Medical History 2017-18

    Medical History 2017-18 of Eldon D. Olsen

Smile, things could be worse, so I smiled and sure enough, things did get worse.

Picture (with smile) August 2018 at Twin Rocks

Diagnosed with prostate cancer (Gleason 8) Fall of 2017.

Forty-five daily radiation treatments, $60,000, ending in December. It zapped the cancer! But in the process damaged the rectum.

Four months clear, then radiation proctitis bleeding started.

Steroid suppositories not effective.

Liver biopsy and blood test indicated liver and kidney weak.  Water retention in legs and stomach.

Three colonoscopy-like treatments couldn't stop the bleeding, $4,000 each. The proctologist gave up and referred to a hematologist. We really like Dr. Wells, the hematologist, who is also LDS and takes times to explain things.

Dr. Keith Wells

Emergency room for fever with 2 blood transfusions at $4,000. CT scan. E-coli infection, in hospital 3 days, $17,000.

Esther and Zachary

Started Cyclosporine (for immune suppression).

Several more blood and iron transfusions/infusions. Wonderful children and grandchildren donated blood to ease my guilt feelings of requiring blood.

Started Sucralfate twice daily rectal coating treatment. Janeil was taught in the hospital how to do them. It takes 20 minutes and she reads to me in between turnings. We read through the journals of our missions (wonderful reading!) and the book, Saints. Still doing the treatments.

Forty daily hyperbaric-oxygen chamber treatments, $50,000, ending in October, 2018. Weekday trips to Albany. Janeil drove (she claimed I drove verbally) and during the 2 ½ hour treatments, she went to exercise at the YMCA and shopped (adding greatly to the cost of the experience).  Required an Echocardiogram and tubes through ear drums. Resulted in less frequent bleeding.

Bone marrow biopsy.

Diagnosis received Aug. 18, 2018. Life threatening rare bone marrow failure condition called Aplastic Anemia.  Bone marrow isn't producing sufficient blood cells. Terminal within months if untreated.  Technically not cancer but behaves like it.  Only 1/10,000 have this condition. Cause and cure unknown for this bone marrow disorder but it can be managed with medication.

No pain, but lots of worry about bleeding and also diarrhea (the latter a result of medication). Lacking energy and also experiencing discouragement at times. Reluctant to leave the house, but am attending a cancer support group monthly which helps my attitude.

Started a new drug (on the market since 2014), Promacta pills, $24,000 per month. Conditions improved some by Fall 2018. I look like a very old man--gaunt and boney shoulders and arms, but below that like the Pillsbury Doughboy. The nurses like me because I tell jokes and ask about their families.

All costs covered by Providence Health Insurance (Medicare/ Medicaid) except small co-pays.  Rx insurance plan.

Services provided by the Corvallis Clinic, Samaritan Regional Cancer Center, the Hbot Center in Albany and Willamette Valley Cancer Institute.  I'm grateful for modern medicine and that it is located close by.

Fifty percent survival rate (five years). If I survive that long you can call me a "million dollar" man.  I don't feel like I will, but it's in the Lord's hands. His will be done. And there are still things to smile about! 

My Siblings

I would like my children to know more about my siblings.

This photo was taken at my parents' (Marvin and Carol Olsen's) 50th wedding anniversary celebration in August of 1987. My sister, (Marion) Gayle is 11 months older than I am. Three brothers followed: Leslie was five years younger, Lloyd was six years younger, and (Clifton) Brent was 11 years younger. Leslie died as a baby when six months old. Brent is the tall, dark one in the back of the picture.


My folks moved a lot with my father's job as a soil scientist. Gayle was born in Phoenix, Arizona. I was born in American Fork, Utah. Leslie and Lloyd were born in Montrose, Colorado. Brent was born in Richfield, Utah. My siblings currently each live in a different state: Gayle is in Texas, Lloyd in Utah, and Brent in Arizona.

Gayle and Lloyd divorced their young spouses and remarried. Gayle had three children with Delbert "Norris" Hutchinson: Lori, Lyn, and Lysle. Lyn was a lifelong friend of mine. Gayle is the step mother of Joe Jenson's three children from his first marriage.

Lloyd has two children: Travis John (T J) and Stephanie with his current wife, Nancy. His previous marriage with Christine (Christy) produced three girls: Lisa, Jenny, and Stacey.

Brent has two daughters with his wife Ronda: Hailey and Heather. There are lots of grand nieces and nephews I've never met.

