A Million Bucks

Wed., Sept. 26, 2007. 1:30 pm. Well friends, I feel like a Million Bucks!! I have energy, goals, a love life,( I love life), a great family, great friends. I can only celebrate what I've been through. It has brought me closer to my own life, if that makes any sense. You know, becoming more in touch. We take so much for granted all the time, that this has been a reality check for me, a way for me to reevaluate everything. (It was a helluvah year!!). The New Years services give me strength, hope, comfort. Seeing my Grandchildren and their parents give me great Nachos (spelling?? I'm not great at Yiddish or Hebrew). The diner gives me food!! Tonights Band rehearsal will give me goals and something to work for. The JJ Blues Band gives us more to work towards, and SwingTown, our 22 piece Big Band. New Jazz Trio is playing in October (thanks Ben and John and Susan for all your help). Then there is health. My artwork, my guitars, trombone, tuba and double bass and electric basses. Then there is all the great music to listen to (Faure, Mahler, Brahms, Albert Collins, Miles etc. etc.), or watch on the DVDs (this week part one of "The Great Conductors and Leonard Cohen). I've had a chance to be with friends. Carol and I visited Elaine over the weekend in Woodstock. Ahhhh Woodstock. Then I went to visit my old bandleader from the Catskills yesterday, Tony Leonard, He's 94 years old and still kickin', although a bit weaker at it. Then there is this place my parents selected to raise us: Maplewood. I'm still here and digging it. We enjoy being and working here (mostly volunteer work anymore). Heard from my Army buddies this week, Jon and Joel, and Jerry. And my High School buddies Tom and Alan this week.
All this, and then there is Carol. What a woman. She takes good care of me. We really have alot to be thankful for. I have alot to be thankful for. Even though she suffers through every pitch of the NY Yankees. She also takes care of Mom's needs; doctors appntmnts, food, pharmacies etc. etc. On and on. She's fine. I celebrate knowing and living with Carol.
Last night I went back to Caldwell, scene of years of work and many fine performances for me. Sadly to the funeral home, wife of a colleague, but also wonderful to see the places, and some people from those 30 years I was active there. Very cool. I heard from Billy Sempier yesterday. He's hanging in, just got back from Europe. Then John C and I hope to go see Helmacy soon. I had lunch with Bob and Doreen last month and checked out their digs. Very cool. Spoke to Pablo by e mail this week as well. Missed the JCHS monthly Pancakes this time around, maybe next time. Got back to Life Long Learners this week. That class makes sure I get into the Library once a week. Keeps the brain ticking.
OK. Gotta go paint. It's getting late. Enough celebration for one day. But I feel like a Million Bucks. Peace. Love. JIMBO

All OK

Thurs. 9/19;11:45 am. Just got the phone call: no cancer, no fungal on my liver!! It must have been a piece of bacon tryin' to hookup! Hah!! So, will need to continue an anti something (I'm not sure which, anti-biotic or anti-fungal???) but other than that I'm clear. Now onto the Clinical Trial which will require extensive visits to my 2nd home (no, not the Woodstock home, the upper East Side Country Club known as Memorial Sloan Kettering). In any case, Carol is hugely relieved. We'll keep you posted on this mopup operation Vaccination process. Meantime I visited my Internist today to catch him up on my progress. He's been on the mend as well. Doing good now, new office etc. Gotta go send photos we took last night of Ben, me and John....New Jazz Trio, for our Oct. 20th Jazz Weekend gig at Burgdorff. See you soon. Again, thanks for your support. JIMBO

Sat. Followup

Sat. 9/15. 8:09 am. So the procedure was uneventful. Funny, same surgeon who put in my port back in November. He says to expect results next Wed. but I have to call the doctors office anyway for other reasons and I will try to get results earlier. Today is overcast so we may have to move our neighborhood party until tomorrow, we'll see how it goes in the next few hours. I don't have any residual pain or bleeding, all ok. But I'm amazed at how close to my heart he put that needle in me. Man, one little slip, ouch!! The hole is right at the little soft spot in your chest cavity. I would have thought they were going in the side, but Doc explained not for this segment (#2 or the left lobe). Front and center instead. Used a CT scan machine to locate exact positioning, mark the spot with an X, and go to town. I said something to him about my being "chopped liver" etc. Doc liked a little levity. Carol took good care of me as always. Thanks Baby!! So, as soon as I get the results I'll share them with you. Thanks for keeping up . Thanks for your prayers and caring. JIMBO

