Geoff Fox: My Permanent Record

This being California things tend to grow really well. That’s what happened with some bushes alongside the patio. They were at least four feet tall at the end of last season.

Unfortunately there was no longer growth in the lowest few feet. The bushes had gotten leggy. Not a good look.

I called Dennis Westler.

I grew up in 5E, Dennis 5F. Neither of us should know anything about plants. It’s what Dennis went to college for. He is the Orchid Doctor. He answers my simpler questions too.

“Shade,” was his answer. The bushes had grown so well they were now shading themselves, limiting lower growth.

It was time to cut. Cutting back plants has always been successful for me. Still, I cut one and waited to make sure.

Now the other bushes have been reduced to bare stubs. From a distance they look dead but when you’re close you can see growth has begun.

Sometimes you’ve just got to cut.

A few months ago, sick of constantly misplacing my phone in plain sight, I bought a case with yellow highlights. The reaction on Facebook was mixed. Some had tried themselves with poor results. No one gave it much chance.

My phone is an HTC10. It is a marvel of manufacturing, slender yet strong. The hard sided case makes it bigger, bulkier and a little industrial. I love it.

How weird is that? Shouldn’t I gravitate toward the slim? It just feels better this way.

As to the effectiveness of the case, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is I misplace the phone just as often as ever. The good news is I find it much faster. Yellow stands out.

All-in-all I’m very happy with my purchase. It works.

By now we’ve all come to the realization someone (something?) is looking over our shoulder every time we use a computer. Your moves are being tracked. Your value is being assessed. It’s the price we pay for everything we get free on the Internet.

It’s definitely creepy.

I’m not sure we need protection against data collection. Where we need it is in how that data gets parsed.

Your browsing data allows you to be categorized. Should you see ads from Saks or Fingerhut? Mercedes or Mazda?

We have no recourse if the data is wrong. You can correct incorrect data on a credit report. You deserve the same ability with online data.

I propose companies collecting data disclose the demographic categories they offer and where each of us fits in individually. Like a credit report we should have the ability to flag and remove incorrect data.

These categorizations affect your life in a big way. They shouldn’t be cloaked in secrecy.

I’m conflicted about our recent bombing of a Syrian airbase. Assad needed to be reminded the world is watching. The bombing was justified.

I wish it wouldn’t have been us who unilaterally launched the attack.

Through my adult life I’ve watched America insert itself in other nation’s business. We seldom make the situation better. Syria is a perfect place to make the wrong decision because there’s really no ‘good’ side in their civil war.

The raid should have been conducted by a coalition of Syria’s neighbors, folks with skin in the game. We sell them enough armaments. It’s not like they don’t have the hardware.

They are scared of the repercussions. No matter how good your intentions you will piss somebody off. We should be concerned too.

My opinion is out of step with the majority. In fact, I understand perfectly how those who support the president’s action feel.

It shouldn’t have been us.

Throughout this whole cancer thing I’ve avoided posting the statistics. They’re really scary.

With my prognosis excellent it’s time to show how lucky I am.

Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. 91% of pancreatic cancer patients will die within five years of diagnosis – only 9% will survive more than five years. 74% of patients die within the first year of diagnosis.

I am very, very, lucky. I’ll try not to forget.

CT scan yesterday. Results today.

Waiting today was tough. There are only two results: Oh shit and OK for now.

Pancreatic cancer is considered incurable. It’s never really gone.

Incredible news! Unfortunately it changes nothing.

I’m still undergoing chemo in another 3-4 weeks. There will be more scans once or twice a year. And every time I will worry as I did today.

This is the surprising part of cancer. You can cure it, but you never get rid of it.

More treatment today. My oncologist thought this would be a good time to sneak a peak inside me, so off to the Medical Factory Outlet for a CT scan. We expect it will show no cancer.

A computerized tomography (CT) scan combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images, or slices, of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside your body. CT scan images provide more detailed information than plain X-rays do. – Mayo Clinic

The scan itself took a few minutes. It’s the prep that’s the killer.

Actually, it was forgetful Geoff first. I forgot to bring the doctor’s orders! I offered to say what was written (because no one fakes a reason to have a CT scan), but no. Twenty minutes round trip driving fast.

Because my scan covered chest, abdomen and pelvis I needed two separate “contrast” liquids. One I chugged. Gawd, it’s awful. The other came via IV though my catheter port.

