Dave's Ride for Josh: The Scenic Shore 150 Bike Tour

Today's post, which will last throughout the weekend, is a request for support.  Dave, one of my oldest and closest friends, will be riding in The Scenic Shore 150 Bike Tour.  He had told me he was going to do it almost immediately upon finding out my diagnosis.  He has since taken up cycling, which I'm obviously thrilled about.

This ride starts in Mequon, WI  (a Northern suburb of Milwaukee), ends in Manitowoc that night, and the next day finishes at Potawatomi state park.  Those familiar with the area can tell you this ride will parallel lake Michigan's Eastern shore, and thus the title is very appropriate.  In fact, I wish I could join Dave.





This ride benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the following is from his note.

On July 24th and 25th, I will be participating in the Scenic Shore 150 Bike Tour to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  I will be doing this 150 mile bike ride in honor of my close friend, Josh, who was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma in January.

I will be taking pledges for donations that will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  These donations have helped fund research that has developed some amazing advances in treating blood cancers, and helping or even saving patients lives.

Please visit my fundraising page. To make a pledge at: 

 DAVES RIDE FOR JOSH

http://wi.ss150.llsevent.org/pledge/index.cfm?mid=DAVESRIDEFORJOSH

I can vouch that in my short time with Hodgkin's Lymphoma already, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has already been helpful.  I have linked from my blog to information on their website.  More importantly, upon request, they will send you an information packet customized to your needs with information specific to your type of blood cancer.  Beyond research and information, they offer a variety of supportive services to patients that can help to meet their social, medical, and financial needs.   In short, I think the organization is wonderful, and one I am appreciative of.   Likewise, I am touched that Dave is doing this and would like to support him as much as possible.   I would suggest that if anyone out there is looking for a great cause to support and a way to decrease their tax burden (who isn't?), consider supporting Dave on this ride!  His goal is $1000.


Additionally, to help him, I've set up a link to the right of this page, just under my picture and info.  This should keep this goal right up near the top of the website.  Go Dave!

Oncology Appointment #2

One thing I haven't complained too much about in this blog is arm pain, although I'm sure I've mentioned it.  This is a side effect which is likely being caused by the dacarbazine, or the D in ABVD.   It is a side effect that has caused me a noticeable amount of discomfort, however.  In the first week, it caused pain which made the nurse wrap my arm in a hot blanket as well as increase the saline rate to dilute the drug.  In the second session, they diluted the drug in the actual IV bag and started the line further up my arm where the vein is larger.   Last session, they did those things again, but as of right now, I have a decent sized knot in my left arm as well as blue streaking up the vein, visible through the skin.  There is also pain.


I've been worried about this some, and so I had one of the oncology nurses look at it last week.  She suggested heat and ice, and although that helped, the "vein bruising" only got worse this past week.  So, I emailed oncology again, and today had another, impromptu appointment.   Because Sarah contacted oncology independently to tell them that I had been having increased complaints of chest pain at home, I also was ordered to get a chest x-ray.


The good news is that my chest x-ray is improved from my pre-treatment x-ray.  On the first x-ray, the large lymph node was obvious even to me.  When a pharmacist can read the chest x-ray, it must be an impressive abnormality.  This node is apparently shrinking, and the oncologist is pleased.  Between this finding and the fact she can no longer feel an enlarged lymph node under my clavicle, she believes my cancer is responding.  The chest pain is likely dying cells, shrinking nodes, etc.


The mixed news is that on Friday I have to go to interventional radiology to have a central line placed.  I have 9 chemotherapy sessions left, and my arm is fairly beat up.  I had wanted a port-a-cath but because of my neutropenia, the risk of infection is too high.  So, I will have a central line put in, which is apparently not going to be tunneled, right near the clavicle.  I was (and am) very apprehensive about this since long term lines in the world of infectious diseases typically mean infections.  (Although, why else would ID be called?  So, there is a lot of bias there).  Additionally, this just means extra hassle for working out, changing, showering, etc.  I'll have to flush it.  I'll have to dress it.  Furthermore, with a playful boxer around, I am nervous that she might rip it out accidentally while rough-housing.


