist from Goldman Sacks suggests that inflation will spool up in the fall to 3.2% from the recent below expectations present 2.8%.

This economist says that 2/3rds of the cost increases from tariffs will be paid by the consumer.

These predictions are being down played…

I see tariffs as a new tax. Remember the money has to come from somewhere.

10% increase in prices seems to be happening. Food and energy costs have been going sideways though offsetting increases elsewhere.

Today I’m just relaxing and passing the time. “Maggie” and I have been eating early dinners. Seems better suited for our age. No more late nights for us. We don’t have the energy.

Been looking at my fishing gear… I see some crossover of some of my lighter rods to fresh water. Hmmm…

Cal
 
Eating dinner around 4:00 PM is our new routine.

I took notice that I sleep better eating earlier, and pretty much I think I need the nutrition. Seems I need the food for a faster recovery. I have cells that are being either killed as collateral damage, or damaged cells need to repair themselves.

My eating and nutrition are vital for both my treatment and recovery. One thing I didn’t do is go no low fiber diet. They recommend this to avoid gas which can be a problem with treatment. Does not seem to be a problem in my case, and it seems to fight the side effect from radiation: constipation.

Cal
 
Cal, the very best Chinese cookbook in my opinion, and I'm an aficionado of cooking and cookbooks, is the pioneering "The Chinese Cookbook" by Craig Claiborne and Virginia Lee. Claiborne was the famous cooking writer for the New York Times for many years. The book was first published in 1972. I've had my copy for 45 years I'd say. It's a classic, and particularly suited for American kitchens as you'd guess. Very comprehensive for Cantonese cooking. It's probably out of print but seems to be easily available used.

Another Chinese cooking authority is Fuchsia Dunlop. She has several books and is current. She concentrates on Western and Northern Chinese food. Anything except Cantonese, seemingly. She's very thorough, quite academic.
 
Good Evening Devil Cal,

Studio Renovation well equipped by Nokton48, on Flickr


Picked up two Broncolor Striplight Grids, have wanted a pair for a while. Also a Grid for the Octobox 150 is on it's way too. Studio is coming well together and well equipped. Getting more organized as I get everything boxed up and labeled. Plenty of shelf space available. There is a steel rolling shelf with my new Olde Macbook Pro, and cameras I use all the time. Below boxed up is all my Hasselblad stuff well organized. The 2009 Broncolor cool calendar was an internal only thing I was told, found this copy on Etsy.
 
Pete,

Many thanks for supporting a lazy-slacker. Of course I want to go ghetto and be ethnocentric, so I favor the Cantonese.

I’ll also get three bags, one for each radio therapist, of Red Mill wheat germ to use instead of bread crumbs. Wheat germ breaded Eggplant fried in olive oil has a crunchy/nutty flavor. Other worldly…

Today did not seem so bad.

Cal
 
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Devil Dan,

All that gear transforms what once looked like a lab a few months ago into what appears to be the insides of a submarine.

My 650 square foot “luxury” apartment in Spanish Harlem resembled also the insides of a submarine.

Devil Christian made the comment that I kinda built a high rise and went vertical for maximizing the space in the “bedroom.” Actually we slept on a pullout in the living room/kitchen.

When I printed (20x30 on 24x36 paper) I would use the entire apartment as a drying area. Very crazy.

Anyways I had to be careful because “Maggie” with all her clothing, shoes and bags would create booby traps where an avalanche could happen.

Then as an influencer all these deliveries of gifts to help promote others.

I had a messy life, mucho crazy…

Cal
 
I went through my fishing gear. I went kinda crazy with buying some high end rods and reels, and I kinda forgot what I have and what I did.

The forensics indicated that I mostly concentrated on casting rods and reels. Two of the rod and reel pairs actually could be used effectively for fresh water because I like going light tackle. Initially I bought these primarily for salt water fishing though.

I have a “meat-stick” for casting live bait and a Diawa Millionaire that I bought at a discount at Stormville that was NIB unused from a seller who had a bait and tackle store.

All a very well balanced outfits.

I only have one spinning reel, a Diawa BG MG4000, that I can use on a $30.00 2-piece 10 foot surf rod, or a 7 foot Saint Croix rod. The 7 footer is mighty nicely balanced and has 15 pound braid that is line that has the thickness of 4 pound mono.

Somewhere in my basement is a number 5 weight fly rod and a matching reel. The rod was a gift, and the reel I bought. I have to look for it. Hmmm…

One rod is for slow-pitch jigging and has a lively wimpy tip. This rod is UBER light in weight. Paired with an Accurate Tern 2 star-drag reel it is a much trick rig. The reel has a loud purple anodize (why not). And this is a kinda crazy engineered made in USA reel that is designed for maximum durability (I think 6 bearings) yet is light in weight.

30 pound braid on all the conventional reels. One of my Accurate reels has a lever drag and it would be a thrill to catch say a 50 pound Tuna on my slow pitch rod using 30 pound test.

Of course this is not cheap gear, but the cool thing is I could also use the slow pitch rod for fresh water because the rod has a light tip that extends into the halfway point. 30 pound braid is as thin as 8 pound test mono.

Understand with braid you use a long length of Mono, more than the length of the rod, because the mono is less visible.

Using what I have is cool, but I might want to get an ultra-light spinning setup for 4-6 pound test.

Fishing is something to do with the kids. Also know I love eating fish…

Cal
 
Cal, I think of that Claiborne-Lee book as a total classic. The first, that I know of, Chinese cookbook written in English, with some degree of scholarship. It has classic Chinatown (worldwide Chinatowns) dishes as well as homecooking dishes. It's also very serious in that it's not jammed with photos, which tend to predispose you to a certain outcome, as well as become styling exercises. It does have a few photos, as well as cute little drawings (from memory). Some of it, in my edition at least, is now a bit dated, like adding MSG. Not that there's anything wrong with that, in today's parlance.
 

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