Friday Procedure

Fri., 9/14. 7:40 am. On my way soon to MSKCC for the liver biopsy. Last weeks CT Scan showed no change in the liver spot so they need to double check (there was also residual fungal material on my lungs, left over from the pneumonia; so, we'll probably get on a liquid antifungal once today's procedure is done). I still suspect and hope for this to be additional leftover fungal material on the liver, just like the lungs. I'll let you know as soon as I know anything. So, no food or liquids except water since 10 pm last night. Checked the sugar at 7, all ok. Will keep checking that. My appointment is 10 am on the 6th floor for registration. Then vitals etc. checkup, slip into a gown, transport to 2nd floor. Start sedation, lie still, here a poke there a poke, then recovery room for 3 hours or so lying still in one position (naptime) as the anesthesia wears off and they can be sure there is no bleeding etc. I'll write tonight again.
Meantime we had a great time with the kids Wed. and Thursaday. I went to Shul as Carol helped Riv cook for 18 people Wed.eve. Then we stayed at Marriott Pooks Hill. Then Thursday back to hear Gregs service and wonderful sermon. Then back to the house to rest and play. The hospital called Thursday afternoon to give me the schedule for today, so we hit the road for Maplewood at 7 pm. Easy ride home. Glorious as always to be down there. Lots of tears when the Au Pair Jeanette left to go home. Meanwhile the new Au Pair Bonolo was doing math problems with the kids when we left. Soon bath time. Smoothe transition.
OK, gotta go shower up myself. Tomorrow is Block party. I'll have to lay low a bit. Whatever. JIMBO

Continuing Saga

Mon., 9/10/07 9:30 pm. Spent 11am-8pm in MSKCC today. All numbers from bloodtest were excellent. WBC's, Platelets, Hemoglobin excellent, so I'm making cells. Hurray for Dr. Berman and her staff. Cancelled todays Bone Marrow aspiration because she offered to me to join a Clinical Study of a Vaccination which is being used on AML patients (and a few other kinds of cancer patients) which will require a few BMAs along the way. This study is on a process to eradicate any left over Leukemia cells which might want to stir up my troubles again. As you know, there is a percentage of patients for whom these nasty little buggers cause reneewed problems. I'm trying to avoid that, so I'm inclined to go along for this study. Carol and I are studying the details and will let you know more soon. Meantime, my CT Scan today dealt with both my lungs and my abdomen area organs (so I drank a quart of that raspberry dessert) and on Wed. they will tell me if the density on my liver (section 2) is smaller. If it is, it indicates fungal situation for which she will give my liquid antifungal and will cancel the biopsy scheduled for Friday. IF on the other hand things look iffy still, or larger, I will have the biopsy Friday. Tune in Thursday to find out how the boy musician handles his next adventures at the (MSKCC) Memorial Sloan Kettering Country Club!!! So, between tests we visited the 12th floor to say hello to some of our dear friends, Katrina, Saga, and Donna. Also walked to a little Pain place (think French bread, not pain management!!) to have an unusual lunch. Then to a NYC library for a bit of culture, then to St. Catherines of Siena, a beautiful neighborhood church for some spiritual uplift. A trip back to MSKCC cafeteria for a bit of light dinner before the CT scan. We had a great weekend with our Grandchildren, and went to Bens 1st baseball game. Fine coaching/education for the kids. We bought Maayan a soccer ball and goal so she can practice her kicks. She's into it!! She started school today. We'll be down to see them for Wed. night and Thursday services Greg conducts. L'Shonah Tovah y'all!! JIMBO

Nothing New

Fri, 9/7; 9:45 am. Nothing new yet. Still waiting for a biopsy appointment. Will let you know what's up when that happens. Meantime the Grands are coming up for the weekend and we're thrilled. Ben is playing on a baseball team and Maayan goes to school this week coming up. The kids have been sharpening pencils throughout the house on an electric sharpener Carol sent for start of school. Hah!! Have a great weekend. Thanks for your caring support. L'Shonah Tovah!! JIM