I was assured that this was unlikely to happen if it is covered appropriately.  In fact, the oncologist said that some ways people lose them was one guy chopping logs, another lifting weights above her head, but most commonly in young people, it is during sex.  She said these people come by with the catheter in hand giggling.   (I'm not sure why that would be funny).  While I'm not nervous about that, I do not want to be the story for her next Hodgkin's patient about the pharmacist who lost his catheter doing some other weird activity like rolling on the floor trying to teach the dog a trick or something.   Yoga is also something that can be done, but carefully.  We actually got an in-office demonstration of that one.


So, while I am very much not looking forward to have this foreign body sticking out of my chest for the next five-plus months, it is difficult to be too down about it.  There are two positives to today, the first being that my arms will now be spared, and the second being that there are signs of my cancer responding.  Plus, it is an "off" week.  It is nothing short of amazing to me how different I feel comparing Wednesdays and Thursdays of an "on" week to Wednesdays and Thursdays of an "off" week.   Today, other than my arm, I feel pretty great.  I've been sleeping great and even got on the trainer last night.  Last Thursday was a day I was not necessarily thankful to be alive, and even somewhat doubting I could finish 9 more rounds in the ring with this opponent.  Now I'm ready to go again.

On the lighter side of things, today was Lucy's graduation from Obedience School I.  She has learned so many things!   That said, she almost didn't pass and she still has a lot of trouble with stay in both the sit and down format.  We'll keep working with her before the Obedience II class this summer.  Who can blame a boxer for wanting to play instead of stay?  She has so much energy.   At the end she got a diploma with her picture, and I've scanned the picture to show since it makes me smile.  It would have been a perfect night if not for accidents not just on the way TO class, but on the way home as well.  (One accident out of each end, and a TON of drool).   She was probably having an upset stomach.   I'm sure she had fun, though, because after class, all the puppies had 10 - 15 minutes of play time together.  Perfect.

Drugs 2: Bleomycin

This will be the second installment of the look into my new drugs.  Today's drug is bleomycin (former trade name Blenoxane, although it is long since generic).  It is the "B" of ABVD.  Bleomycin is a drug that initially scared me because it is known for its lung toxicity.  In fact, they didn't even give it to Lance Armstrong, opting for another regimen.   Not that I need my lungs to quite the same capacity that he does, but I still want to preserve what I can as best as possible.  Which reminds me, there is definitely some sarcasm scattered throughout this particular update.  It is my attempt at humor, not anger.

Bleomycin isn't colored like the doxorubicin is.  It is clear liquid that I get as an IV from a syringe.  It looks like cold water being pushed.  Why cold?  I don't know.  That's just what I always imagine.  It doesn't feel that cool.  The nurses like to push it slowly, but without the color as an indicator, it is difficult to get a feel for what rate it is actually being pushed.  Bleomycin is also a vesicant and an irritant.  In other words, it can hurt when given. 

My dose each chemotherapy session is 22.401 units.   1 unit = 1mg.  This is about 0.25 units/kg.  This puts my total cumulative dose after 12 chemotherapy sessions at 268.812 units.  The maximum cumulative lifetime dose is 400 units.  The reason for this is pulmonary fibrosis.  


According to the package insert's boxed warning:

Pulmonary fibrosis is the most severe toxicity associated with BLENOXANE. The most frequent presentation is pneumonitis occasionally progressing to pulmonary fibrosis. Its occurrence is higher in elderly patients and in those receiving greater than 400 units total dose, but pulmonary toxicity has been observed in young patients and those treated with low doses. 

This is obviously very confidence-inspiring.   Bleomycin has a variety of side effects, but, lung toxicity is  my primary concern.  According to the same package insert, it occurs in about 10% of treated patients.  This toxicity may be enhanced when used with G-CSF.   (Sidenote:  G-CSF is a drug that stimulates neutrophils, a type of white blood cell.  I am not currently on it).   The earliest symptom is dyspnea, which is fabulous for me, since I already have shortness of breath from having enlarged lymph nodes all over my chest.  Basically, bleomycin scars up the alveoli in the lungs.  Later, an excess concentration of oxygen can cause an oxygen toxicity and further problems.  Too much oxygen is not typically an issue here in Colorado, although it would be an issue if I were to have general anesthesia during a future surgery, and this is what precludes me from ever going SCUBA diving.  After I get done with this drug, I just cannot wait to have 20 days of radiation on my chest.


