If 2020 was a normal year instead of the horror show it has been, I would be writing a Daily Cubs Minors Recap right now. Instead, I’m forced to do something different. I’m forced to turn my focus almost completely to the MLB level if I want to write at all this season. So, here I am, and here is my plan:
I’m going to utilize my framework for the Minors Recap and use it to do a deeper dive into the Major Leaguers. Readers familiar with the Minors Recap know that in addition to the basic game recaps, I keep track of trends, transactions, and most importantly, try to present a deeper look at a different prospect each day. My challenge now is translating that template to the Major League action, where readers a far more familiar with the players involved.
The good news is I have a ton more data to work with at the MLB level. Oh, the video and pitcher/hitter data that I dream about being published for Minor League action, even in a delayed fashion, is available in near-real time for the Majors. This will allow me to dig a little deeper than I ever been able to on prospects.
I’ll be doing some experimentation over the first couple of weeks as I settle on a layout and determine what readers are responding to and what I enjoy writing most.
This Opening Day performance by Kyle Hendricks may rank up there with any by a Cubs player in history. Depending on your age you’ll have witnessed the Tuffy Rhodes three-homer game against Doc Gooden, or the Kosuke Fukudome game winning shot in his debut. I’ve been wracking my brain and the only game that came to mind as far as a better Opening Day pitching performance by a Cub in my lifetime was the near no-hitter hurled by Jose Guzman in his Cubs debut, but it turned out my memory was faulty because it happened in game two of the 1993 season, not the opener –which was started by Mike Morgan, who lost to none other than Greg Maddux in his Braves debut (sad face,… obligatory f— Larry Hines and so forth).
Top Performers
Hendricks did the Brewers dirty, and did so without ever hitting 90 mph on the gun. His sinker and changeup were dancing like we’ve come to expect. He mixed his four-seamer up in the zone appropriately. A nice early game surprise was the sharp break on his curveball. We saw flashes of it in his final exhibition tune up, but it was nice to see him incorporate it fully in a real game. He’s throwing that pitch better than he ever has, and if he has found a fourth reliable offering, the league better watch out.
On the topic of his curve though, it should be noted that Hendricks did go away from the pitch as the evening wore on. He seemed to lose a little feel for it, as the velo on it fluctuated the further into the game he went. This may be a sign Hendricks hasn’t fully locked in that offering, so don’t be surprised if he enters some starts this year without any feel for it at all. It’s something I’ll be keeping an eye on this season.
But even if the curve does falter in some outings, we know Hendricks can remain effective with his other three pitches. There was no better example than the way he handled Christian Yelich:
Hendricks worked him up-and-down, as well as in-and-out with his fastballs and change, inducing two ground balls while also striking out Yelich twice.
According to Statcast, Hendricks allowed just two hard hit balls all night, both to Orlando Arcia.
HIs Fangraphs Game Score of 86 was the 4th best of his career, behind a pair of other complete game shutouts against the Cards in 2019 and the Padres back in 2015, each of which rated as 89, as well as an 87 he earned in a complete game against the Phillies in 2016. His .527 WPA last night was the second best of his career, behind only a .530 he posted over 8 innings of one run ball on the road against a potent Astros lineup last year.
Injuries, Updates, and Trends
There’s not much to track here one game into the season. I already touched on the recent signings of Derek Dietrich and Ryan LaMarre yesterday morning.
New Rules
DH count: Caratini 1
Thanks to Cyle Hendricks the Cubs were not forced to go to their pen and have to deal with the three batter minimum rule, but we did see the Brewers deploy lefty specialist Alex Claudio in a situation where it came into play. With the Rizzo-Baez-Schwarber trio due up to start the 6th, Claudio remained in after retiring Rizzo to lead off the inning. Baez smoked a ground ball that resulted in an error by Brewers first baseman Justin Smoak before Claudio struck out Schwarber. It is easy to imagine, especially with the current expanded rosters, the Brewers would not have allowed Claudio to face Baez had Rizzo managed to reach. But with the new rule, the Brewers were forced to stick with him regardless.
The much anticipated documentary feature A Most Beautiful Thing, chronicles the life of five courageous teenagers who grew up on the West Side of Chicago and earned a place in sports history. The film details the story of Arshay Cooper, Ray (Pookie) Hawkins, Preston Grandberry, Malcolm Hawkins and Alvin Ross from their teenage years at Manley High School, as they persevered through adversity and gang violence in one of Chicago’s underserved communities.
