Weapons of "Mass" Destruction

Karate Chopping the Mass

Well, the day we have been waiting for finally arrived. Dennis started his chemo and radiation treatments. Everything so far has been in preparation for the regimen to begin. They put in his PICC line for the gemcytobene infusion, and also gave him a fanny pack for the 5FU. These are his designer chemos, and they will sensitize the cancer cells to make the radiation more effective.

Of course, the Clot was there en masse, and asking all kinds of questions, some pertinent, some not. Things went fairly smoothly. In fact, in the Infusion room, they do everything possible to make you feel at home. They are so hospitable, that we were even allowed to bring in food to eat while a large bag of chemo was slowly dripped into the PICC line.

Dennis mentioned that he was a little hungry, and perhaps some French fries would taste good. So our daughters went straight to The Point restaurant and ordered a massive plate of fries with fry sauce. They figured that if it would taste good to Dennis, it would also taste good to everyone else getting infusions. When they returned, they began introducing themselves to the other patients as they passed around the fries. What had been a fairly quiet and sedate atmosphere turned into a party. Oh, the diplomatic doors that French fries can open! Erin and Brodi had so much fun, that they are now planning next week’s “Thanksgiving Social.” We said that was probably ok, but that they may want to re-think the plans for shuffle-board and charades! The relay races were also probably not a good idea. However, “chemo-Bingo” just might work.

So far the side effects from these procedures have been fairly mild. Of course, these treatments are powerful. We were made amply aware of this when they said that if any of the chemo spills, we are to call the Emergency Hazardous Waste hotline. That does tend to make us rather cautious!

There have been some isolated moments when the natural bodily functions are somewhat compromised, however. This can be rather annoying and makes one just a bit irritable. Once again, the girls came to the rescue. In the finest tradition of the cheerleaders they once were, Erin and Brodi began a synchronized parody of a cheer one might hear at a football game. Humor can move mountains, and laughter has many side benefits. So, if you would like to arrange aid for whatever ails you, don’t go “over the counter,” go “over the top.” Just call 1-800-GO-BOWELS, and Erin and Brodi will be right over with their pom-poms.

I wish there were a way to tell you how much your love and support sustains us. Every card, every note, every prayer gives us strength. The love you have poured out fortifies our spirits and sustains us. Your faith gives us hope. And with that spiritual power surge, we are able to keep fighting. We are coming to a greater understanding of the power of kindness and charity. Thank you all.
Love,
The Clot