ANTHONY R. VIZZARI | ARCHTOGRAPHIST

As much as I dislike the I-phone's camera, I find it useful for capturing such epic images like this one. These tootie fruties called to me from an isle in the CVS pharmacy. I thought about how good they might taste with some delightful soy milk, but stopped myself... No malt o meal for me!!! Other than this excitement at CVS, I made a few stops in retail hell... Only to go home and settle into my 2008 business taxes. 1/3 of the way through... Can't wait to figure out how much I owe Uncle Sam... Everything else is status quo. Over and out.

Spent most of today building a new booth in the shop. How about that...me wearing a mask to protect those lungs!!! And, yes, safety glasses too!

A great little portrait piece from my collection: 2x3" photo in glass holder, circa 1930? Mirror on Reverse. Possibly from a county fair, or similar. I love the directness of "Remember Me.." And of course, there's no smile... Update: Today I met with the U of C Oncologist’s for my follow-up. In short, my tumors are not secreting, hence the reason why I don’t have “Carcinoid Syndrome”, i.e., no major symptoms. The stomach pains may be from the liver tumors, or, so they say? My serotonin (5HIAA), Gastrin, and Chromogranin A levels are all normal. My pathology report was also negative for Chromogranin. These are all good things. The Pathologists reviewed my slides again, and noted that the cells are “moderately differentiated”. That means that my Cancer growth is moderate, not fast and not slow. It’s a grade 2 on a 1-3 scale. The doctor hesitated to given any definitive prognosis with respect to life expectancy. From what I gather, they just don’t know. If the tumors/

The thought for the day... Or, should I say, spacial?

Inscription: "The day will come when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you are throttling today." Victims hung 1887. Haymarket Martyrs' Monument, Erected: June 25th, 1893. Forest Home Cemetery, Forest Park, Illinois. (AKA The Anarchist's Monument) Today was good. Started off with some mild house cleaning, followed by a blast of emails and contract work. Then, Richard Cahan and Mike Williams took me out for lunch at Russell's BBQ in Oak Park. It was an absolute blast! THANKS GUYS! If I knew Cancer was going to get me endless lunches, I would have gotten it earlier! So, why do people with Cancer lose weight again?? I love eating... But no, really, Russell's was cool. It's an old Oak Park BBQ joint that looks like it hasn't changes since the 60's! After lunch, we made a pit stop at Forest Home Cemetery. As most people know, I'm into that kind of thing. However, I did not know that the Haymarket Martyr's Monument was there... ri

Me, in my Digital-Retro Booth, February 5th, 2009: Less then 24hrs after diagnosis... So, today was productive with respect to work! Got a bunch of contracts and emails out in the morning. I also dropped off my "Jug" at U of C this morning. Then, Paul made an awesome lunch, (THANKS PAUL!!!) and I got to hang out with my good friends at Yamashiro Studio. I've known them for years and they're great people to work with. But they're even better friends! And, Paul has always been a stellar cook. So, I plan on dropping in more if he's going to keep up these lunches! ...how about something Italian, say, meatballs, ravioli and a good meat sauce??? :) The liver surgeon's nurse at U of C called me today. (I guess she's the transplant coordinator?). At this point, they're just waiting for me to make the call if I want to meet for a more thorough evaluation. I'm obviously going to hold off. After much thought and discussion, I'm going to wait to get

For those of you who don't know what I've been up to, besides this Cancer mess, check it out....! Hope you can make it! 2009 International Photobooth Convention: Join Photobooth.net and 312Photobooth.com for the 2009 International Photobooth Convention, held this year at Chicago's Center Portion artist project space in Logan Square. The convention serves as a gathering place for photobooth artists, enthusiasts, and the merely curious alike. Two vintage black and white photobooths as well as a newer digital booth will be on hand for the duration of the event. For what's it's worth, we're using the word "convention" in a bit of a tongue-in-cheek way. The International Photobooth Convention will be more grassroots than business suits. Along with a gallery show of art created in and inspired by the photobooth, the convention will feature workshops, lectures, and other events, as well as collaborative photobooth art projects which we encourage visitors to

A few more pieces from the Polaroid series. Our of order, but the edit is still in progress. Also, working on some new ones. Been gathering material for the next set. Not a ton going on tonight. Spoke with Kari from Indy, who gave me some great tips about Carcinoid, shared her experience, and was just plain supportive. Kari and I are the same age, so, it's good to talk with someone who who can identify. I'm also going to join a Carcinoid support group here in the Chicago. I managed to get some work done, but also had a splitting headache all day. Not sure why? Can't wait for spring to come... Spent the last two mornings clearing snow. It's a slow news day, but plugging forward.

This has been all over youtube, but I love it. Laughter is good...