Unlike the doxorubicin, where it was somewhat more difficult to predict side effects directly due to the drug's use in regimens only, bleomycin is used as a single agent, and so other side effects can be more directly attributed.  Another boxed warning indicates "a severe idiosyncratic reaction consisting of hypotension, mental confusion, fever, chills, and wheezing has been reported in approximately 1% of lymphoma patients."  Beyond that, it can cause "erythema, rash, striae, vesiculation, hyperpigmentation, and tenderness of the skin."  It can also cause Raynaud's phenomenon, as well as hair loss and the mucositis.  So, once past the pulmonary toxicity, there aren't too many other side effects, like some of the other drugs.  It is considered to have very low emetogenic potential.


One last interesting side effect it can cause is dermatographism.   This is an especially interesting side effect (definitely click the link!), because I already HAD it prior to treatment.  According to my oncologist, it occasionally occurs in Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  She demonstrated this to Sarah with a nice line across my back, just for her.  Actually, I haven't checked recently to see if this is still an issue I have, although it was another reason for the t-shirts.


How does it work?   Bleomycin is an antibiotic, per wikipedia.  (We do NOT use it as one, incidentally).  As someone involved in the world of infectious diseases, it is often easier for me to think of cancer as an infection (it is one of sorts), and so the mechanisms make more sense.  Bleomycin inhibits the synthesis of DNA by binding to it, reacting with oxygen, and causing single and double stranded breaks.  Without DNA for reproduction, rapidly dividing cancer cells can't, well, rapidly divide.  However, unlike most commonly used antibiotics, it isn't perfectly specific for its target (cancer cells), and can hit other rapidly dividing cells, such as hair, nails, and those of the GI tract, which lead to the side effects that nearly all chemotherapy patients experience.


Pharmacokinetics:  Bleomycin is widely distributed although it does not cross the blood-brain barrier.  The highest concentrations of bleomycin can be found in the highest concentrations in skin, kidney, lung, heart tissues.  Bleomycin has biphasic elimination (which means the concentration-time curve, when logarithmically transformed, basically has a kink).  The reason for this is that the drug is first metabolized, then excreted via kidneys.  The enzyme responsible for metabolism is a cytosolic cysteine proteinase enzyme, which is apparently now named bleomycin hydrolase.  This was new to me and per the package insert.  So, for people with normal kidney function, the initial half life is about 90 minutes, and the terminal is about 9 hours, hence the kink in the graph.  Therefore, if I get this mid-day on a Monday, it is nearly all gone by mid-day on Wednesday.


What other cancers is Bleomycin used for?
Well, obviously testicular cancer, since it was an option for Lance Armstrong.  Beyond that, per Lexi-Comp, it is used for quamous cell carcinomas, melanomas, sarcomas, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and it is also used as a sclerosing agent for malignant pleural effusion.  


What else to say about bleomycin?   I'm sort of afraid of it, and it is going to be difficult to monitor for toxicity due to the nature of my particular disease location(s).  Not tons of info from Wikipedia.  The package insert is found here.  Chemocare has a nice website as well.

Pitchers and Catchers Report

“People ask me what I do in the winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”
—Rogers Hornsby


I don't really do that.  I do, however, spend much of winter eagerly awaiting baseball.  Football and hockey are a lot of fun, but there is nothing quite like baseball.  Baseball is good for the soul, and there is nothing like it to signal spring.  I love the smell of the ballpark.   Today is a cold and snowy Colorado day, but in Florida and Arizona there is sunshine, green grass, and the vibrant colors of even the most hated rival teams.  There is the pop of a fastball in a catcher's mitt, and the crack of a connecting bat.  You don't have to be Walt Whitman to wax poetic about our National Pastime.


Today is the day Pitchers and Catchers report to Spring Training, at least for the Milwaukee Brewers.  Other clubs have been reporting this past week, and some this weekend.  It is finally here.  In truth, though, many players are already down at their respective spring training camps getting in shape for a month of, well, getting in shape for the season.  I was glad to see that Brewer prospect Mat Gamel, who was considered "late" for arriving on time last Spring, is already down at camp working on defense.