In 1996, these young men bonded a friendship after a chance meeting at Manley High School to participate in a rowing program that was the first of its kind at the school. Their dedication and achievement in a water racing sport not often exposed to the African American culture, helped them excel to become the nations first African American High School rowing team.
“When we were on the water, we were in a place where we couldn’t hear the sound of sirens or bullets, and that allowed us to shape a different vision for ourselves, of who and what we could become,” describes Arshay, the captain of the rowing team. “And that was a beautiful thing.”
Living in a poverty stricken neighborhood and some being in rival street gangs, what brought Arshay and his teammates together was their interest in a rowing boat, staged in the middle of the school’s lunch hall, that led them to register for Manley’s first after-school rowing program. “As the first Black high school rowing team, we thought we were going to change the sport, just like Jackie Robinson changed baseball, but instead, the sport changed us,” explains Arshay. “Rowing gave us a purpose and gave us each other. It saved my life.”
Now in his mid 30’s, Arshay is the author of his award winning self published memoir A Most Beautiful Thing, of which inspired one of the most important documentary films of this decade. Directed by award winning filmmaker Mary Mazzio, an Olympic rower herself, Mary took notice when Arshay reached out to her through Twitter to introduce his new book. “I am, like most rowers, passionate about the sport, and immediately ordered it,” says Mary. “I was excited about a story I had never heard of, and a team I could not believe existed. Rowers, on the West Side of Chicago? How did I not know this?
Mary explains that as a community “we rowers are all grit, all guts, all grind. No glory. No one in a boat is the star because you are only as fast as the weakest link.” When Arshay’s book arrived, Mary says it was mesmerizing. “His story was inspiring, devastating, funny, sad and hopeful, all in a single read.”
Mary thought it was extraordinary that Arshay as a teenager, whose mother was struggling with generational trauma and addiction, and the brother of gang members, found something special about the sport of rowing that changed his life. She says “the racing distance is 2000 meters, somewhere between 5-7 minutes, and the amount of training to prepare for a race, that starts with a sprint, settles to a near sprint, and ends with a final sprint, is grueling.”
A Most Beautiful Thing examines the lives of Arshay, Pookie, Preston, Malcolm and Alvin on how they protected themselves from a life of crime during their high school years. From growing up as teens to becoming fathers, family men and entrepreneurs, the film depicts many victorious moments.
After 20 years away from rowing, they all decided to race once again, this time for their sons and community, and to pay homage to one of their first rowing coaches. NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill, one of the executive producers of the film, says that was the moment that touched his heart. “With the recent events that have transpired, it is even more meaningful to be part of a project which shows young Black men, in a positive, human, and hopeful way,” says Hill. “The protagonist of the film, Arshay Cooper, is a leader of his generation and his name will be one that soon everyone will know.”
A Most Beautiful Thing documentary feature is based on Arshay Cooper’s award winning self published memoir A Most Beautiful Thing and directed by award-winning filmmaker and Olympic rower, Mary Mazzio. The film is narrated by Grammy and Oscar-winning artist Common, executive produced by NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill, NBA All-Star DwyaneWade, and Grammy-winning producer 9th Wonder, and features original music by femdot., Reuben Vincent, King Draft and Swank; Ian Kelly, GQ, and other hip-hop artists, with beats by Khrysis, E.Jones, Kash, and the The Soul Council.
A Most Beautiful Thing premieres on Xfinity on Demandstarting July 31st and on Peacock,NBC’s new steaming platform, starting September 1st. Arshay Cooper’s memoir, A Most Beautiful Thing is published by Flatiron Books. For updates visit www.AMostBeautifulThing.com.
About the Author: Don Howze is an Emmy Award Winning Film/Tape Editor and Associate Professor of Journalism and Television Production. Don is the producer and director of the upcoming film documentary The Production Crew, funded in part by The Field Foundation of Illinois. imdb.me/dondvideo. Contributing writer, Daina Howze.
Chicago’s Black History Vintage Video Series: celebrating Black History Month.
Cheryl Burton, Bobby Broom, Hosea Sanders and The Emotions. Exclusively on chicagonow.com/classic-soul-music.
