UPDATE and I tried to get creative Saturday morning taking photos in the roses at Albertina Kerr

UPDATE: I went to the Fred Meyer with Lamont today and walked quite a bit throughout the very large Hollywood store, using the grocery cart to provide rest when needed. That was good for me, to work on stamina. However, when we got home, I found myself exhausted which means that my oncology pharmacist's prediction that fatigue would set in even more between Chemo Round Four and Round Five has come true. I shall not give up. I shall walk and rest and repeat until I accomplish however much I am able to manage. I shall not overdo anything so as to put myself in jeopardy. And, as always, I thank you for every single prayer, for your love and concern.



I held my camera among the small blossoms in a large pot placed between two benches on the south side of the front walk up to the doorway of the Albertina Kerr Center. Sitting on the other bench and twisting myself to the right, not wanting to crush any of the flowers and not being able to see my tilt screen very well in the bright sun so I had no idea where the focus might lock, I held the camera as still as I could, depressed the shutter button half way, heard the focus sound, and took one photo after another, repeating the steps until I had to sit back and rest, enjoying the smell of the roses blowing in the breeze. None of the photos are exactly what I hoped to accomplish with such a haphazard process, but I am pleased with this one, so I'm sharing it with y'all.

UPDATE and Portland's newest bridge over the Willamette

UPDATE: The appointment went fine with Dr. Da Graca. We talked about the fatigue side effect and how it is having more of an impact than it did between the other rounds of chemo. We've got a plan in effect which I will share later on this week; suffice it to say that I am pleased with what he decided. I got home, ate my leftovers and am headed to the recliner in a little bit. I hope that I am able to stay awake for all of Dancing With the Stars, but, if I don't, no skin off my nose. Thank you for your continued prayers, love, and concern.



I got to my work building early this morning so that I could rest a while before starting work. I sat outside on the rooftop garden for a few minutes and took a few photos of the Tilikum Crossing Bridge. I have yet to ride over it, but once I get back some stamina, I'll be riding over it on either the TriMet MAX Orange Line or the Portland Streetcar. I'm excited at the prospect!

Here's some info about the bridge that I'd like to share with you: Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People is a cable-stayed bridge across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. It was designed by TriMet, the Portland metropolitan area's regional transit authority, for its MAX Orange Line light rail passenger trains. The bridge also serves city buses and the Portland Streetcar, as well as bicycles, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles. Private cars and trucks are not permitted on the bridge.

Construction was begun in 2011, and the bridge was officially opened on September 12, 2015. In homage to Native American civilizations, the bridge was named with the local Chinook word for people.

Tilikum Crossing has its western terminus in the city's South Waterfront area, and stretches across the river to the Central Eastside district. In the 21st century, these two industrial zones have been evolving into mixed residential and commercial neighborhoods, and new transit accommodations are required by the growing populations. Both districts, however, are limited by antiquated road infrastructure that was deemed incapable of handling the increased traffic that could be expected from a conventional automobile bridge. The primary rationale for the bridge was thus "first and foremost as a conduit for a light-rail line."

The bridge is south of, and approximately parallel to, the Marquam Bridge. The west "landing" is mid-way between the Marquam and Ross Island Bridges, and the east landing is just north of Southeast Caruthers Street, with the east approach viaduct reaching the surface at the west end of Sherman Street, which the tracks follow to a new Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) MAX station located near an existing Portland Streetcar station and the Oregon Rail Heritage Center.



I cropped one of the photos so that you could see this MAX light-rail train, the MAX Orange Line, as it heads east--look toward the bottom of the photo at the right edge. The yellow truck you see above the MAX is on the Ross Island Bridge which is south of the Tilikum Crossing Bridge. The blurry bar across the photo is the guard rail around the rooftop garden at my work building.

The crossing opened for general use on September 12, 2015, becoming the first new bridge built across the river in the Portland metropolitan area since 1973. The first public access to the bridge was given on August 9, 2015, in the morning for the 20th annual Providence Bridge Pedal and in the afternoon with a three-hour period in which the bridge was open to everyone.

UPDATE and my little picnic Wednesday after work in my front yard

UPDATE: The difference between my energy/stamina levels yesterday and today is shocking. Today both are at an even lower level than they were on Monday and Tuesday. I've had to lean on exterior building walls and/or handrails to rest before continuing to walk on the sidewalk to get where I'm going. I even had to rest a bit at work when going to check the fax machine, one of the things I do twice a day--I stopped and rested on the locked shred bin that is near the fax machine. After such a great day on Wednesday when not only my muscles felt more normal than I expected, but also my brain seemed filled with clarity, I'm working hard at not being down in the dumps about how I feel today. The thing to do is take these side effects one day at a time, maybe one hour at a time, deal with each one the best that I am able. And to not give up! Here's to Friday, y'all!