Why is Spring Training so important to fans like myself?   If you are a fan of the smallest market team in baseball, there is simply no way that year in and year out, your team can compete with the resources of the New York Yankees or the Boston Red Sox, for example.  Still, in Spring, your team has not been mathematically eliminated by early-August.  In Spring, your team still has the possibility of going on a tear like the 2007 Rockies or the 2008 Rays.  In Spring, your team isn't dealing with nagging injuries or a 5-game losing streak.  In Spring, hope springs eternal.   Even the worst can dream of playoffs.


So, I spend all winter looking forward to baseball, but this is the second year in a row I cannot attend Spring Training in Maryvale (Phoenix), Arizona, home of my beloved Milwaukee Brewers.  While I was not outright forbidden by my oncologist, I was given the impression it was not the best idea.  Besides my neutropenia, I'd have a plane ride to deal with, and the lack of a recommended physician / care center in case of emergency.  So, I'll have to rely on news reports and perhaps make due with some Spring baseball with the local college in town, which is already underway.  


 So, today's blog is totally dedicated to baseball.   Cancer can wait.


My random thoughts on the Milwaukee Brewers:   I really hope this new pitching coach, Rick Peterson, can get the staff in order, they were among the worst in the league last year.  I am really not crazy about these rumors to trade Prince Fielder, although as a fan of the smallest market team, I certainly understand it.  It seems like a way to guarantee that Ryan Braun never sees another decent pitch, so, they better get some serious value in return.  I love the fact that the Brewers are using a jersey with the word "Milwaukee" across it.  Call me a purist, but I think that home jerseys should have the team name, and the away jerseys should have the city name.   What I'd really like is a return to the 80s uniforms of the Crew, but I'll take this, even as an "alternate 3rd jersey."

I also love the fact that I finally found myself a St. Patrick's Day hat.  I have regretted not purchasing one in Maryvale a few years back.   Yes, it is gimmicky.  Yes, all of MLB has stolen it from Boston.  Yes, I'll only wear it a few days out of the year.  Still, I've wanted one for several years, so, add up those days, plus the fact that I'm now bald and could use (along with the Brewers) a little "luck of the Irish" and I'll take it.  I ordered it immediately upon finding it.  


Where do I think Milwaukee will finish?  I think they'll improve on last year, but they are unlikely to compete for a playoff spot.  There is too much talent elsewhere, despite a lack of improvement in most NL-Central teams.   I think the NL-West has at least three possible playoff teams, and since only two can possibly come from that division, it'll likely leave Milwaukee out again, as the Cards probably pick up the NL Central.  Again.


On the plus side, I am an avid, enthusiastic Cubs-hater, and this story warmed my heart.  Good.  I hate the scrubbies.   I'm sad the bill went through, but I am sure glad to see all who opposed it.  It would be kind of sweet to see the Scrubs go to Florida.

Since moving to Colorado, I've sort of adopted the Rockies as my "second team."  In other words, I cheer for them when they aren't playing Milwaukee.  Some purists believe you cannot have more than one team, but I disagree.  I love the game itself, and can watch even when it is not Milwaukee or Colorado playing.  There are a variety of teams I quietly root for after Milwaukee and Colorado and for a variety of reasons.  I cheer for anyone playing the Chicago Cubs, for instance.  I also cheer for teams where I may just like a particular player.   This even includes a bunch of minor league teams, especially the Charleston Riverdogs, the Albuquerque Isotopes, and the Colorado Springs Sky Sox.


My random thoughts on the Colorado Rockies:  I think they'll be a good team.  My personal opinion is that they are currently the class of the NL-West.  I'm not certain if San Francisco has improved or not, and the Dodgers still have many pieces from their 95-win team of last year, but after hiring Jim Tracy, the Rox were on fire for the rest of the season.   They lost one good pitcher (Marquis) but got one back (Jeff Francis).  They subtracted Garrett Atkins, but, he was on his way out most of last year anyway.   I have pretty high expectations for the Rockies.  Higher, in fact, than I do for the Brewers.  Plain and simple, Colorado has done great things with their farm system, including the above mentioned Sky Sox.   Coors Field is a great place to watch a game and relax.   I cannot wait.


