Father’s Day

Last week was Father’s Day, and I got some nice cards from the kids.

My wife made this for me and if you get the reference, we will be instant friends. Doubtful I’ll wear this one to work though. Google and I don’t exactly share the same sense of humor anymore. Anything considered fun or humorous was unceremoniously removed in late 2015 - much like their “Don’t Be Evil” motto.

My son made this one in his Maker Space class in school and modeled it after Super Mario Bros. 3. He knows it’s one of the best games ever and is also one of my personal favorites. It was very cute that he thought of it and used Tinkercad to print it by himself. It’s also amazing how schools have a Maker Space now. When I was a kid, we had one Apple II in the back of the class and we had to be a good student to use it. So obviously, I rarely had a chance.

I have the two cutest and sweetest kids in the world. They’re the best things to happen to this underachieving moron. I don’t know how I got so lucky.

In other news, I had an MRI on my head last week. (If you’re new here: kidney cancer. Longer version here.) When kidney cancer spreads, it is most likely to continue on to your lungs, brain, and/or back bones, so getting through this last scan was a bit of a rough one for a few reasons. If you haven’t had an MRI yet, it’s not easy or quick like a CT or PET scan. They strap you to a table, stick needles in your arms, give you hearing protection, and shove you into a very tiny tube. In the case of a head MRI, they strap your head down as well. If you’re at all claustrophobic, this will be your worst nightmare. The good news is that I’ve had plenty of them and know a few tricks not to freak the hell out. First off, close your eyes and mentally put yourself anywhere else, and don’t open them for any reason. They say it only takes about 20 minutes, but it feels like so much longer. Bone scans are the only ones I’m aware of that put the sensor closer to your face. That one nearly touches your nose.

Typically scan results go to the doctor and they release it after review. If you see the results without a discussion, the results are good. However, if you get a phone call days later without seeing the results, then the opposite is true. Six days passed before I heard anything, and then I suddenly got a phone call while lying in bed. The oncology team at Kaiser SF called to let me know the results.

They were really busy that week and didn’t have the time to release it. The scans were clear and my brain is healthy.

Way to make that the best Father’s Day gift, just a week late.