What's New

Patty is out of town for Will's graduation from MICA in Baltimore. Today he received his BFA magna cum laude at the ripe old age of 20.

On the side bar are his old http://killmecomix.com/ and his new Candy for your Eyes web pages. They are wonderful. Patty and I are so proud.

With Ben's graduation from Art Center, Pasadena in film direction last month, all our kids are through college (at least for now).

So if you need someone to help with a film or commercial, especially a documentary, contact Ben http://www.bkoffmanart.com/ and if you need any illustration contact Will. You won't be disappointed.

So now that I am finished shamelessly kwelling (Kvell, a Yiddish term, means 'to be bursting with pride; boast; gloat', and is usually used with the connotation that one is delighted with the accomplishments of one's children) and promoting my sons, let me kvetch ( this Yiddish word means grumble or complain) for a minute. I am getting tired of my own food prep (remember I eat no cooked food) and more tired of just being alone. The cat and dog help, but I get pensive and moody when I am alone for several days at home.

Today I made a raw organic broccoli-avocado-tomato-squash-brazil nut-coconut milk soup. It wasn't that great but I ate it all for lunch and dinner. I sure don't want to face any more of it left over tomorrow.

And the 4.7 earthquake didn't help my mood.

Nuff of this pity party.

I saw the new Star Trek movie at the local IMAX with my son. Dazzling.  Must see for any fans. The best in many years. I hear the Trekkers are complaining that there is so little to complain about.

Heard some great jazz last night at Jack Prather's CD release party. Listen to some of the material @ http://www.myspace.com/jackprathermusic 

Live jazz is hard to beat. My friends Leonard Thompson on keyboards and Dewey Ernie on vocals were there which made it extra sweet.

The ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) meeting is starting. I have been reviewing the abstracts on CLL and transplant.

I wish there was some great breakthrough to report, but I was underwhelmed.  An interesting and important paper on VRE (Vancomycin resistant enterococci) post transplant, a new dosing schedule for OFAR, new monoclonals in the pipeline.

Time to refocus.

A demain

Be still my beating heart

Yesterday I had another bone marrow biopsy. Not too bad. As is my habit, I walk afterward to minimize the after pains. This time it was next to the rain swollen streams of Eaton Canyon, near City of Hope.  I listen as did Siddhartha for the laughter of the brook, loving the wildness of the place so close to the urbanity of Pasadena.

A great escape, but by bedtime, the anxious waiting for the results had begun.

This time I am not trying to stay calm about my chimerism results. Wouldn't it be great if I discovered that I had gone from 0% donor to, well, anything but 0%. That would be super and would make a pretty exciting story. When you're at zero, there is no concern that your level may have fallen in the latest test. It's going to be the same or better, so why worry.

Now my doctor and I are sniffing for the slightest hint of a relapse. The microscopy that can find 1 in 100 cancer cells may be back by the end of the week. The fancier flow cytometry that snoops out 1 in 10,000 may take a week longer. I am expecting good news. I feel well and honestly everyone tells me I look great.

This waiting part is always tough for me. You would think I would be an expert by now. The master of the here and now. 

Instead I have the unhealthy tendency of trying to seize the future instead of the day. I started to ask Dr. Forman one of my what if questions to which he wisely said "Why have a speculative discussion today when we can a specific one in two weeks".

He's right of course, but it means waiting the two weeks.

Between now and then is my CT scan.

My wife and I found another wonderful diversion to rescue me today.

Heard my long time friends and legendary jazzmen, Luther Hughes,  Tom Ranier, Paul Kreibich and Ron Eschete together as H.E.R.K. play some blow all your cares away and forget everything but the sweetness of this G-d given moment kind of music. All this plus I enjoyed a great meal with friends and drifted along with the beat.

It was perfect.

It's all perfect. Or darn close. And I can live with that.