Chicago

You too!

Advanced Prostate Cancer, Chicago, David Emerson, Miller-Coors, Soldier Field, U2 -

I don’t like the term ‘bucket list’. It infers that ultimately there is an end. I prefer to focus on what to do in the present.I’m not saying I don’t have a list, as a matter of fact I posted a list here years back that I should probably review.

With this in mind, I spent my the last two days in Chicago with a dear friend. We were there to see the band U2 in concert at Soldier Field. This was my first time seeing this band in concert and they didn’t disappoint, it was great! The stage cannot be explained, it is enormous! For those of you who are not fans I’ll just say this, U2 is one of the few bands that after having been together for over 30 years you can sense that they enjoy what they are doing and more importantly, enjoy being with each other and being a band. Short of providing the set list, I’ll just say it was a splendid mix of new and old.

One of the best parts of the trip was the fact that we never went to the miracle mile/Michigan Ave. I say that because of the dozens of times I have been to downtown Chicago, I have always stayed in and around Michigan Ave. This time we stayed one night at a friend’s place up near Wrigleyville and last night at another friend’s place in Old Town. I appreciated both their hospitality and the exposure I had to a new part of Chicago, truly a new experience for me.

We rode the El, took a few cabs and walked, a LOT! I would guess we walked 10+ miles yesterday alone and for me, I loved every step of the adventure! We ate great food, enjoyed cold beverages, met new friends, laughed, talked and generally soaked up the beauty of the windy city.

I’m trying to figure out how to get to St. Louis to see the band perform once again on July 17th!!

The Windy City

Advanced Prostate Cancer, chemotherapy, Chicago, David Emerson, PCa, the Windy City -

Being that Brad had a 5 day weekend last week, we decided in early September to make the most of it and head for Chicago.

I wish the weather would have cooperated but it wasn’t so bad. The rain was light and only bothersome as we waited outside the Shedd Aquarium. Brad had never been on the eL, in a public bus or a cab, we did all three! We visited ESPN Zone, the Hancock building, Michigan Avenue stores and enjoyed a dinner at Giordano’s. It was a fun three days away and I can’t wait to go back soon.

On a personal note, leading up to the trip I once again had been having hip and leg pain. I had spent a lot time the previous week or ten days sleeping and using a heating pad at night. It was cold and damp out the week that it seemed to be at its worst. Advil helped but the mild pain was rather persistent. When we arrived in Chicago the twenty minute walk to the hotel included a very noticeable limp on my part. Leading up to the trip I had reached the point where Advil was no longer needed but the mild pain was still lingering. The good news is by the time we walked back to the eL on Saturday, it was without a limp. Three days back at work and it’s all gone.
Mary thinks the pain may be from arthritis after having chemo, I’m not so sure. She did research on this and found instances where patients have developed arthritis after chemotherapy, specifically Taxotere. We’ll have a lengthy discussion with Dr. V on the 9th and go from there.

Fall is here. Although it’s not my favorite time of the year, the beauty of the foliage is stunning this year in KC. That is all for now.