July 28

I've set my retirement date. July 28. I am super excited and ready. I actually feel great. The darzalex is doing it's job. Today I finished my every other week treatment and starting next cycle I'll be doing infusion only once a month. That is awesome. On Kilimanjaro, it became very clear to me that I want to not work and I want to enjoy life and do the things I want to do. Right now, even though I feel good, I have no energy during the week. I go to work, come home and go to bed at 7:30 or 8. This, for me, is not quality of life. Leslie and I don't have kids, so this is totally doable. We can collect retirement and I can start collecting Social Security Disability even though I'm only 55. Multiple myeloma is an automatic qualifier for SSDI.

I have been battling an ear infection for almost two weeks. It was rather painful for a couple of days then went to being clogged and impacting my hearing. Really annoying. I had it drained the other day. That hurt like fuck. Dr Phan tells me that the dex I get with my infusion will help with the inflammation and the clearing of the ear. As I write this, it already feels more open. I also feel some of the steroid rage coming on. Must sit quietly.

My forehead is just about healed following the removal of the squamous cell carcinoma, aka non-offensive skin cancer.

In a separate post I am going to share post one of the best Ted Talks I have seen. It's appropriate to where I am currently at and is titled The Magic of Not Giving a Fuck.