When you’re scheduled for an IV any medical treatment seems a little more significant and bothersome.

I continue to be irrationally fearful of the port. Zero pain going in and a second or so coming out. I’m a baby where the port’s concerned.

Now comes the wait. I don’t see my oncologist for another few weeks. I’ll be writing his medical assistant asking for a preview when it’s in. Who wants to wait for this kind of news?

I sat down and watched Lewis Black last night. He wasn’t on a channel. I didn’t tune-in on schedule. Lewis sent a Facebook post which begat a tweet.

“The Rant Is Due” describes Lewis returning on-stage after his performance to read emailed questions and comments from fans. This post-show show is then streamed live on Facebook.

First, it’s obvious he enjoys this. Second, it takes little new material. Lewis is just riffing off the fans.

Last night he was in Cedar Rapids. Minneapolis is next, I think. Who knows? I’ll wait for the tweet.

Farrell Meisel came to visit today. He’s the International Man of Mystery, an ex-pat living in Baku, Azerbaijan. He’s on leave for a few weeks and home in the Palm Springs area.

Farrell played a pivotal role in my TV career. He cast me as the male co-host for PM Magazine/Buffalo. It was my first full time TV job.

I know Farrell about 10 minutes longer than I know Helaine! After I met Farrell on the phone and accepted his offer of a job I rushed from the WIFI radio studio, rounded a hallway and knocked down a new girl in promotions — Helaine! We met as I was giving notice.

It was important to me that Farrell approved my studio in-person. And he did. He even took a spin in the chroma key.

It’s been six days since I began taking Creon, a drug to replace enzymes my pancreas no longer makes. It has been, so far, a pretty big success.

CREON and other pancreatic enzyme products are made from the pancreas of pigs, the same pigs people eat as pork. These pigs may carry viruses. Although it has never been reported, it may be possible for a person to get a viral infection from taking pancreatic enzyme products that come from pigs.

Hooray for me!

I’ve stopped taking Imodium and cut way back on Zofran and Compazine, all prescribed “as needed.” At one point I was dosing for my stomach five or six times a day.

That’s the good news. The bad news is my blood sugar has spiked.

Because of my Whipple surgery and cancer treatment half my pancreas is gone. The rest is sort of functioning a little. I’m diabetic and inject insulin and ingest Invokana every day. Until now they had effectively zeroed my diabetes out.

What’s happening isn’t unexpected. Blood sugar is the number one concern on Creon’s list.

The most common side effects include: increased (hyperglycemia) or decreased (hypoglycemia) blood sugars, pain in your stomach area (abdominal area), frequent or abnormal bowel movements, gas, vomiting, dizziness, or sore throat and cough.

By the way — all my doctors and other medical professionals I deal with say, “Don’t read that stuff.” Seriously. Every one.

Now comes the balancing act. I want Creon’s effects, though not quite as strong as they are now. I’m checking with my oncologist today if it’s OK to self dose?

As for the blood sugar, my endocrinologist (I’m collecting a full set of specialists) is having me feel my way to a slightly higher dose of insulin. The pen I inject with has a very easy method for controlling the amount I get.

In so many ways this reminds me of setting the chroma key this weekend with Larry. Every control affects other controls. It’s all just a balancing act.

Even with the cancer gone, this cancer stuff takes a lot of work.

Are there enough drug commercials on television? I can’t turn on the set without seeing happy people conquering life altering problems.

If your drug is aimed at a subset of a subset of a subset of humanity how many pills can you sell? How can they afford this advertising? It’s not volume!

The specialized drugs you see advertised on TV are there because their list prices run in the tens of thousands of dollars per year.

There’s a new one for excema which caught the Times’ attention.

The drug, to be called Dupixent, will carry a list price of $37,000 a year, a hefty price tag for patients who are increasingly being asked to pay a larger share of the drugs they take. Still, its price is a bit lower than many other commonly used biologic drugs, such as Humira and Enbrel, that treat other skin diseases. – NYTimes

Humira and Enbrel are on TV all-the-time. That’s because they cost around the same as a baby Lexus.

Here’s the law we need. Every commercial for a drug must carry the list price in the same typeface and style used by the most prominent text in the ad. It must be on long enough to be comfortably read.

It seems silly that the United State government, probably the largest purchaser of drugs in the world, gets the worst of all deals. You’re on the hook for me through Medicare. You’re being taken to the cleaners.

