Cancer: Gearing Up for Phase 2

This is an old picture of Cathy's Wall of Strength. It's got
a lot more on it now. And she's still got more cards to add. 

On Tuesday Cathy will have her last chemo treatment before surgery. To say that we are both thrilled about that would be an understatement of gross proportions. Lots of you have been asking how it's been going, and I've been just a little bit too busy to update like I'd want to, and I'm sorry about that.

As Cathy's needs have intensified in the midst of her treatments, my own mental health took a dip and it took me a couple of weeks to recognize it. I'm making corrections and adjustments now, and as a result, I feel better and more alert, so here you go.

The change in the weather has helped, too. Autumn in October? In TEXAS? Pinch me, I'm dreaming. We haven't had actual Fall weather in the Fall for years. I'm so excited.

Yeah, that's right, that's
right, we bad. Uh huh.
Don't want no bullshit.

Cathy goes in for surgery at the beginning of November. On top of managing the day-to-day...challenges...of chemotherapy, such as spinning the Wheel of  Random Symptoms to see what we're going to be dealing with, personal energy drain that resembles those Samsung phones that were blowing up in people's pockets (she's fine, she's fine, she's fine, shesnotfine), the unpredictable daily mood swings, and now the "trying not to freak out about major surgery and failing at it miserably" planning that is happening in the Day-Finn Family Bunker has made things more tense than either of us would like.
We have our fifteenth anniversary coming up, and it's going to be a quick and dirty road trip. We agonized over what to do for our milestone day and ultimately decided it would be best if we both got out of the damn house for a couple of days. We're both going a little stir crazy. And before you ask, She's Richard Pryor, and I'm Gene Wilder. Duh.

After that, I've got a birthday coming up. I'll be, well, old as hell, but I have to tell you, I don't feel my age. Not the way our parents do. I still like all of the stuff I liked as a kid. I never had to give any of it up to "be a man" or "act like an adult." Well, I did have to do that, but it was always presented to me as a part to play, a dance to perform, rather than who I had to be.

Cathy's birthday is November 13th. She'll be out of the hospital and recovering at home by then. Once we're in Dallas, I'll post details on Facebook, so that those of you who know us can stay caught up. It's going to be stressful--it's going to be so stressful that it's going to make what we've been doing up until now look like Disney on Ice--but it's also the shortest part of the treatment process. We're just trying to take a few days off, to get out of our heads, before we have to tackle this next set of challenges.