I hiked across the park to the doc’s office yesterday to start this round of treatment. The snow has slowly started to be pushed to the sides, and there are places to walk. The middle of the street still works best, but the cars have started to come back. It has been sort of amazing and beautiful to see the city brought to a halt. Jackasses trying to get out in their cars only to have to abandon them in the middle of the street a half block away because they’ve been spinning their tires the whole way, and they’re bald now.. Making that particular street impassible for the snow plow. People are complaining about how slow the snow removal has been, but are conveniently forgetting that when election time rolls around they refuse to vote for someone who says, “naturally to pay for all the services you have come to expect, we will have to raise your taxes.” “Oh HELL no! I’ll take my chances” (there’s that soap box again.. sorry. By now I’m sure many of you know where I stand).
Doc took a look at my mouth and thought for a minute.
“It’s herpes.”
“What!??”
“well.. A type of herpes.”
“Ok.”
Then he looked at my tongue and thought for another moment..
“Nope. It’s the 5fu. for sure.” (hands rubbing with glee… “eeeeexcelent.. it’s woooorking”)
“If I give you treatment today, I will have to cut the f5u to SUCH a degree that it may be worth just waiting until next week to start you up again. Would that be ok? Otherwise this will just get worse.”
“Sounds good to me, doc. You’ll never get an argument from me for putting off the poison.”
“So I’ll just give you erbitux today.”
The Erbitux continues to give me mange (thanks antoine, I think mange is even more apt than leprosy). The picture up top is from a few days ago.. I’m up early and there’s not enough light yet to take one for today, but you can take my word for it.. I don’t look great.
Naturally I will spend some of my free time playing pool with Jeremiah, who is quickly becoming a close friend. I’ll also probably try to put up a few new pictures on Etsy. (my continued gratitude to those of you who have stopped in. It’s actually drawing a bit of an income, which really helps take at least some of the mental pressure off the situation. To be able to still contribute, beyond just cooking dinner, is a real comfort. It has also been a chance to really look at some of the photos, and to see them in PRINT, which is really so different from seeing them on screen.)
Hill is a little anxious about the schedule change. She had planned a trip down to NC to see family and friends for NEXT week when I’d be OFF. Makes her a little nervous to leave me during a treatment week, even though we have so many other folks around who can help out. Naturally, I will be fine.
I have been receiving some really beautiful emails from many of you. Some who knew me before and have discovered this blog and done some catching up. Others that I’ve never met. It is beautiful, and humbling, and very fortifying! I’m grateful. I’m sorry to those that slip through the cracks and don’t get a quick response. Please know that I read it all and am grateful. Thank you.
That’s all.