Second trip to Pittsburgh

We made our second pilgrimage to Pittsburgh yesterday, this time with sunny weather. On the way we listened to "Wrestling with the Faith We Love" (Kate Bowler's interview with Randall Balmer about evangelicalism) and a This American Life episode about students from a poor school and a rich school just 3 miles apart. This brought back fond memories of our road trips before Lily was born, when we would binge TAL episodes, including our favorite, Paint by Numbers.

My appointment wasn't until 2, but Leland had an important Faculty Senate meeting on Zoom at noon. Our friends David and Denise came to the rescue, setting us up with work space and lunch at their beautiful new home less than 2 miles from the Hillman Center. After a short walk through the neighborhood admiring the architecture and stunning stained glass windows, Leland and I migrated to separate areas of the house to do our respective work. It is wonderful to have friends in Pittsburgh that we can rely on.

stained glass in Squirrel Hill

I knew I would have bloodwork done and meet with Dr. Villaruz, but I wasn't exactly sure what we would be discussing. We learned that the bloodwork and EKG are routine procedures to identify any initial Tagrisso side effects. Thankfully, those came back normal. 

I asked Dr. Villaruz about my pulmonologist's interpretation of the CT scans (that the post-Tagrisso scan looked worse than the pre-Tagrisso). Her take on it is that when cancer grows in such a diffuse manner--like a web--it can be very difficult to measure. I have no tumor to measure; a filmy haze drapes my lungs. So at this point--until I get my next scan in about 6 weeks--there's no easy way to tell if the lungs are objectively better or worse, unless you take out a piece of the lung. 

In the meantime, Dr. Villaruz agrees that it's a very good sign that I'm using less oxygen, building stamina, and not having any additional shortness of breath, especially since I've been tapering off steroids (today is my last day). Tagrisso side effects usually take 4+ weeks to develop, so the next 2+ weeks will be telling.  

The other good news is that the liquid (blood) biopsy from my previous visit showed no evidence of the EGFR cancer mutation in my blood. Dr. Villaruz explained that fragments of DNA are released into the blood system, so it's an encouraging sign that I'm not shedding cancerous DNA. We needed these pieces of hopeful news like the parched land needed Sunday's rain.

I'll have a CT scan done at Mt. Nittany in about 6 weeks and will then head back to Pittsburgh. Now we wait. Again.

On the culinary front, I made dinner for the first time since returning home. My first attempt a few days prior proved disastrous. I was peeling a squash for a pumpkin black bean stew when the peeler slipped and sliced my thumb. Even though it was "only a flesh wound," I bled like stuck pig because I'm on blood thinners. So, Leland had to take over making dinner. My second attempt was successful: pasta with salsa fresca, a summertime favorite. Now that I can move around the kitchen without oxygen, I am able to use the stove (flame + oxygen = bad). 

I've started walking more, still with oxygen. Most days I've been getting 8,000+ steps, some days even 10,000 (before the pulmonary embolisms I routinely got 15-20K biking and walking around Hamburg). Hills are still challenging, but I can handle them if I bump up the oxygen and walk slowly. Let me know if you want to join me for a slow walk. 

I've also started doing kettle bell squats again. For the last few years I've done 3 sets of 10 (20kg). When I began last week I could barely lift the kettle bell. I was disheartened that I could only manage 3x3, but Leland reminded me to go easy on myself since I'm starting at zero. I've lost a lot of muscle in my quads because I'm no longer biking or doing high intensity interval training workouts.

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Thanks again to friends for providing delicious meals, dropping by to visit, and picking up Lily from volleyball practice.