Synovial sarcoma is a rare and aggressive type of cancer. The primary treatment is surgery to remove the entire tumor. Few people are completely cured by chemotherapy, and this treatment is normally recommended in advanced or metastatic disease, such as myself.
Because of my many courses of chemotherapy, there was a high possibility of developing chemotherapy resistance. This occurs when cancer cells no longer responds to treatment, and begin to grow. Oftentimes, if the cancer becomes resistant to one drug or group of drugs, it's more likely that it'll be resistant to other drugs. Resistance to chemotherapy is a nearly universal, ultimately lethal consequence for patients with metastasized disease.
As of now, I had undergone two cycles of chemotherapy, not knowing its effect on the cancer. This fear of the unknown was paralyzing. It didn't help either finding out that my oncologist has not had any patients that have been "cured" from Synovial Sarcoma. Perhaps I should have followed the advice, "Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to."
In any case, I'm pretty stubborn and didn't follow the advice. I continued with asking the hardest question, "Is the chemotherpy drug working?" I had a CT scan, and the impressions from the Radiologist were the following:
"Interval decrease in size of several pulmonary nodules, consistent with treatment response. Other small nodules are stable. No new nodules."
THE CHEMOTHERAPY DRUG WAS WORKING. I do have a chance of beating this!
Cycle 3
Passover Seder Day 1
Passover Seder Day 1
Agriculturally, Passover represented the beginning of the harvest season in Israel. However,
the historical focus shifted the emphasis of this holiday to the Jewish exodus from Egypt.
The Haggadah contains all the rituals, prayers, and songs used in the Passover Seder.
Passover Seder Day 2
The Seder Plate is used to tell the story of Passover. It includes karpas (parsley),
charoset (chopped apples and nuts), maror (bitter herb), chazeret (romaine lettuce),
ze'roa (roasted shank bone), beitzah (roasted egg), and salt water bowl.
Shmurah Matzot represents the "bread of faith" and "the bread of healing".
I should eat this more often!
Mom parting the white pages.
Happy Passover!
Crissy Fields, San Francisco CA
In 1919, the U.S. Army established the first air coast defense station on
the West Coast. The airfield is named for Major Dana Crissy, who died
during the First Transcontinental Reliability and Endurance Test.
Today, Crissy Fields is the park's "front door" with trails, wetlands,
and picnic areas. It's the most visted area of the Presidio.
Restoration of the marsh and wetland welcomed dozen of bird
species migrating along the Pacific Flyway. These include great
egret, great blue heron, caspian tern, and brown pelican.
SFMOMA partnered with the National Park Service to display an outdoor
exhibition of eight large sculptures by artist Mark di Suvero for a free yearlong event.
The clusters of painted i-beams span up to 50-ft high and 40-ft wide!
Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County CA
On January 6, 1603 Spanish explorer Don Sebastian Vizcaino gave Point Reyes its name
La Punta de Los Tres Reyes because it was the day of the Feast of the Three Kings.
Point Reyes Lighthouse
In December 1, 1870 the lighthouse began operation at a total cost of
$100,000, well over the initial $16,000 allocated. It was decommissioned
in 1975 when the U.S. Coast Guard installed an automated beacon.
The 6,0000-pound first-order Fresnel lens is divided into 24 vertical
panels. It sits on a clockwork mechanism that rotates the lens using
gears and a counterweight. One complete rotation takes two minutes.
Descending the 300 steps to the lighthouse was easy.
Going back up was the hard part.
Time to catch my breath.
Chimney Rock
Point Reyes is the windiest and foggiest point on the Pacific Coast.
Springtime wind speeds can reach hurricane force, and winds exceeding
130 mph (210 kph) have been measured at the headlands.
Northern elephant seals basking on the rocky shelves below.
Black-tailed deer graze peacefully on the steep hillsides.
Point Reyes is the perfect destination for nature lovers!
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