Fantasy Baseball:  I am again running a fantasy baseball league through Yahoo.   This is an extremely chill league in the sense that it is an all points league (not head to head) and substitutions are allowed only 1 day per week.   This means you can make your changes any time you want, but they'll only take effect on one given day per week, and you must live with it for the week.  This is so that even busy players can compete.   We are using an autodraft by proxy.   I have several team spots open, so if anyone is interested, please email me!  I promise it is a lot of fun (if you are a baseball geek), and it is pretty easy.  This year, there is even a prize.


Favorite Baseball Links:
Just for fun, I've put together some links for you to enjoy, since today is baseball day at JVL.
Milwaukee Brewers Team Site
Colorado Rockies Team Site
JSonline Brewer Blog (Milwaukee Newspaper)
JSonline Brewers (slower news, but full stories and pics)
ESPN's MLB site
Rob Neyer's Sweet Spot (a great baseball geek blog)
Pitching Probables  (who is pitching when?  Check here...when the season starts)
Beat the Streak (a fun, addictive, and remarkably challenging game)
PECOTA postseason odds  (once the season starts...)
SABR (Society for American Baseball Research)
Baseball America (the authoritative news source)
The Sporting News (it isn't what it used to be, but still pretty good)
Fangraphs (a great statistical site)
Minor League Baseball (the best entertainment value out there)
Cubs Suck Club (this one needs no explanation)


Great Baseball books:  Completely off the top of my head while making lists.
Cobb: a Biography.  This one might be my favorite - the follow up to the autobiography.
The Boys of Summer.  Read it and try to not be a fan of the early 50s Dodgers.
Eight Men Out.  Extremely easy to read narrative of the Black Sox.
Working at the Ballpark:  Another favorite, because as noted, I've always wanted to....
I never had it made:  Autobiography of Jackie Robinson.  
Love me, Hate me:  If you don't hate Bonds, you will after this.
The Baseball Economist:  Using economic methods to solve baseball questions


Finally, my favorite picture that I have taken at Spring Training.

Wish I could get one like that of Ryan Braun, or a great shot of Yovanni Gallardo.  Perhaps next Spring.

The importance of music

Today's post is going to be completely a plug for some music.  Why?  I think it is important.  As some of you know, I mostly listen to talk radio during my daily commutes to work.  Politics, sports, news, whatever.  I listen to music on weekends.  However, sometimes I cannot listen to talk radio anymore.  When times are tougher, I prefer music.  I found this out last summer when our dog died.  I've been finding this out more and more as this adventure continues.  It can't be just anything however, as the wrong music makes things worse.


That's why today I'm plugging some "right" music.   I met Aubrey Cartwright briefly a few times when we was living in South Carolina as a friend of a friend.  Pharmacy is a small world.  However, what I didn't know was that her husband Jeff "Hoss" Cartwright, had been on the same journey with Hodgkin's Lymphoma that I am now on, only basically a few years ahead of me, and now in remission.   Through the friend in South Carolina, I was put in touch with them, and Aubrey and Jeff have become a tremendous source of information and inspiration for me.  It has honestly been really great for me to hear from them about all the things that I should expect, many of which have already become realities of my new life.  


What I found out later was that while Hoss and I have some similar interests, a very unique talent he has (that I absolutely do not share) is musical creativity.  Aubrey had told me about this CD, and how it came to be, and how it really became quite a major project involving production and guest musicians.  She sent me the following link:  http://www.hosscartwright.com/  (and she officially gave me permission to pimp it here, thereby satisfying my self-imposed privacy policy).  The CD is "Ramblings Before Chemo."

I happened to have some iTunes gift cards, so I downloaded the whole thing that night.  I was absolutely amazed at how much I liked it.  I listened to it every day during the week's commute on my drive.


This is not just some talented guy playing his guitar in a room and recording his singing.  It really and truly is a very complete set of songs with amazing accompaniment.  I tried to think of how I might explain the genre, and luckily, I don't have to.   He gives his own explanation on his website, as noted below.