Sullivan Arch: Page from "Scrapbook: Or. Pictorial Artifacts from my Recent Past." Click to View U of C called me back today. I am eligible for the transplant. "All options are on the table." And, the transplant surgeon said from his initial analysis, I'm a "perfect candidate" for the surgery. So, we'll see where this takes us. That's a big decision to make. I recently met a really sweet person, Kari, who has gone through much of what I'm dealing with now. Her story is inspiring, and the fact that she has shared it with me and others is a testament to the fact that there is still some humanity left in this world! http://mycarcinoidstory.com/ Kari Commented today: Hi Anthony! It's Kari - your new Carcinoid friend from Indiana! I love your blog and it's everything that I went through as well. You are going to be okay! :-) Your most recent post almost makes me speechless because it is a complete reflection of so many of the thou

Clarence John Laughlin: Possesed by the Past, 1939 (One of my favorite photographers) Well, it was a long day and I’m absolutely exhausted after doing what feels like the “Hospital Circuit”. Long story short, met with the Oncology doctors at UofC and I’m less than impressed with what was offered. OctreoScan did not reveal the location of the primary cancer, but docs are 99% certain there is, or was, a primary site. (I think I was mistaken… supposedly this cannot be a primary liver Cancer? It always originates from the GI, Pancreas or Lungs.) It may be so small that it’s undetectable. Therefore, it’s somehow not a concern right now? They will focus on treating tumors in the liver. The OctreoScan did confirm that the smaller liver lesions are the same Cancer. From our conversation today, I was told that liver transplant is not a treatment option for this type of Cancer? Which completely conflicts with what our liver specialist told us? (You think they’d talk about this?) I mean shit; th

An old study I did that I felt fit the tone of tonight's blog entry... A photo my friend Sylvie sent me last night...oddly, it made me very happy. She called it a "weird house". I call it a spectacular example of vernacular architecture from our country's southern region. (This is North Carolina...) First off, I wanted to thank everyone for reading my blog and sending their thoughts and prayers. Sylvie, thanks for the photos and juice connection. Dena & Dan, thanks for the 12 pack of Schlitz Classic. Bill, thanks for talking tonight. And many more thanks to those who have offered their livers, and their beer. Once again, if I haven’t replied to you directly, it’s because there’s just too much going on. My phone is glued to my damned ear. If I’m not at a Doctor’s appointment, I’m usually on the phone with my clients and suppliers, or, talking to a doctor, nurse, lab tech, insurance company, etc… And of course, I’m always trying to get my emails, designs, and other

I completed the second day of my OctreoScan, finishing the series. It was pretty simple, and I expect to have the results back by Thursday for the Oncology visit. Now, getting a copy of my medical records for referral is another story. I want to preface my next remarks by saying that I have the utmost respect for my doctors at the University of Chicago. Now, with that said, the support staff is fucking HORRENDOUS. They’re lazy, rude, and borderline brain dead. If my family wasn’t reading this blog, my use of descriptive adjectives would be much worse…MUCH worse indeed. I’ll spare you all the intricate details for the sake of time, and my blood pressure. Needless to say, I expect more from a hospital. I don’t care what your problem is; serve your client like a professional. If I have to get a transplant, there’s no way in hell I’m going back there for it. (Unless I’m forced too.) I’m currently in the process of seeking additional opinions for medical treatment. I have an appointment at

Well, in case you’re wondering what a Neuroendicrine Tumor (NET) looks like, here you have it! Note the yellow circle that I so elegantly added for your viewing pleasure. This image is a slice from my most recent MRI. As noted prior, the tumor, AKA “Hepatic Mass,” is about 6cm in diameter. This thing has been growing for quite some time! In this scan, you don’t see the smaller 1cm tumors (lesions), but they are present in other scans. If I can, I’ll also post images from my OctreoScan, just as soon as I have the disk. Oh, and being a photographer myself, I guess I should give a photo credit…? Hmmm, courtesy of the University of Chicago, via the cosmic forces that made such a landscape possible!

Yup, that's me today getting my OctreoScan (photo by Andrea). From what I was told, it's a Gamma Ray scanner. So, they injected me with some "junk" that makes my guts glow and I sat in there for about 2 hours. It was painless, albeit boring. At least we got to leave the hospital today for a few hours and go book shopping! I bought a new book on the evolution of the "Motel in America", can't wait to read it... god knows I have plenty of time while at the hospital. After the hospital, I spent the rest of the afternoon sending medical records to doctors for 2 nd opinions. It's a tiring, lackluster process! However, Andrea and I did get out for a bit tonight to hit a new Indian restaurant in town. Then, we went to a reading of T.C. Boyle's "4 Women" about Frank Lloyd Wright. He signed our book after the reading at Wright's Unity Temple. Andrea and I got married there, so it was nice to go back, since we haven't really since. Afte

02.14.2009: Andrea and I in one of our vintage photobooths ... classic! Not a ton going on today. Ran another 4 miles, despite that it was 25 degrees, followed by some sets of stair running. It feels good to get back into running after the cold ass winter we had. I'm still a little slow since it's been a while, but my muscles are bouncing back. I'm gearing up for my OctreoScan tomorrow. I need to be there at 7:30am to drink some stuff. The scan starts at 11am. So, I plan to be at the hospital for quite some time. Andrea and I had a great time last night. We mixed a little work in with our Valentine's date. I had to fix our vintage photobooth at Bar DeVille , but that gave us some time to have a cocktail and take a few photos to remember the evening! Andrea had to do a screen check for one of her theaters, but that gave us a chance to get a nice dinner, then, see a movie! We saw Slumdog Millionaire which was awesome. I only wish we could travel to India right now..

