At age 4 the world was waiting to be discovered.....

Yesterday I had a CT-scan and the contrast fluid made me glow from top-to-toe. Some allergic reaction in nose and throat was a concern but they eventually let me go. The sweet nurse spoke fluent English with British accent as she had studied in England. While waiting for hours in queues, I sneezed and sneezed for all to hear. The scan shows no surprises according to my doctor. The detailed analysis will follow in 2 weeks. Blood test was also normal also so I had my 29th Opdivo infusion in the afternoon.

Yesterday's routine: a quiet 10min walk to Mitaka station, a 45 minute train ride by Tozai-line to Tsukiji station where the fish market is, a 10min walk to the hospital, queueing for the insurance document check, queuing for the blood test, queuing for the CT-scan document check, queueing for the scan, queueing to see my doctor, queueing to get lunch, queueing to get my infusion, queueing to complete documentation, queueing at the cashier, queueing for the 10min bus ride to Tokyo station, the 30 min train ride to Mitaka and then a quiet walk home. I am glad I live in Tokyo where no one jumps queues.

This week Dr Honjo received the Nobel prize as he discovered 20 years ago that the immune cells (T-cells) have a blocker (PD-1) which the smart cancer cells activate. The developed Opdivo quietly does its work to switch the blocker in the T-cells off so they can trace and kill the tumours cells.

This consumes most of my energy. My sister said the aging process may have set in earlier for me, hence the similarities with her tiredness and lack of energy to undertake new things. Apparently I alway had the false notion that getting older would pass me by, and that I would just start pushing daisies bursting with energy. I wonder why it never dawned upon me what aging actually would do to my body.

Anyway, I don’t plan to think about that too much. It comes day by day, and age is s mindset. Being young at heart means accepting change immediately as ideas will pop up how to handle it. Sticking to trusted patterns and comfortable ways is tempting but creates a flawed sense of security. The recent earthquakes and typhoons reminded me and my family once again to be ready for the worst, always.

I cherish the days my parents guided me down the stairs of my grandma’s house. Don’t I look like my dad?
What they went through to raise 5 kids and prepare us for what the world has to offer....