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Don Howze is a columnist for The Art of New Media featured on ChicagoNow.com. He is an Emmy Award Winning Film/Tape Editor and Associate Professor of Journalism who covers entertainment news and innovative technology used in today’s arts and entertainment industry. IMDb.me/dondvideo
The Cubs started 2016 3-0. The Cubs started 1995 4-0. Those are the only times in the past twenty-five years that the Cubs have managed to win more than one game to start the season. It looked like the 2020 vintage might actually start the year with a winning streak. Yu Darvish was shaky but escaped the first inning without any damage. Willson Contreras delivered what felt like the oh so rare two out base knock with runners in scoring position to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
But this one flipped in the second inning. Darvish yielded a one out double to Lorenzo Cain, but induced an easy groundball from Ben Gamel that should have resulted in the second out of the inning. The Cubs failed to execute the run down and both runners were safe. Eric Sogard’s two out single tied the game. Darvish would not yield the go ahead runs until the fourth inning, but once it became a battle of the bullpens it was clearly to the Brewers advantage.
The bright spot for the Cubs might have been the 1-2-3 ninth inning pitched by Dillon Maples. The Cubs are still built to ride a starting staff with a bullpen full of question marks. Maples flashed the potential to be one of those answers today, and with few positives to pull from, the Maples outing was a silver lining.
Oh that and Orlando Arcia is mortal. I was slightly concerned that he was going to pull a Kirk Nieuwenhuis this year after last night.
Yu Darvish had good stuff, but he was not sharp in his outing. He struck out the side in the third inning, but otherwise had to work hard on a hot afternoon. The defense didn’t help in the second inning, but this looked more like the Darvish in his first 26 Cubs starts and not the ace that finished the 2019 campaign.
Brewers starter Corbin Burnes wasn’t sharp either. He walked Anthony Rizzo and plunked Javier Báez with one out to start the game. Kyle Schwarber struck out looking, but a Contreras single put the Cubs up 1-0. Burnes walked one in the next two innings, but was not dinged for any damage. He yielded a one out single to Victor Caratini in the fourth inning to end his day. Not former Blackhawk Brent Suter was greeted with Jason Kipnis first base hit in a Cubs uniform. You may not know this, but Jason Kipnis is from Northbrook. Unfortunately Ian Happ bounced in a fielder’s choice with Caratini thrown out at the plate on a contact play. Kris Bryant grounded out to end the inning.
The top of that fourth inning saw the Brewers take a 3-1 yield on Ben Gamel’s triple. Darvish stranded Gamel at third base with no outs to keep the Cubs in this one. Duanne Underwood Jr. gave up a bomb to Justin Smoak making it a 4-1 Brewers lead in the fifth inning. Kyle Schwarber launched his own two run shot in the bottom of the fifth against Suter but the Cubs were still trailing 4-3.
Brad Wieck was given the sixth inning. He retired the first two batters, but walked Eric Sogard. Christian Yelich’s first and only hit of the series so far was the two run blast that followed, making it 6-3. James Norwood took over in the seventh and the bullpen roulette continued to bite David Ross. Avisaíl García singled with one out and made the correct read on Omar Narváez’s double scoring from first. Ian Happ made a diving attempt on Narváez’s hard hit ball, but wasn’t particularly close to making the grab on a tough play into the wall. Lorenzo Cain put the final tally on the board with his run scoring single in the next at bat.
The Cubs one real chance to get back into the ball game was in the seventh inning against Devin Williams. Rizzo walked and Báez delivered a one out single. Schwarber flew out but Williams plunked Contreras to load the bases. Williams struck out Jason Heyward swinging to end the threat. Former Cub David Phelps and Eric Yardley combined for a stress free final two frames as the Brewers evened the series.
Random Reference
Yu Darvish might not be Steve Trachsel, but he is a deliberate worker. This stands in stark contrast to Kyle Hendricks’ quick tempo. Add in the additional commercial breaks with a national broadcast along with the heavy bullpen usage in an 8-3 ballgame and this one felt like Robert Redford in the movie Sneakers.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – OCTOBER 10: Brent Seabrook #7 of the Chicago Blackhawks controls the puck against the San Jose Sharks during the home opening game at United Center on October 10, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Chicago Blackhawks are in an interesting spot with their former star defenseman, Brent Seabrook.
The Chicago Blackhawks are an interesting team headed into their play-in series against the Edmonton Oilers. Each team is loaded with offensive firepower that should trade chances during the series but the team who is slightly better at defending and gets slightly better goaltending will win the series. For Chicago, Brent Seabrook has been a long time staple on the blue line but he isn’t going to be there in Edmonton with the Hawks.