Hootie and The Blowfish meets Deliverance. The Debut release from Singer/Songwriter Hoss Cartwright, "Ramblings Before Chemo" features catchy Acoustic Pop sounds with a dash of country thrown in here and there for good measure. His lyrics are light hearted if not tongue in cheek glances into love, loss, and lust.

With songs written over 15 years, "Ramblings Before Chemo" was recorded while Hoss was undergoing Chemotherapy and Radiation in 2007. With influences ranging from Jimmy Buffett and Ryan Adams to David Gray and Dave Matthews, the songs range from the more country "Player in left field" to the Hootie-esqe "Don't fix it when it's Broken".

 If you are interested, you can "try before you buy" on the website.  As I said, I bought the whole thing from iTunes and dig it.  You can also order a CD there.  If you are looking for something new, I officially recommend this CD.  Enjoy!

Chemotherapy (3 of 12): 1.5 of 6 cycles done

Yesterday was Chemotherapy 3 of 12.  My appointment was late, which I was initially excited for, since you have to get there 1 hour early for labs, and if your chemo starts at 8:30am , you're there at 7:30 am for labs.  I thought a little extra time would be great.  I also had an appointment with the oncologist at 1pm, and it was to be my 2nd since the initial visit.


As it turns out, though, the oncologist was sick, so I just had chemotherapy at 1:30, and it took until about 6pm.  My counts were OK, but I am definitely neutropenic right now with an ANC of 0.3.   Given that, I appreciate not being exposed to anyone sick, and my instructions continue to be avoiding the sick, lots of handwashing, etc.


The chemotherapy treatment went as usual.  I had my IV placed up my forearm, and in my left arm again.  I expect a dull left arm ache in about a week, and I think next time I'll do my right arm, so I can maintain a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio of left to right.  I don't really want much right arm pain since I write and eat with that arm.


As noted, we didn't get out until 6, so it makes for a long day.  I was hoping to enjoy the morning, but I honestly have no idea where it went.  Usually we pack up the night before, so maybe scrambling didn't help.


Given my complaints about sleep, I was given some ambien, and I definitely fell asleep fast yesterday having tried it.  Another nice thing from yesterday was no lower GI issues, although I have the usual nausea today.  I did get nausea DURING the treatment, and Sarah went out for ginger ale and some rice cracker snacks, which seemed to help.    I've still had no vomiting, which really surprises me.  


Today I woke up extremely tired.  I was tired and sort of dizzy -in the sense I had no sure footing.  I was very thirsty as well.  I guess that was true even last night before the ambien.  I cannot explain that, but I felt "stunned" most of the day.  So, this morning was another blur.  I spent much of the morning on the couch watching a movie, and then also spent some time on the computer.   I obviously didn't work, and I don't think I could safely drive this morning.  Borderline even now, but I'm sure I'll be back by tomorrow.


Nausea continues, as does hunger.  I've gained a few pounds so far.  It'd be nice to not do that, though.  The trick for us will be to eat healthier.   I'm also considering a bowflex to try to maintain a little strength.  Unsure if this is a good idea or not, so, I'll ask the oncologist when I have my to-be-determined make up appointment.   I suspect, however, that going to the gym is  a bad idea.


Other than that - 3 down, 9 to go.   In a weird way, I spent the whole two weeks looking forward to "chemo Monday."  Why?  I have no idea.  I hate it.  Chemo Monday is a big time drag.  I hate the Tuesday that follows.  At the same time, I guess I just can't wait to be done.  So, not that I'm big on wishing time away, but I guess in this case I am a little.  Which is curious for a cancer patient, I suppose.

One Fun Thing: Monster Jam

(JVL note:  Josh-vs-Lymphoma has been relatively light on pictures lately.  Well, this post should more than make up for that.  In fact, it has entirely too many pictures.  I couldn't stop, though.  All pics are small here, but upon clicking, should open up bigger.  So, enjoy.)