The latest

Tues. 9/5/07 11:30 am. Just rec'd a phone call from Dr. Berman with a report from Dr. Jarnigan. The MRI is not totally conclusive, and he wants to biopsy the liver. The spot is on the 2nd segment; it could be a remnant of a fungal infection (remember I'm just finishing with a fungal pneumonia, for which I undergo another (it's easy) CT Scan on Monday at 6:30 pm).
or, it could be the second location of a different cancer, not Leukemia. So that is what they have to (hopefully) rule out. So, I've called to try to have the biopsy done this week if possible. I expect a call back today. I'm available Friday so with luck we'll do it then.
Meantime, we are playing with a band of friends tomorrow for the seniors pool party, then Thursday we go with Ronnie to have our good upright basses worked on. I'm seeing 3 or 4 students this week and am trying to get back into my routine. SwingTown rehearsals begin tomorrow night, and tonight, Tuesday, for my 1st time, I join the Contemporary Artists Forum here at 1978, our Maplewood Art Gallery, where I hope to share and get reactions/critiques etc. about what I'm doing with my pastels. I'll go now to Jerrys to get a few more frames to prepare for tonight. Yeah, I'm still busy a bit, but I'm enjoying new areas of interest. The guitars are coming along. I was sharing with Matthew (who by the way is now doing some wonderful pastels) and Debra some tunes in open D tuning on Peters guitar.
And Greg and Rebekah had a wonderful Run on Sunday in Virginia Beach. Kids, and friends all had a wonderful time, Beck and Greg a good run, AND they won a raffle which includes free air tix and hotel to the next run of their choice. They are checking the guidelines for the raffle and if it fits I vote for Hawaii!!! Let's hope so. Great fun. The diner awaits. See you soon. JIMBO

The latest

Tues. Sep

Labor Day Weekend

Sat. 8am. It's a beautiful weekend here in the Northeast. Rebekah and Greg and the kids are in Virginia Beach for the Leukemia Foundation Rock n Roll Run. Together they raised over $12,000. I'm so proud of and thankful to the 2 of them. I still have not gotten a report about my liver. It seems it's a vacation week, things are slower this week. One clerk at the Radiation office said reports take 2 days, sending me into today which of course is a holiday weekend. This despite the fact my Doctor said he could read the results to me hours after the test; meantime he was off yesterday. So, we'll wait until next week for the details. The test was a noisy MRI and the technician neglected to offer me earplugs; after 3 loud courses I pushed the panic button and asked when will I be done??, she said I was only 1/4 done; I told her it was too loud, I was a musician and had to protect my hearing; she asked "don't you have earplugs in??" NO. Somebody forgot about that. Dumb. One of the first mishaps I've come across at MSKCC. Most are so thorough and professional. I also asked her to start warning me when the noise was coming and to explain the process as we went along. She was pretty much not interested in a patients comfort, reaction etc.
Meantime after the test Carol and I had a wonderful visit with Bob and Doreen Ayers at their shop on 47th street. Bob is a very experienced percussionist now renting instruments and rehearsal space to performers in and around NYC. They have a great space, immense number of interesting and valuable instruments, (including my 1st Kay double bass!!) and we had a great time seeing the setup and having lunch at a diner. Fun. We had worked together in Caldwell and NJ Symphony , North Jersey Wind Symphony and NJ Pops, and PaperMill Playhouse for many years. So my goals for this weekend are to keep warming up my chops to hopefully get back into rehearsing Brass 5 and Tbone 4 and Blues Band. Its coming along. I enjoy the practicing time and the time tp paint etc. This week we spent time framing drawings. Fun. Next week I join an Artists Forum at 1978 to share/critique etc. Blood test numbers from Tuesday are ok, not great. It seems with each progressive Chemo it takes longer for the bone marrow to replenish etc. I'm protected and don't need transfusion support at this time, but I thought my numbers would be higher. I feel good and will get another set of numbers on Sept. 10th when I go for blood test, bone marrow test and a final CT Scan on the lungs/pneumonia thing. Carol and I are having a good time here in Maplewood this holiday weekend. I haven't yet gotten to Woodstock but we will this fall. Peace. Enjoy the weekend. JIMBO