Brent Seabrook says he will not be traveling with the team to Edmonton for the Stanley Cup Qualifying Round. #Blackhawks
Seabrook doesn’t feel ready to go yet. He had a conversation with Stan Bowman on Thursday and they decided that he is for sure not going to be a part of the Blackhawks postseason roster. Despite his dip in play over the last few seasons, you should still consider that a loss for the Hawks because they don’t have much ready to go in his place that will be better.
Brent Seabrook seems to think that he still has a lot to give to an NHL lineup. The fact is that Jeremy Colliton doesn’t a lot of the time and Seabrook seems to know it. According to him, he will be in the NHL next season but he isn’t sure where that will be.
Brent Seabrook: “I don’t know what my place is with the Blackhawks. That’s a question for Stan and Jeremy. As for the NHL, I do I know I can be an impact player on a hockey club.” #Blackhawks
He knows and has accepted that he might not play out the rest of his current deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. It is very sad that it has come down to this for one of the greatest defensemen to ever play for the Blackhawks organization. He is a multi-time champion and was a major part of every single one of them. Hopefully, there is a point late in Seabrook’s career that he is able to be in a lineup healthy and playing well.
He is not going to be in the playoff lineup but we will certainly be watching to see what the next chapter is for his NHL career. He is motivated to be an NHL player next year and beyond which is good for him. He will continue his career but his future in Chicago certainly appears to be in doubt. You have to feel wanted to play professional sports and it doesn’t seem like he is wanted in Chicago right now. He would absolutely sign off on going to a team that does want him, according to a lot of his soundbites from Friday.
Cinder Well is the brainchild of Ireland-based, California-bred singer and multi-instrumentalist Amelia Baker. As part of the Santa Cruz anarchist folk-punk scene, she’s previously played with dusky folk trio the Gembrokers and metal- and Klezmer-influenced collective Blackbird Raum, among others; in 2015 she launched Cinder Well as a solo outlet where she could collaborate with a shifting cast of musicians. By the time she released Cinder Well’s 2018 debut full-length, The Unconscious Echo, she’d developed a sound that draws from haunting traditional English, Irish, and American folk, using to explore themes of generational and historic trauma tied to white supremacy and fascism. Baker’s new record, No Summer, is steeped in American folk; it combines her reworkings of three traditional Appalachian songs with original material. Baker recorded No Summer in a converted church in Anacortes, Washington, with Nich Wilbur, joined only by violist and vocalist Marit Schmidt and violinist and vocalist Mae Kessler, and the combination of their bare-bones music and her striking vocals packs major emotional heft. She sets the tone for the album by opening with a take on the traditional “Wandering Boy,” an ode to wanderlust and homesickness; as she launches into her original piece “No Summer,” it’s clear that feelings of isolation, longing, and being torn between worlds and desires can transcend places and years. Despite its centuries-old roots, No Summer is absolutely a record of its time–and it’s easy to imagine its diaristic confessions and observations resonating with generations not yet born. v
Massachusetts-based sound artist and instrument maker Victoria Shen, who performs as Evicshen, makes music that rattles your brain. Her debut LP, Hair Birth (American Dreams), is a master class in explosive cacophony driven by blaring modular synthesizers. This isn’t just unregulated noise: Shen puts thought into her songcraft, and it’s immediately apparent right from the opening track, “Current Affair,” which begins innocuously with a bit of rumbling and a tiny beep before ramping up into an unrepentant yet intricately textured roar. The track maintains a constant tension, as revved-up electronics and sci-fi synth warbles coalesce into a murky goop and high-pitched tones flicker like fairy lights. After almost seven minutes, it transitions into “Under the Stall Door,” which feels like an electronic cyclone approaching at full speed, making its physicality felt in every barreling, ferocious moment. Shen wisely allows for moments of repose–“Classical Mechanics” and the beginning of “Funhouse Mirror Stage” are relatively tame–but even during that relative calm, you can’t help but stay on your toes, constantly on alert for Shen to bring the racket again. And the racket she brings: the glitchy wall of sound on “Bolete” is at once psychedelic and meditative, and “Fever Pitch” ends the album with a mesmerizing eruption of harsh noise. Hair Birth demands your full attention, burrowing into your skull, and there’s no escaping the onslaught. v
Chicago Cubs (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Chicago Cubs ace Kyle Hendricks earned a history-making Opening Day win over the Brewers.
