the PLAN

We met with Dr. E on Friday morning and mapped out how to tackle these bothersome lumps. It feels great to have a plan, though I wish I could fast forward four months and skip the unpleasant part...but I expect the unpleasant part is where the deepest lessons are learned...grrr.

THE PLAN is four rounds of chemotherapy (a drug combo called ABVD) and then a PET scan to see if all the cancer is gone. If it is, whoopee and we're done, and if it isn't, we'll proceed with more chemotherapy and/or radiation.

One round of chemotherapy takes one month with injections (is that the right word for it?) of ABVD on days 1 and 15. I'll have a port placed in my chest which I understand is a little like an outlet for the IV to plug into to administer the drugs. Receiving the chemo takes a few hours. I had no idea what having chemotherapy actually entailed...I think I envisioned being lasered at or something like that.

Dr. E says there's lots of wonderful new medications to stave off many side effects of chemotherapy, but two that I will have to deal with are fatigue and, yes, hair loss. As you know, I've hedged the second one by going halfway there already, so full out baldness won't be such a trauma for myself and everyone else who has to look at me. I do plan to wear scarves and such as I'm pale enough already to raise questions about albinity, and I can only imagine that the bare top of my head could just about light up a darkened room with its whiteness. Could maybe at least save us on the electricity bill.

So the treatment starts Thursday. If I'm calculating correctly, four months later will be Sunday, October 7, 2012. So maybe by the time Julian turns 1 (October 14), treatment will be done. But maybe not. I am learning that it is better not to grip my plans to tightly - I am not the Lord. A friend reminded me that my 'interruptions' may be God's true work for my life.

Another friend astounded me by showing up at our house with one of these (which I've secretly been wanting for months!). Yet another friend passed along a shopping bag full of vintage scarves to cover my head once my hair is gone. I continue to be humbled by the kindess of others.

Sam and I did have a wee final getaway this weekend. The friend who gave the scarves - she and her beau were married on Saturday in Alabama, and we couldn't miss the party!

Congratulations, you two!