Wednesday after work the weather felt perfect. So much so that when I got off the bus around 3 p.m. and walked by the Subway, I thought to myself, "I'm gonna go in there, buy myself some food and drink, and see if I can get it in my front yard with my folding aluminum lawn chair and my wooden snack table. I'm having a picnic!" If I hadn't been having a good energy/stamina day, I would not have been able to get everything outside without dropping something or spilling something. Here you see my food, a six-inch tuna on wheat with an extra scoop of tuna, shredded lettuce and tomato. Plus Lay's original potato chips and a cup of Coca Cola with no ice. I know it's boring, but that's what I always get when I go to Subway. It's reliably the same which I find comforting.

To say that I enjoyed my little picnic would be an understatement. I loved it! Plus, I got to visit with my neighbor Matthew and his dog Birdie. Then, Lamont found me out there when he came over after work. Sweet! He told me later yesterday evening that it made him feel real good to see me enjoying myself outside.

Today, I was in the recliner by 4:30 p.m., about an hour after I got home. Like my little Mama used to say sometimes, "I just don't have it." That's today, Thursday. We'll see what Friday brings. Next round of chemo is one week from today, Thursday, October 1.

UPDATE and a young woman on her bike

UPDATE: Well, there's no doubt in my mind that the chemo side effect known as fatigue is here, in all is cumulative-ness, as in the impact increases with each round of chemo. No matter how much I sleep and/or rest, I remain tired. I'm still able to get what I need to do done, if I sleep and/or rest. I guess that's because I don't go into the negative, energywise. If I don't sleep and/or rest, I'm wiped out. I know that it could be much worse as far as side effects go, so I shall not give up. I expect this to happen. I am dealing with it the best that I possibly can.



The other day I sat in front of Albertina Kerr and noticed this young woman looking intently at the traffic. I knew why she waited. She wanted to go across the street so that she could get on the far side into the bike lane, more than likely so that she could go west on NE Sandy Blvd. A construction worker from around the corner got in my way, or I would have a photo of her doing that to share with you. Sometimes serendipity doesn't happen. That's OK.

UPDATE and my supper this evening

UPDATE: Interesting day. I slept well, woke up 15 minutes before the alarm, put too much salt in my morning oatmeal and had to toss it, instead ate tiny croissants, prunes and raisins, with hot tea and water. I took all of my pre-chemo meds as prescribed. Lamont and I got to the Oncology Center just after 7 a.m. I had the blood work again, checked in for Chemo Round Three when the receptionist was ready to begin her day, then I sat down to wait the hour until the 8:30 a.m. appointment.

I had to get that blood checked again because the very low platelet count from yesterday demanded a re-count. Happy that it and the white blood count and the hemoglobin count were inside normal, too. I was so happy about that that I forgot to ask the oncology pharmacist what would have happened if the platelet count stayed so low. I'm going to e-mail her and ask about that so I will know, in case this happens again. At 4:21 p.m., Lamont and I were in his car driving out of the parking garage.

During the morning I had developed two tiny, itchy, red hives on my left wrist which the nurse, the oncology pharmacist and I agreed were hives brought on by the chemo called Taxo. It was paused, I had Benadryl dripped in through the line used for the saline, and once the hives had completely disappeared, the Taxo was turned on again. I took until 3:21 p.m. because I was able to tolerate 150 ml/hour starting at 12:48 p.m. That's my max rate since I've had some side effects from the Taxo on all three rounds. Nothing that those professionals couldn't straighten out. Let me tell you, I am treated like a queen by everyone there! I am so grateful for these people and the care that they give me!



Here's what I wanted for supper, the Killer Burger minus the house sauce, grilled onions and pickles. It is perfect; the fries are perfect; the fountain drink Barq's root beer is perfect. I ate half of it all and drank not quite half of the root beer. The rest of it is in the frig, ready for me to enjoy tomorrow. For dessert, after I'd been home for a while, I enjoyed a single piece of Edwards' lemon meringue pie. Now, I'm heading for the recliner and will, in all probability, fall asleep during Thursday night football on NBC

I'm that tired. The oncology pharmacist told us that the fatigue is cumulative with each round, so it will get more pronounced and could continue after the last round in early November. I certainly have noticed it lately. Anyway, it's great to know that it is an expected side effect.

In the back of my mind, I wonder if I will be able to go to any home Portland Trail Blazers' games due to this fatigue. Opening night is October 28. I know that I have the option of calling for a wheel chair to meet me at the curb and roll me to the entry where I will sit, and then take me back to the curb afterwards. I'll go in a cab each way, wearing my mask to protect me against the possibility of a cold or the flu. We'll see if it works out. If it doesn't, maybe I'll be able to sell those games or give them to someone who wants to go alone. Go, Blazers!

Thank you for every single prayer, for your love, and for your concern. I need all of that and can feel it happening.