It was a long time coming, but the Chicago Cubs took center stage at Wrigley Field for their Opening Day bout with the Milwaukee Brewers. After months of uncertainty, it was great to have baseball back.
Milwaukee came into Wrigley without much recent success there, averaging just over two runs per game more often than not over the past year. Friday night, it was the Brewers’ Brandon Woodruff who took the mound against the Cubs.
Last year, in 22 starts for the Brewers, Woodruff went 11-3 with a 3.62 ERA and struck out 143. Against the Cubs on Opening Day 2020, he went five innings pitched and gave up two runs while striking out five batters.
As for the Cubs, it was one heck of a performance by Kyle Hendricks. The Cubs ace went all nine innings, striking out nine batters and giving up just three hits — and zero walks.
The big piece of history made, of course, was Hendricks’ complete game shutout. It was the first complete game shutout on Opening Day, for the Cubs, since 1974 when Bill Bonham accomplished that feat.
Not only did Hendricks make Cubs, history, he helped the MLB achieve something special as well. Per ESPN Stats and Info, this was the first Opening Day that the MLB saw three complete games since 1993, when there were four. The New York Yankees’ Gerrit Cole and Washington Nationals’ Max Scherzer also finished their matchup before it was shortened on Thursday night due to a rain delay.
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Hendricks was strong out of the gate on Friday, striking out the side in the 4th inning. Late in the game, when the Cubs were down to their final out, first-year manager David Ross came out to the mound. While the announcers were curious whether or not Ross would pull Hendricks before he had a chance at his last out for the complete game, it was merely a check-in.
Ross is not Joe Maddon — that’s for certain. Most would assume Hendricks would have been gone by the seventh inning if it was Maddon’s team, still. But, that’s not the case. Rossy gave Hendricks his full trust and it paid off in full bloom as the ace made a little bit of club history.
An interesting tidbit, here: Hendricks did not have a single pitch go above 90 MPH — for the entirety of the game. That’s pretty astonishing. He was as controlled as we’ve ever seen him; truly lights out.
Saturday, the Cubs and Brewers square off at 12:05 PM in their second of this opening 3-game series and finish it off on Sunday at 1:20 PM. Then, they begin a 4-game road set against the Cincinnati Reds. For now, they’re off to a positive start at 1-0 and carry momentum into the weekend.
Recaps are going to be slightly different in 2020, and the short version is that this is most likely what you will get immediately after a game in 2020. A full explanation of what is happening and why will be posted below.*
The Cubs had to wait an awfully long time for it, but the Northside ball club washed away some of the bad taste of 2019 with a solid all around game. The Cubs offense wasn’t potent by any stretch of the imagination. However, they were patient against some difficult pitchers. It felt like the Cubs lineup provided a threat up and down the whole lineup as opposed to pitchers just having to worry about the one or two hot hitters in the lineup at any given time in 2019.
The story of the night was the Cubs starter. After that performance some may be wondering whether Greg Maddux was a poor man’s Kyle Hendricks. It is a bit of opening day hyperbole but the Professor tossed a near Maddux in his first opening day nod. He had everything working with the elite change up and throwing that front door two seamer to lefties the way Maddux used to. If it wasn’t for Orlando Arcia’s best Ted Williams impersonation, he would have been perfect. But perhaps most worrisome to the NL Central was Kyle Hendricks saying in his best Happy Gilmore voice, “Kyle learned how to throw a curve.”
The Cubs offense had a bit of déjà vu all over again with Ian Happ hitting the Cubs first homer of the season. This year it was after working a 3-1 count in the nine spot as opposed to jumping on the first pitch of the 2018 season. The Cubs failed to manufacture a run without the longball, but that was about the only complaint as the Cubs won their third straight opening day.
The Professor was locked in right from the start of the game. He retired eight hitters in a row before yielding a single to Orlando Arcia three times. The Cubs made hard-throwing Brandon Woodruff work his whole night but their first two base runners were erased on inning ending double plays. Nico Hoerner managed to sneak a groundball up the middle with one out in the bottom of the third, and Ian Happ made it count by driving the ball to dead center for the first runs of the Cubs season. There was a scary moment with Anthony Rizzo receiving a glancing blow off the hand to reach for a second time, but he would be more than fine to go the rest of the way.
