Monday, October 12, 2009

Video Blog: Week 1 in Review

16 comments:

SixTen80 said...

Thank you guys so much for sharing. I'd seriously rather watch you guys than J&K+some number.

tim's wife said...

Tim's GI tract got a little slow too when he started Velcade. I think prunes are a great idea. Tim's doc puts his patients on metamucil if I recall too. There was just a "thread" about this topic on the ACOR myeloma listserv and it turns out the anti-nausea drugs they sometimes give you before Velcade pushes can be the main reason behind constipation. Some patients found that if they dropped that drug (they were not having nausea) the constipation went away. In Tim's case, he found the constipation lessened after the first cycle or two anyway.

Jessica said...

love you guys. and you remain in our prayers.

Sweet Jilly said...

You guys make me smile. You are so inspirational to anyone going through ANYTHING. It's amazing. So many times you've helped me put things in perspective, and i really appreciate it. When i'm freaking out because i can't figure out which flowers to choose or which wedding invite i like the best (getting married is tough work!!) I just think of what you are going through, and the awesome positive attitudes you continue to have, and I just chill out and deal. So thanks.

Silver Pansy Designs said...

Thanks for sharing with all of us.

Zaankali said...

Here is a totally random comment. Is the picture behind you really written backwards. LOL! I am just kidding I realize that you are using your computer camera. I have such a hard time on Skype with my son because I go to fix my hair and realize that I am not seeing a mirror image of myself and therefore keep brushing my bangs the wrong way. Drives me crazy. See I told you that was random.
I love that you are videoing your journey. It is so much easier to listen then to read.
Keep on kicking it!
Smiles!

BTW-Cassie your hair is way cuter than Kate's!

EJ & Roo said...

love it! you guys could easily replace the craziness that is kate minus john plus 8.
tried to convice my mom to record a vlog today -- she was too busy downing popsicles to ward away the mouthsores.
maybe later this week!

Becky said...

You are like ten times as photogenic as those Gosselins. I love this v-blog idea!

Heather said...

You two crack me up and are VERY entertaining...I love your positive spirit!

On another note, since I work in the medical field and often actually have to make these recommendations to patients (Even though as a speech pathologist I deal with the other end you wouldn't think I wouldn't have to make these sort of recs...but I do)
Try this:

http://www.benefiber.com/products/benefiberPowdersOriginal.shtml

You can sprinkle it on/in anything and I promise it's flavorless.

And this:

http://www.fiberone.com/Product/cereals.aspx?key=honey

Tastes great and yes, you read that right 51% of your daily fiber!

Oh yes, and you can get chocolate-covered prune bites:

http://www.sunsweet.com/products/info.asp?product=plumsweets

Heather

John said...

Yes, you both are very photogenic and doing a terrific job of documenting the process and keeping it real.

Is dex part of your protocol? If so, that may be the source of your heartburn.

I agree that natural remedies are best for the constipation. However, be prepared for dealing with this throughout the treatment. You can mitigate the problem but it is not likely to be eliminated. LOL, forgive the pun! Anyway, be vigilant about the prunes, etc.

keri m said...

Learn to love flaxseed? We call it the 'love ingredient' at our house.

Kate said...

Phil,

This is Kaiti Jones (Kate Schoren now). We were in school to together from Siebert on through Dow. My sister Kristi told me about your diagnosis. First off, I wish you the best of luck. It looks like you have a beautiful, supportive family and a lot of people pulling for you.

Second, I second the idea of using flaxseed. I buy it ground from a health food store (super cheap) and put a spoonful on cereal.

Stay positive, stay tough.

Unknown said...

I live under a rock and had not really heard about jon and kate +/- 8 till this blog. So I went to look. You both are WAY more photogenic than they are and your kids are CUTIER TOO!!! Although, I have so say, from what I know about chemo treatments, I'm trying to picture Phil without eyebrows or eyelashes... :P

Unknown said...

Hey Phil. Amazing to see you handle this with such honesty, bravery, and humor.

I can remember exactly where I was (my tiny apartment in Brooklyn w/ a college friend) when you kicked the game winner against Washington. The pandemonium that ensued is almost indescribable--though it definitely involved us both involuntarily belly flopping off the couch and pounding the floor with our fists while yelling at the top of our lungs.

So basically, I blame you for my resulting bad relationship with my neighbors in the apartment below.

Seriously though, Thanks for an unforgettable moment back in the day and for continuing to inspire today.

uhlaynuh said...

I wish oh how I wish that someone on this blog had an in with the networks. Not any particular one... just AH network. This show would be genius and frankly, I'm willing to sacrifice any show currently taking up space on my DVR to watch it... lets make it happen people!

...and since Jennifer brought it up, I had to go back and rewatch. What does the picture say?

Love and good thoughts to the whole fam... keep kick'n it :)

Mary4Mike said...

Hi guys! We just returned from the University of Michigan on Monday. My husband, Mike, had a stem cell transplant on 10/1 with cells from his perfectly matched sister. The staff up there is great. Are you scheduled anytime soon for transplant? We will be watching your journey as we travel through our own. BTW try yogurt, it helped Mike with "chemo constipation". :)