Give a Kid a Hammer….

…and the whole world’s a nail!

If you recall from my post yesterday, I was experiencing pain upon eating and was "bringing up" pieces of body tissues. I said that I’d call in today to find out what’s going on, and I did.

Want to know what’s going on?

So, would I. As it is, I went through another, unscheduled, chemotherapy session!

Now, I can understand the nurse not wanting to look at my body parts. She doesn't really need to; they have experts for that. (Although I do wonder about a squeemish nurse. :-) )But the doctor barely looked at the container, much less at the tissue. I explained what was happening and that I thought the sources could be three in order of likelihood: I was actually coughing up lung tissue, I was bringing up bits of my esophageal lining, or I was bringing up bits of the tumor.

“It is ‘probably’ the tumor.”

WTF? “Probably???” Two days of radiation and I’m bringing up bits of tumor already?

As of 2002, I believe it was, doctors were the number three cause of death in the U. S. Ya think?

And with a one in ten chance of surviving this cancer, you would think that the doctor would be a little more conscientious. But there I go thinking again. It means a lot to me; to him, I’m just another source of revenue for the hospital.

So I underwent, with no preparation at all, my sixth round of chemo and added two new cancer drugs to my list; Irinotecan, and Carboplatin, similar to the Cisplatin I was taking.

So I got home about 5:30, checked a few things on the computer, sipped my evening meal (yes, it still hurt and, no, I wasn’t able to take my pain meds before eating ‘cause I’m saving that for when I really assault my stomach with my nighttime meds), and basically stared off into space for over an hour. I didn’t stir until I remembered that I promised Nurse Martha that I’d stop by tomorrow with a copy of my Chocolate Cayenne Truffles. So I printed out two copies; Nurse Kate might want one as well. She likes it hot!

There I go staring again.

I’m reminded of Jean’s memorable line in Billy Jack, “I just don’t know anymore.” Where’s Billy Jack when you need ‘im?

When I set up my monitor with a TV antenna half a year ago, just to have a working TV around, I remembered seeing all the Cancer Treatment Center commercials for the first time. “Before we came to the Cancer Treatment Center, her local doctor gave her 4-6 months to live. That was two years ago!” Maybe there was a reason.

You know what they call the doctor who graduates at the bottom of his medical college class?

Doctor!

In any case, kunolunkwa!

"As a juror, I will exercise my 1000-year-old duty to arrive at a verdict, not just on the basis of the facts of a particular case, or instructions I am given, but through my power to reason, my knowledge of the Bill of Rights, and my individual conscience. When needful, I will judge the law itself." -L. Neil Smith