The middle to late innings saw a duel between Kyle Hendricks and the rest of the Brewers staff. Victor Caratini ripped a double to start the fifth inning in Woodruff’s final inning of work, but the Cubs failed to advance him. The Brewers bullpen then shut down the offense until two outs in the eighth inning. Anthony Rizzo hooked one inside of the right field pole to extend the lead to 3-0.
Thankfully Kyle Hendricks was up to the task cruising through nine innings. Pesky Orlando Arcia provided the only blemishes on the outing. The leadoff single Hendricks allowed in the ninth inning provided David Ross’s only work for the night getting Craig Kimbrel warmed. Ross went out to check on the Professor after he just crossed the hundred pitch threshold recording the second out of the final frame, but the new skipper trusted his ace. He was rewarded with a quick groundout to earn the first W flag of the Ross era.
Random Reference
It didn’t really matter the outcome. There was only going to be one thing that was fitting after the longest wait in MLB history for baseball to return. It is still a complicated situation and one whose completion is far from certain. But tonight none of that matters because…
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*As you may have noticed the staff at Cubs Den has been dwindling for a while. That is a somewhat intentional choice. The intentional part was that there has been no effort to replace the writers who have decided to move onto other things over the past several years. Cubs Den has always been in a difficult position of keeping the writers trying to continue this passion project. It simply did not feel right to try to expand the staff given the precarious nature of journalism in 2020 and the questionable ethics of hiring writers paid with exposure.
This year I will be the only one writing a traditional recap, and as such I am going to try to keep the recaps shorter than the 1500 word behemoths I usually churned out in the past. It also means that there might not be a same day recap after every game. A little shop talk here but generally game recaps only receive any traffic when they are published within an hour or two of the final pitch. There is simply no way that I am going to be able to produce something in that time frame 60 times (hopefully more) this year. I am not ready to retire the Cubs Den recap at this time, and so I am going to try to produce as many as I can this year.
Michael is looking at starting a morning after recap that will published regardless of whether or not there is a same day recap. This is part of a larger attempt for the site to evolve to meet the challenging environment that everyone finds themselves in during 2020. I and everyone else at Cubs Den appreciate your support now and in the past. I look forward to sharing this strange and hopefully wonderful year of Cubs baseball with you.
Here is my twin sister ready to knock out her fourth infusion of TDM1 / Kadcyla at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN! Complete with her beating breast cancer “Team Mayo” tshirt and a quilt made for her by a friend!
This blog post is the 26th in a series about my (and twin sister’s) preventative breast cancer screening journey that began when we were 30 years old in July 2019. Here is a list of all of the posts written about our journey at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to date. To keep tabs on new posts, sign up for the “A Daily Miracle” email list at this link.
First of all, before diving into this post!, we are placing orders for tshirts raising awareness for breast cancer! If you want one for $20, fill out this form! Shirts are $20 and $8 goes directly to support Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota! My twin sister is showing hers off in the featured photo above!!
Okay, so on to our story!: My twin sister has now completed 4 of her 14 T-DM1 infusions, so she’s 28.5% of the way done with her post-operative chemotherapy regimen! She did great at her infusion. The first question she had was about her white blood cell counts: Every time she gets a chemo infusion, she has to have a blood test first to make sure her levels are high enough to go through with the infusion. The main question this week was whether or not her platelets and neutrophils would be up to the level they needed to be–at her last visit 3 weeks ago, her levels were relatively low, so she was a bit concerned that they may need to postpone this infusion to help the numbers get up to where they needed to be.
Thanks so some healthy eating–she and her husband were intentional about eating lots of leafy greens and high-protein foods this past three weeks!–and exercising (walking outside and on a treadmill and lifting weights in their basement!), she got her numbers up to where they need to be! We’ve also had our Bible study and family and friends praying for her levels and so, thanks to healthy foods and Jesus, she was green-lit for her treatment today WOOHOO!
As you can see, it’s a miracle!! Based on a healthy diet full of great foods high in protein and iron and vitamins, my twin sister was able to raise her levels of neutrophils and platelets over the last 3 weeks! Take that, CHEMO!!! Also, Thank you JESUS!
