2nd chemo

Skip had his second treatment yesterday and everything went pretty well-- no freaky hiccups last night; no nausea. Still I was up at 5, the hour-- or so my acupuncturist tells me-- that corresponds to mourning and grief in the Chinese Medical Scheme of Things. The hour that is ruled by the lungs.

We have 2 more radiation treatments to go in the series of 14 that specifically target the carcinoma in Skip's spine. Yesterday, he woke up pain-free for the first time in months. Even sitting in the chemo infusion center for 2 hours didn't seem to cause undue distress-- so something is helping with the bad back attack that was our first notice that something was wrong. The cancer "presenting" itself, as the doc says--as though it were a Diva waiting for the properly dramatic moment in which to make an entrance.

Two to 4 more chemo treatments using both drugs-- alimta and carboplatin. Then he'll go on a "maintenance" regime, using one drug only. Chronic cancer. Chronic chemo.

It's 7:15 a.m. and still dark; and I hear the wind whistling in the trees outside. Grey, drizzly day all yesterday. The wind I'm hearing makes me think that today we're in for something a little more dramatic.