Gayle worked for the IRS in their fraud division specializing in fake returns filed from prisons.  She has made and sold crafts since her retirement. Lloyd was a property manager for a Utah school system. Lloyd was also a staff sergeant in the Utah National Guard and liked to play in softball leagues with his wife, who was a high school math and PE teacher. Brent worked his whole career in the meat industry. His wife, Ronda, works for Wells Fargo.

We all graduated from high schools in south Salt Lake. Although we lived in the same house, Gayle graduated from East High, I graduated from South High, and Brent and Lloyd graduated from Highland High, a new school built near our home. I was the only one to go on to college and to go on a mission. Brent had several "cool" cars through the years.

The last time I talked to Gayle was a mom's funeral in 2002. Lloyd calls a couple of times a year. Brent has visited us several times on business trips. Lloyd lived near mom's retirement center so he saw her almost weekly during the last few years of her life.

Both of my brothers are taller than I am. Since there was a big age difference between the boys we never interacted much. We liked each other and still do. Brent was 12 when I was dating Janeil and he tagged along on several of our dates. I was a pest to my older sister. One day I remember she was upset with me and the worst insult she could muster was, "You have no personality."

In contrast to my siblings, Janeil's sisters, Lois and Gail, are well know to our kids. Aunt Gail has been a confidant to Sheryl and Brenda when they were at BYU and since. Gail has invited the whole family to many family dinners when we were in Utah on visits. Gail was very kind to Carl over the years. Lois' children are equivalent in age to our family. About a decade ago we would have yearly large campout family reunions.

No, I don't glow in the dark

This is a summary of my prostate cancer treatment at the Samaritan Pastega Regional Cancer Center in Corvallis Oregon during the fall of 2017.

My primary care physician  Dr. Athay, referred me to a Urologist because of elevated PSA levels and frequent urination. The levels were doubling every six months.  The Urologist, Dr. Brandt, did a prostate biopsy which indicated cancer in 3 of the six locations sampled.  The biopsy classified my cancer as a Gleason 8 which is very aggressive. The urologist referred me to a Radiation oncologist, Dr. Wahl. A bone scan indicated that the cancer had not metastasized.  A CT scan indicated that the adjacent organs and tissue were also cancer free. The treatment would be a hormone shot to stop testosterone production (which promotes the cancer growth), wait 6 weeks, then start 9 weeks of external beam radiation. The radiation treatments would be 5 times per week.  I turned 77 years old shortly before the treatments began.

The prostate gland is a walnut sized organ located next to the bladder.  It produces seminal fluid during an ejaculation of sperm.  Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men (22% of all types of new cancer cases in 2016).  Since my father died of it at age 82, my risk of getting it was doubled. The survival rate is the best of all of the forms of cancer.  In 2016 there were only 26,210 deaths reported in the USA.  If the cancer is detected and treated early there is a nearly a 100% survival rate for 5 years. It is estimated that 1 in 6 men will get prostate cancer.  Most men with prostate cancer die of other causes such as heart attacks, strokes,  or age related illnesses. Prostate cancer is an old man problem. By comparison lung cancer, which is the second most common form of cancer, has a very high mortality rate. Prostate cancer has no known cause while lung cancer is preventable.

The radiation therapy machine (linac) is shown above. The linear accelerator is able to produce high-energy beams. Computers and software control the size and shape of the beams. The machine rotates around the stationary patient. Treatment takes about 15  minutes and is painless. The technicians get me lined up and then step out of the room to watch the treatment on monitors.

I experienced only two significant side affects. First the testosterone shot mellowed me considerably and squelched my sex drive. Secondly the radiation treatments caused fatigue. Before one of my treatments I fainted in the restroom and bruised my  hip, but luckily had nothing broken.

It is very important for the prostate position to remain stationary in the body during the 9 weeks of treatments. Therefore my weight had to remain constant. During each treatment a full bladder was needed. Also a balloon was inflated in the rectum with the result of "pinning" the prostate in exactly the same position for each treatment.  The abdomen had three dye markers which the linac used to make sure the body was correctly positioned.

Samaritan billed  the insurance company about $3,000 for each treatment. Medicare negotiated this fee to $1,500 pre treatment. My out of pocket was only about $60 per treatment.  I better last at least 5 years more in order to make it a good investment.

My support group is Janeil driving, super nice nurses, and a harpist in the waiting room. Also a free massage once a week that I didn't take advantage of.

Should Southwest Airlines Propose a Jumbo-bum Surcharge?