I made a presentation for a potential client last week and was very disappointed they were disappointed with my studio’s video.

They were right. In retrospect I should have caught it.

When built and installed the studio camera and lighting were mostly eyeballed in. I was learning. I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

It worked, so I never went back.

This weekend it was time to get everything in spec. Larry Fitzgerald, friend from his Channel 8 New Haven days came by. Larry’s an editor based in Burbank. He cuts packages for Miss USA and Miss Universe every year and does a lot of reality shows. A lot.

At Channel 8 he was our production director in charge of all studio activities. He was the perfect assistant (and by assistant I mean I did everything he told me to do).

We moved the camera forward, the lights back and removed some diffusing paper. For those counting I’m getting around 29 lux on my face while standing on my mark.

With a “chip chart” we calibrated the camera. We checked the colors on a vectorscope to make sure the phase was correctly set. White is now white! What a concept.

There’s additional light hitting the green wall with the diffusing paper off. That meant starting from scratch resetting the chroma key. This process lets me stand in front of a blank green wall and look like I’m in front of a map.

My TriCaster’s keyer likes the additional light. It’s delivering the cleanest key I’ve gotten.

As you can tell from the photo, Larry’s pretty pleased. Me too. My gear is capable of looking as good as any HD studio. It’s my fault it didn’t look that way last week. It does now.

At the moment I’m taking four different medications for stuff going on in my stomach–all adverse reactions to treatment. The cure is chemical.

Each pill is a specialist. Two (I alternate) are for nausea. One helps my stomach digest food more efficiently using enzymes. The last one no one wants to hear about. Seriously, you don’t.

A few are taken at meals. Others every four hours. One is as needed, up to eight times a day. It’s confusing.

Do they interact? Yes. Therein lies the rub. Interaction has brought a new problem, also unmentionable.

I have a fairly good understanding of the dosing involved. Now I’ll start adjusting schedules until the pills and my stomach are happy together.

I don’t expect my doctors to do this. I’m not sure how they could.

Oh — and pills are expensive. I’m not sure who pays list price, but Walgreen says my insurance saved me $838 on the last one alone. My end was $13 and change. When I can I get my pills from the insurance company’s mail order pharmacy which usually has zero copay.

A few months from now my medical obligations will fade away. I’ll be in observe and report mode with regular testing. Medical intervention should slow down, maybe stop. Until then, I’m one of the doctors.

Dear America —

You know, the healthcare thing that got shot down today because far right Republicans couldn’t agree with moderate Republicans? There is a way to get a better deal than what Obamacare is now.

COMPROMISE!

Bring in the Democrats. Make a deal. No one said Obamacare can’t be better.

There are 192 Dems. You don’t need to convince every one, just thirty or so. On the other hand, there is no compromise from the Freedom Caucus (aka Tea Party), the Republican’s most conservative faction.

Our nation’s history is filled with bipartisan compromise. It’s part of our nation’s strength.

For a few decades I helped negotiate the union contract at Channel 8. It’s a difficult job I’d never want again.

In the end both sides compromise to make a deal they can live with. No one gets exactly what they want, but both sides are invested in the outcome. And it’s tougher to be a dick in a face-to-face negotiation than it is in a press release.

Ask about my cancer and it won’t take long before the subject moves to care. No complaining. My care received has been excellent even beyond my amazing outcome.

Compassionate care makes all-the-difference. Remember, these are the people I’m trusting to hurt or even wound me in the name of medicine! I need to trust they’re on Team Geoff.

I traded emails with Nicole, physician’s assistant to my oncologist, yesterday. At this level of care I have easy access to him through her. My email was about Creon and all the commercials I’m seeing for the Neulasta patch. At the end I wrote:

To your last point — the care I’ve received in the Hoag system has been incredible (plus the USC Treatment Center). Every medical professional has been kind and caring. I need to trust you to allow you to hurt me — and I do. Knowing I’m being served by people who care makes it easier.

Not such a big deal. I told her I appreciate her and her colleagues. She replied:

Wow! In 15 years, I have never heard it put in those exact words before…..
But what you say is so true.

Early on and with Helaine’s encouragement every medical professional we’ve dealt with has been personally told of our gratitude for their work. I want them to know. I want to encourage them to always be this way.

The vast majority of my treatment has been below the physician level. I see nurses and therapists and technicians and phlebotomists, the nuts and bolts of my medicine, more often than the doctors they work for. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for taking care of me.