...A few more selections from the series, obviously, I haven't been posting in order. I'm working on editing scans of the artwork for a dedicated website for this work. I'm also planning on publishing a small limited edition book of the prints. Otherwise, the series continues! I'll post a few here from time to time. Not everything on this blog has to be about Cancer... My life is not about Cancer... it just happens to be a big part of it right now.

Medical Update: Visited the doctor on Friday to discuss my situation. The MRI from Thursday, which was unbearably long, did not provide any new insight since the report had not yet come back. However, the doctor was able to view the scans of the lower GI, for which he said there was nothing that registered to him as “abnormal”. He did note that the Radiologist generally has a better eye for these things, and may see something when the final report is made? It’s possible that the tumors in the lower GI could be very very small, or, not there at all! If we’re lucky, the Cancer will not show up and be limited to the liver. If this were the case, it would be extremely rare… but hey, I’ll take it! I’m undergoing a 2 day OctreoScan starting Monday. This test should be more definitive with respect to “seeing” this type of cancer throughout my body. For more info about this kind of scan, click here . With the above noted, the conversation with my doctor turned toward options for treating my

This series was created for a grop show back in July of 2008... they were intended to be "studies"... simple pieces for some bigger project? But, they took on a life of their own... mundane, almost boring at times? I felt that the typewriter added some sense of the personal, just by the nature of how the ink sits on the paper... smudges, etc. With that said, I had no intention to continue the series. I had put the series to rest, but given my new diagnosis, found it poignant. Therefore, I have "resurected" the series, and will continue to work on it. About the show: For the month of August six New York artist + six Chicago Artists explore DEATH+EXTINCTION via the soon-to-be-extinct medium of the Polaroid. For one weekend in June, Chicago artists traveled to New York to work alongside New York artists. Their mission was to individually create a Polaroid project themed around "Death/Extinction". About the series: The final image is not the process, but a

Vernacular Photography.... aka, an old photo of a lower denture plate...from the collection. So, tomorrow, I'm talking to my doctor about recent tests, treatment options, etc... I've compiled a list of questions, albeit, cheesy.... but, necessary. It ain't poetry.... · What type of neuroendocrine tumor (NET) do I have? · How can we identify the other liver lesions, not able to be biopsied? · Should I take a Chromogranin A blood test? · Is it a Typical or Atypical NET? · What is the stage of my cancer? What does this mean in my case? · Has my cancer spread beyond the liver? Is this most likely secondary liver cancer? · How well is my liver working? · What other organs does the cancer affect? Is it in the lower GI (Primary)? Elsewhere? · Can you explain my pathology report to me? · Can surgery be done to remove all of my cancer? · Can you explain Carcinoid Crisis. Is this typical with surgery for this type of cancer? · How much experience do you have in treating this type of

I'm writing from radiology... Just drank 3 bottles of Barium Sulfate. Yum! Love my IV accessory too! This is my 2nd MRI, still on the hunt for captain "C"... Argh....

A cornfield somewhere in Wisconsin: Taken with a Horizon 35mm panormic: Taken just after a spell of severe stomach pains. October.2008 So, here it goes, from the beginning: I've had recurring stomach pains for at least 4 years. For those who know me well, I’m a relatively “high-strung” individual… Ok, maybe I’m borderline OCD? Initially, doctors thought these stomach pains might be related to anxiety? But sometime late in 2007, my pain slowly started to get worse. Well, I thought it must be an ulcer or something? At times, I’d have these attacks that would last for days, stabbing. When the pain started to become more frequent in November of 2008, Andrea forced me to see a doctor. The doctors initially thought it might be an ulcer, or, an issue with my gallbladder. I was sent for an ultrasound in early December 2008… and this is when it all began. During the ultrasound they noted that I might indeed have gallstones, for which an operation would be required. In addition, they n

me...testing one of my vintage photobooths. 02.09.2009 FYI: As some of you may or may not know, I’ve been experiencing some health issues. With that, has come a great deal of support from friends and family, for which I am truly grateful. However, I have found that repeating the details often leaves me exhausted. So, in an effort to keep everyone informed, I’ve started a blog. I think writing will help me deal with the emotional challenges of my disease, while at the same time, provide the status friends and family seek. During this time, if I don’t answer an email or phone call, please do not take offense. My new full time job is getting healthy…and so far, it’s a monster of a task. But I’m positive, young, and willing to do whatever it takes to get through this!