DAY 65: Kick-off of Round 4... here we go again...

Well I just had my port accessed and am ready to get hopped up on round 4 drugs. This round is the 'B' round, which will involve Rituxan, Methotrexate, and Cytarabine. I will also get the latter of those two drugs in my brain-port (again). The B-round was rougher on me last time around, but maybe this time there will be a learning curve and my body will handle the drugs a little better. Hey, nothing wrong with optimism, right? I expect to be here through the weekend, until Sunday. But plans are always subject to change.

This morning, instead of getting here at the crack of dawn like I normally do, I decided to take my time. (Rationale: the chemo orders take until late afternoon to get completed anyway, and so what's the rush?) It ended up being a smart move, as the hosptial admissions process was jammed like never before and patients were practically backstabbing staff to try to get room assignments. I even got to sneak out to my favorite restaurant for lunch while I was waiting (Taqueria del Sol). Mmmmm. Fish tacos and cheese dip from Taqueria are, in fact, the same meal I'd request as a last meal on death row. That's a little melodramatic, I recognize, and am not implying I'm anywhere near death row this week. It's bad, but not *that* bad!

Luckily, Dr. Flowers ('my' doctor, the Tiger Woods one) is making rounds this week, which means I got to see him once a day. I grilled him on the 6 vs. 8 question just now. He told me that he had not decided yet and that he wanted to wait until my next PET/CT scan (which will be sometime in the next few weeks.) I get a feeling that he is leaning toward recommending 8 rounds... but he is going to reserve his thoughts until later. Geeee! Come on, people! Puh-leeease! There have been studies on the effectiveness of this chemo for Burkitt's Lymphoma, but most have involved 8 cycles. That's what we're up against...

I'm in a great room with a great view - again. The sunsets are great and they feed my soul tremendously. I can even see the skyline from my bed this time. Wow.


A new creature comfort I brought with me this time was a radio. I am listening to the news right now, and keeping in touch with the outside world a little better. It's nice to have some classical music in the background, too. Maybe we can use the radio to drown out some of the drone of the infusion pump clicking. One of our close friends has let us borrow her sound machine. It has been a life-saver. I need to return it and get one for our own! I won't be able to do without.

Lest I waste hours and hours of time, I've committed to really laying off computer/internet use for the season of Lent, but I will do my best to keep things updated this week - as it will probably be a fun one. (Thought to self: is it ok to watch Celebrity Apprentice and American Idol, still??? Geesh. Drivel.)