The infusion went great! She got to talk with her nurses and technicians all about the Boston Terrier puppy she and her husband are adopting next month (!), which was a highlight. She’s been feeling a bit tired and a little sick the day after her infusions the past couple of infusions, but she is still feeling much better overall than she did after the infusions she had of TCHP before her operation. Also, because her infusion was on a Friday, she’ll have the weekend to kick back and relax. 🙂
Here is my twin sister and her supportive hubby, after knocking out infusion #4 of TDM1 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester!
Diagnosed with “Microcystic edema” (what is that??) and PSA: DON’T USE OPTI FREE REPLENISH AS YOUR CONTACT SOLUTION!!!
Remember when I got a weird rash that I thought might be melanoma that ended up being pigmented purpura one month into my surgical recovery? Well, my twin sister has now been diagnosed with “microcystic edema,” which is kind of worse than that. A couple of weeks ago, she realized she was having trouble seeing street signs and made an eye doctor appointment right away. At her exam, she found out she has developed small cysts on BOTH of her corneas that are causing blurred vision.
Her first thought was that these cysts must have been caused by her chemotherapy regimen or Tamoxifen, but her eye doctor said those treatments tend to affect the retinas rather than the corneas where these cysts are. And the doctor told my sister her retinas looked “excellent.” So, instead of it being a side effect of her chemotherapy regimen, her eye doctor said it’s very likely that the cysts she’s developed on her corneas were caused by frequent use of contacts and/or her use of Opti Free Replenish contact solution.
Say what?
Apparently, sometimes, contact lens users come down with a condition like this, and my twin sister is one of the “lucky ones” who came down with it. Also, less than 10% of patients who use Opti Free Replenish as a contact solution are susceptible to this problem. So, it’s probably best if you use this solution, that you stop now!
“How is that possible that the product is still on the market?!” my sister asked in disbelief.
“Well, it’s less than 10% of patients who it happens to, so they figure they’ll keep selling it,” her eye doctor said.
My twin sister, being the lawyer that she is, said: “I guess there haven’t been enough lawsuits yet!” Ha, ha.
Apparently, patients can use the contact solution for years with no problem then all of a sudden it causes an issue. The eye doctor recommended Acuvue contact solution instead. So my sister is going to buy some of that.
We are grateful it was nothing more serious than some cysts on her corneas, but it’s still cysts on her corneas.
“Poor Steph!” one of my friends texted to me. “It’s just one thing after another!” Yep, it sure is. Which makes her all that much more of a champion. She is one of the strongest women I know!!!!!
According to the eye doctor, the cysts should go away within two weeks if she stops wearing contacts and wears only glasses, which she has been doing. (Thanks Warby Parker! :))
We are praying for miraculous healing! Cysts be gone!!!
We are grateful it’s not worse than it is. The eye doctor said some patients present with white blood cells attacking the corneas, and bad cysts and scarring. He said my twin sister’s cysts aren’t nearly that bad and aren’t going to leave any scars!
Hallelujah!!
And so we press on, one more day at a time. If things don’t improve or if she needs a second opinion, she’ll get one at Mayo Clinic in Rochester based on a referral from her oncologist. God is still good!!!
Thanks to stylish and functional Warby Parker glasses, hopefully my twin sister’s corneal cysts will be all gone in two weeks’ time! Prayers up!!
Next steps
My twin sister has her follow-up eye doctor appointment on Tuesday, August 4th, and we are praying for the cysts to be completely gone at that point!! If they’re not, she’ll schedule a second opinion appointment at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Her fifth infusion of T-DM1 takes place in three weeks, on Friday, August 14th; her sixth infusion takes place on Friday, September 4th; and her seventh infusion (HALFWAY THERE!!!) takes place on Friday, September 25th.
Thank you all for your continued prayers for 1) No reactions to her new chemo drugs 2) Her complete healing and 100% effectiveness of the treatment so her cancer never ever comes back!! 3) Side effects to be minimal / nonexistent!! And for these silly cysts on her eyes to go away!!
Our verse for these next few weeks is Hebrews 10:23: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
Sister Christian is a blogger, reporter, editor and follower of Jesus Christ seeking to find little miracles each and every day. She especially loves finding Jesus in art, music and culture. Learn more about her on Twitter @adailymiracle, and on Facebook as “A Daily Miracle.” Send an email to [email protected] with any comments, concerns or suggestions!
In reply to rbrucato:I still think Underwood is fine in middle relief. His FB will get hit on occasion but the changeup is…
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