Post Thanksgiving

Radiation is done, and I had the entire Thanksgiving week off. That means I didn't have chemo or radiation or alien experiments conducted on me. It was nice to be able to celebrate the holiday with family and friends and not have to worry about feeling crappy. For the actual turkey day we went to my uncle's place, where we celebrated with about 40 other family members. There were 2 birds, one of which I got to carve, one prime rib, and a cornucopia of tasty side dishes. We spent the night so as to avoid the drive home after the long day. It was a blast. I played a lot of pool, and found my inner hustler, having defeated three of my fabulous fellow poolsharks.

This week (it's Sunday today) I start chemo again on Tuesday and will continue for the following two Tuesdays. I'll have a week off after three weeks of chemo, then back on after the break. At the end of December I'll go in for another CT scan, which is going to be used for review at the tumor board, a group of doctors from various disciplines, which will determine if I'm a candidate for surgery. The board primarily consists of a couple surgeons, one or more vascular surgeon, medical oncologists, and representatives from radiation oncology. There are going to be about 30-40 people total attending the board, and the core group of doctors will be driving the conversation and making the decision.

My primary radiation oncologist, in an effort that was probably attuned to managing my expectations, mentioned that the treatment would effectively kill the tumor, however, there's the possibility that there'd be no shrinkage. I'm optimistic that the tumor will suffer a reduction in size, at the very least will move back from the blood vessels so that the board sees the minimized risk and gives me the green light to go with the surgery to remove it. I'm chomping at the bit to get this crap behind me, even if I have to do chemo after surgery (which I will), I'm happy to do it if it means that this little evil fucker has been removed from the equation, and my body. I want my temple clean.

I still am mighty hairless, which is real weird. I feel like what swimmers must be achieving prior to a meet. When speaking with me, you might hear me qualify it as being "high speed, low drag", an Army colloquial I learned from a buddy. My face feels a bit nekkid, after having a rather robust goatee present on its chin for longer than I can remember. I'm happy to experience a hairless exterior if it means I can get my interior squared away.

So what did I give thanks for?

• My wife
• My sons
• My family
• My friends
• Chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and their continued advancement in treating and curing cancer
• My fortune to spend more time with my kids, while I'm taking this time to cure my cancer

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and spent it with people that make you happy.

On we go.