Diary of a Network Geek

Well, I’m not in the hospital yet.

Turns out having a fever over the weekend was a Bad Thing and the doctor didn’t want to start my chemotherapy if I were sick.  So, they sent me home with a perscription for antibiotics and I’ll be back on Thursday to try again.
I have to admit, I find it a little funny, frustrating and odd that they want me to be “healthy” before they start poisoning me again.  But, still, there is a certain amount of strange, medical logic there.  After all, if I’m already sick, and the chemo weakens me, what I’m already sick with might actually do me more harm than the chemo.  It’s just frustrating because I was looking forward to getting this all done and over with and now I’ve been delayed.  Ah, well, a few more days won’t kill me!

(Incidentally, for those of you not familiar with the term “hangfire“, it’s from gun/shooting culture.  Basically, it means “misfire, warning, danger, watch yourself on the range!”.  Lordy, the things you remember from Boy Scout camp!)

In just a few short minutes, my ride will be picking me up for what I hope will be my last session of in-patient chemotherapy.

This will be the sixth session I’ve had, which is the “normal” course of things for lymphoma. Before I check in, I’ll be getting a chest x-ray and blood work done, as well as having a chat with my doctor. After this round of chemo, I’ll have another PET scan and CT scan to determine for sure that Cletus has, in fact, left the building. Depending on how that goes, there may be more treatments, but I’m hoping that this will be the last of it.

It’s been quite an interesting experience, so far, this cancer thing. As one might expect, it’s led me to think a lot about my life and how I live it. I’m not sure that I’ve come to any real conclusions yet, but, then, I’m not quite done with my treatments, either. The one thing I do know for sure is how grateful I am to have so many people who have been so willing to offer their love and support to help me through this. I’m sure that the changes I need to make to my lifestyle as a result of this “little health issue” will continue to change me in ways I can’t yet see. I hope that all the changes, physical, mental and spiritual, will be constant improvements. Only time will tell.

(Incidentally, the title is German and translates, “Once more, with feeling”, just in case you were wondering, or couldn’t read the ulauted u.)