Here we go again.

Here we go again.

Good morning everyone. Well, here I am; it’s day 21 of 21 of my first chemotherapy block. So hurray. This is actually a big deal.

I made it through pretty well with only really bad day in block one. And that was more of a psychological thumb-sucking event, than a vomiting/pain thing. I’ m pretty sure I mentioned it.

So tomorrow is Day 1 of block II. I begin my Sisyphus imitation at about 7:30 when I go to Christiana Hospital for a quick surgical procedure to install a Hickman Catheter. A Hickman is a “quick release” hookup, which is inserted in your chest, to your superior vena cava. This allows docs and nurses to more easily dispense chemo and draw blood.  There is a pretty good discussion of it all at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hickman_line.

It kind of creeps me out – truth be told.  The idea of hanging chemo hardware off my body implies – wrongly I admit – a permanence of status that makes me uncomfortable. Intellectually I understand the paradox of installing a permanent device to facilitate the cure of a temporary disease. Still – it creeps me out.

The surgery will last about 45 minutes.

It won’t be long until I get to test-drive the Hickman. I continue rolling the boulder up the hill in ward 6B where I link up with my doc and we begin the chemo that day.

This is a little different than the first go around – I think I mentioned that. The chemo drugs will come pretty much continuously over a four or five day period. It is the continuous aggressive nature of the chemo schedule that makes this an inpatient event.

Anyway, I should be there for four or five days distracting doctors and nurses and generally raising a ruckus. Once I get my bearings I’ll post my room phone number.

Love,

Bill