April 25th – Dad felt a rash forming, so we mention it to our radiology doctor who recommends that we cut all supplements besides his prescriptions. Besides that, I also discussed writing a will with my grandparents, who are currently under lockdown in Shanghai and probably have nothing else to do. Generally older Chinese folks like to push this kind of stuff away for later since it’s kind of taboo to talk about it, but since my parents were doing theirs, I thought I might as well remind them.
April 26th – Got ready for the anxiety-inducing process of senior year room draw and ended up snagging the crown jewel that is Morton 104. Felt a little more of a sore throat than previous days (not sure if it’s because I’m hugging our cat too much or because I got sick from Cleveland orchestra concerts). Dad gave me a haircut. Apparently both radiation machines were broken today so dad had to wait an hour before they could get them running again.
April 27th – Mom noticed our Lexus had a knocking noise during braking, so I learned how to schedule a service appointment with the dealer. Besides that, it was just another day spent being a suburban mom for Wilton, who just had his Suzuki Book 2 group performance today. I also spent spent more time investigating our home’s well water and ordered a chemical test offered by our county’s public health department.
April 28th – I spent the morning with a high school friend making wonton soup. Got to teach that old dog some new tricks today. I then spent the entire rest of the afternoon accompanying Wilton at a chamber ensemble coaching. I ended the day by finding out that it was probably a rust spot causing our car’s braking knocking noise, since it was gone by dinner time. Dad’s rash is worse and over most of his body now. We think it’s some kind of allergic reaction to a medication he’s taking (or started recently), most likely either the Eliquis or allergy medicine he started.
April 30th – I spent my “day off” from watching Wilton finishing up a guide for next year’s Hong Kong exchange students.
May 1st – Happy May day! I learned how to sharpen a chainsaw and called my old roommate and friend Jeff at Dart! Learned how to read the electric and gas meters on our house. Dad stopped taking Claritin three days ago, but the rash seems to stay (really red all over, worse than Friday but seems consistent from then).
May 2nd – Stopped Eliquis and his antibiotics to try and stop the rash. Started Xarelto in place of the Eliquis. Did some more housework.
May 3rd – Ohio Primary elections today—I went around 11am; I was the only p.o.c. and the only person under the age of 60 in that room. Granted, it was 11am on a Tuesday and our town is 91% white so that’s to be expected I guess. I took dad to radiation for the first time in a while. We get some groceries after.
May 4th – Dad made me help him cut down a huge dead tree in our yard and to burn the wood in a bonfire for fertilizer. I treated us to some Flipside burgers today.
May 5th – Since the water quality test needs to be done after a period of 6 hours of no water use, I woke up at 6:30am to work with the contractor from our county public health department. I also drove to our Lexus dealer to drop off our car for maintenance on the strange noises it was making (we wanted to get as much out of our warranty as possible). Afterwards, I bring dad to radiation and also run errands with him after. I also purchase a standing desk for my room to prepare for my remote summer internship. Both my parents are still plowing ahead with their gardening and landscaping goals this year, and they’re forcibly tugging me along and making me help (including chopping down multiple dead trees and keeping basically a 24/7 bonfire going).
May 6th – Last day of radiation. He brought the face mold used to secure his face while they operate the machine back on the car since he doesn’t need it anymore (basically a hockey mask). From here on out it’s going to be maintenance chemotherapy (23 + 5) and clinical trial visits to CCF Main Campus. He just needs to finish two more days of chemo. In other news, I spent the day cleaning our kitchen and also cooked some budae-jjigae!
May 7th – Another Lowe’s workshop with Wilton. We go as a family to pick up our Lexus from the dealer (the brake pads were worn completely away) and returned the loaner; we followed up by hiking Gorge Metro Park in Cuyahoga Falls (muddy as usual, so of course I had to slip and fall in). Insert Wilton waterfall picture. I shave dad’s head (half of it is growing hair, half not). Dartmouth’s fall 2022 course timetable came out and I just gotta say R.I.P to both my major plans. Hyped for the COYO concert tomorrow.
May 8th – Mother’s Day! I drop Wilton off at Chinese School and buy some roses. I then spend the day cleaning the house to prep for my great aunt and uncle’s arrival. My mom and I left for Cleveland at 5, and I had dinner at a rice noodle shop with Darren, a close high school friend (last time we talked was Dec 2019). Mom had a meal from next door. Then, we met up with another old COYO violinist (Andrew) to watch Vinay’s last COYO concert—the program included Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 performed by senior Moonhee Kim and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances. Truly a sight to behold from front row. As Andrew put it nicely, watching all the young members graduate this year made us feel like we had a foot in the nursing home already. During the post-concert reception, I got the chance to talk to my old conductor again before he leaves Cleveland for good and I got the proper goodbye photo I didn’t get when I graduated. Truly a nostalgic night.
May 9th – Dad’s all finished with radiation but he went in to Akron one last time to check in with our oncologist to get blood work done and to make sure the rash is gone. School was also cancelled for Wilton today since half of the teachers at his school received food poisoning after a catering meal provided for teacher’s appreciation day. Nice. The county public health water tester also called today with good results.
May 10th – Basically a whole day spent at CCF with the research nurse explaining the clinical trial we’re about to undertake. In short, he enrolled in a phase II clinical trial for the “SurVaxM” vaccine—the way it should theoretically work is by teaching one’s immune system to attack the “survivin” protein, present in many cancers and particularly GBM. In doing so, it should inhibit blood flow to tumor spots to slow or stop growth. It consists of multiple shots paired with an immune response booster shot, along with the normal doses of adjuvant (maintenance) chemotherapy of 23 rest and 5 treatment days. The trial does come with risk though—60% of patients receive the real vaccine while 40% receive a placebo, and the study is double-blind, meaning that neither we nor our doctor will know which one we got until after 24 months, at which point we are “unblinded” and will be allowed to know which one was given. Both Dr. Peereboom and the research nurse, Rebecca, quoted favorable outcomes from the phase I study of those who received the real vaccine. Following the meeting, he goes to take his first baseline MRI as part of the study. In the evening, I picked up my great aunt and uncle at Akron Canton airport and drove them home.
May 11th – No rest for the weary: the day after they arrive, my aunt and uncle are already cooking meals for us. I spent the day building the standing desk I got to prepare for this summer’s internship and also did a lot of decluttering.
4/5 setup. missing cat.