Wise Words from a Friend

Greetings. It has been too long since my last blog. Apologies, but you know this cancer thing isn't always as exciting you would think. (A fact I am very thankful for.) If it weren't for the excitement provided by my insurance company, who is not approving this course of treatment, I'd say it is similar to watching paint dry. (Again, very thankful.)

I had a quick cardiologist checkup last week. I got a thumbs up to keep on keeping on. I also visited MD Anderson last Friday for a quick appointment where some of the discussion was how difficult my insurance company was being. Trust me, you really want those appointments to be about the TUMOR, not about the difficulties with insurance. I did get the once-over from Dr. F. I also got a new prescription for magic, no vomit, pills, which was nice. In general, a good visit with my marching orders to proceed. Afterward, Julie and I had lunch to discuss the whole morning. We like to recap.

I start my next round tomorrow, and it will last for fourteen days. And sometime in mid-September, we measure again to see if there has been any shrinkage. At this time, we do not know when I'll be scheduled for any other procedures besides my 28-day octreotide shot and my CT scan.

As I was driving home today from Fannett, I kept trying to put my finger on what makes this all seem so messy and random. I just kept thinking about what a mess this is. What a mess I am. Even my head is messy. When I arrived home I had received a couple of packages. One contained the chemo and other a small gift sent by great friends. The package came with a note as well. It was the note that helped me put my own mess into perspective. This should get me through chemo and enemas, because it was filled with good mojo. "Life is messy. One day at a time, my friend." This may not sound as profound to you as it does to me, but coming from a family who is going through their own special "mess", it seemed profound. Thank you Team Bills. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

kisses,
jan