On our  flight from Portland to Chicago Midway we were boarding with only middle seats still available. We needed to sit towards the front so that we could later rush to our connecting flight to Manchester, N. H. with only minutes to spare. On the first seat available the people on both sides (aisle and window) were spilling over and under the armrests. The rotund lady sitting by the window had her large purse in the seat as if to say it was already claimed territory.  When Janeil asked for the seat the lady then mentioned that there were seats available in the back of the plane.

Janeil spent the whole 5 hours in the seat with her arms locked to her sides because the armrests were occupied. If she had been as clever as Steve Martin in the film Roxanne there are probably 20 retorts  she could have fired at her. Such as, "Did you pay for two seats?"

If people have posterior dimensions that take more than one seat width shouldn't they be surcharged just like excess baggage? Most airlines have a gauge to check the carry-on luggage dimensions. In a like manner the airlines could install a seat at the boarding area that has an alarm indicating when the flab limit has been exceeded. The surcharge would only be required when only middle seats need to be used.

Postscript, we made our connecting flight even though I forgot my coat in the overhead storage bin and had to elbow my way through the departing passengers to retrieve it.

Why don't you buy a canary?

My Nissan Frontier pickup has a cracked exhaust manifold. This means that exhaust gas can leak out between the engine and the muffler. One of the main components of this exhaust is carbon monoxide (CO). It is odorless and invisible. Nut cases who want to commit suicide park their car in a closed garage with the engine running and die. The person doesn’t   feel a thing; they just pass out and quit breathing.  

I’ve decided not to get the problem fixed immediately, the bill would be $410. My temporary solution is to drive with the truck windows down this summer. When it rains I’m going to take the CO detector from the bedroom and put it on the car seat beside me. When I explained this to Janeil her response was, “Why don’t you get a pet canary instead to ride with you? If it passes out before you do, you’ll know you’re in danger.”  

She would really like me to sell the pickup. When I checked with KIA Nissan here in Corvallis they weren’t interested in buying it at any price.  They said it was basically sound, but that it would cost them too much to make it “pretty enough” to sell.

MAYA MYSTERY

Mayan codices

Mayan sculpted glyphs

In the mid 1550’s the Catholic clergy under the direction of Bishop Diego de Landa collected and burned the ancient writings of the Maya in the Mesoamerica region.  These books were in the form of codices written on fig tree bark in the unique Mayan hieroglyphic language.  The Spanish masters felt they were ridding the Mayan people of idolatry.  Innumerable clay and stone artifacts were also smashed and burned.

“Thus, flames devoured the precious Maya books and the flames destroyed the cornerstone of Maya civilization, reduced to ashes the scientific backbone of a highly civilized people and sounded the death knell of independent Maya thought.” (Blom, The Conquest of Yucatan p 109).

The clergy banned the writing of hieroglyphics and within a generation the ability to write and read this remarkable language died.  Fortunately, the clergy could not destroy the writings that were sculpted on the temples, palaces, stela monuments and pyramids that lay hidden under mounds of decay in the Mesoamerican jungles.  When these ancient city-state buildings were discovered and reported by John Lloyd Stephens in 1841, an effort to revive the ancient Mayan writings began.

In the 1950’s the code began to emerge with brilliant work by numerous language “detectives”  This was aided by the discovery of the Dresden codex which had 78 leaves, each 3.5 inches by 8.7 inches, of text and pictures.  Since then the ancient Mayan language is now 90%  recovered with only a few glyphs untranslated. 

Two other mysteries have not yet been solved.  First how did the advanced systems of mathematics, writing, and astronomy seemingly appear fully developed out of thin air in around 600 BC?  Mayan language is one of only five independent systems known to human development.  Secondly, why did the social and political system of city-states that had been successful for 15 centuries suddenly cease to flourish around 900 AD?  The whole region went into a steep, irreversible decline with no more major building projects and no more genealogical chronologies carved.  Perhaps the destroyed codices could have given us the answers of why these kingdoms were abandoned.

Love Thy Neighbor

The neighbor's rat family has been enjoying our pear crop this year.  They have eaten over half of the pears on the tree.  So far they haven't developed a taste for the squash or tomatoes in the garden nearby.

We also wrote notes to the neighbors who have been parking too close to our driveway. I put some bright orange tree marking paint on the curb to try to "guide" the drivers. I have their license numbers and will use the "three strikes and you get a ticket" approach.

Unfortunately they will probably move their cars before the local police finish their donuts at the coffee shop.