I've never really been a big car guy.  Possibly because I am a big guy.  I've liked trucks and jeeps and semis and heavy duty equipment since I was a kid.  I'd be much less interested in a Shelby Mustang (maybe even the 1960s models) than I would a Ford F650.  Despite this, I've never had a chance to see the monster truck show.  Today was "One Fun Thing" that I've been looking forward to for weeks.   Sarah and I got MonsterJam tickets a few weeks back, and we got free "Party in the Pit" passes from a local Ford dealer as well.


Sarah got two pictures of me in front of a pair of trucks, the first being Bounty Hunter, the next being Grave Digger.  

I am 6'5" or so, and I think these pictures give a decent approximation of how big the trucks and their tires are.  Prior to going to the show, my dad and I had talked about how big the equipment was in terms of running gear.   The next two pictures are the rear end of Bounty Hunter and the front end of Monster Mutt.

These axles put my own to absolute shame, and I drive a one ton diesel truck.  This close of up Grave Digger also helps approximate size and gives a decent shot at suspension parts.

Here's another shot of Bounty Hunter.

This is a "from above" shot of the "Party in the Pits."  

By this point, the "party" had cleared out tremendously.  We should have stayed towards the end, when the shot was taken.  All in all though, for the grand price of free, the "pit passes" were worth the trip to the Ford dealer.  

MonsterJam started off with a "Sky Wheelie" contest.  I already mentioned three trucks.  The first was Monster Mutt.  It was followed by "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."  I did not really care for TMNJ.

Scarlet Bandit was the only female driver of the six trucks.  The driver of Scarlet Bandit is married to the driver of the Bounty Hunter.  (You may have noticed they appear to be basically identical trucks other than color.  They are both Ford Expeditions.  Sort of.)  She put on a good show.

Here is Bounty Hunter doing a "sky wheelie."

The last of the six trucks there was El Toro Loco.  I'd say El Toro Loco put on the best show overall.  Plus, I like pickup truck based Monster Trucks.  El Toro Loco was the only thing close to that today.

The fan favorite, however, was Grave Digger.  No surprise, Grave Digger has been around forever.  Monster Jam definitely treated Grave Digger as the favorite as well, this truck got top billing and special music, etc.

After the wheelies, it was time for racing.  Being completely objective, the race is sort of a joke.  Winner has to cross the white line at the end of the crushed cars first.  Doesn't matter if you are in the air or what, just cross the line first.  Since this was a basketball/hockey arena, they ran "short track."  Just a drag race, basically.  In bigger venues they may have a few laps as space allows.  I know this because I've woken up early on Saturday morning and caught this on TV while still tired.  As it turns out, the finals for this race were the husband and wife team of Bounty Hunter and Scarlet Bandit.  Scarlet Bandit won, but it was close.  As it turns out, you have to win a certain number of races to go to the big championship event in Las Vegas.  Bounty Hunter was already qualified for Vegas, so I expected a Scarlet Bandit win, although I did not expect it to be as close as it was.  Here is a shot of that finish, and of Scarlet Bandit after winning.

After the racing, they had "Freestyle Motocross."  I'm not into motorcycles, but these guys are pretty good.  Not as interesting as the trucks, but you cannot help but watch in anticipation of major disaster, which never did strike.

Interesting (to me) feature:  Grave Digger actually has working doors!  In the pre-show highlights they showed on the jumbotron, Grave Digger is a truck that is clearly not averse to ripping its "skin" off during events.  Wouldn't have expected an actual working door.

OK, once the racing and motocycles and ATV races were over, it was time for "Freestyle."  Admittedly, the monster truck show is about as mindless entertainment as it gets.  Still, this is where you can finally appreciate them for the engineering marvels that they are.  While I did have a moment realizing just how much this reminded me of "Monday Night Rehabilitation" from the movie, Idiocracy, I honestly didn't care.  The fact is, watching these things jump is extremely satisfying.  El Toro Loco almost rolled a few times, too.   The landing is unbelievably soft, although I suspect it doesn't feel quite as soft in the cab.

As you can clearly see, they get a decent amount of air under their tires.  El Toro Loco and Bounty Hunter more than the rest.

In conclusion, MonsterJam is definitely "One Fun Thing."  I just did not get tired of watching these things.  Honestly, I would probably go again.  Would have been neat to see a rollover, though.

So, tomorrow is chemo, but today was a fun day.