:chik: :chik: :chik: :chik: :chik: :chik:

That's supposed to be the sound of a rollercoaster climbing that first big hill. Again. ;)

I had another followup with Dr. Lee, my oncologist, yesterday. I joked with her when she commented that I looked like I was feeling much better. I said it was amazing what -not- poisoning yourself and napping inside a microwave every day can do for you. :P

I had a short list of questions I knew most of the answers to. Yes, I will be on chemo again to attack and kill the metastatic disease. It will begin two or three weeks after the ostomy has been reversed which will likely be about a month after surgery. I'm gathering that means chemo starts mid to late January. It will be a sequence of visits for bloodwork on day one, drip for a few hours on day two, then home with a little pump on my belt until day four. That four day cycle will repeat every other week for twelve rounds... twenty-four weeks... almost six months... and it's going to 100% instead of the 50% regimen of Xeloda that already sucked pretty bad.

But there won't be any radiation exposures to endure!

Lots of people go back to work during this period of their treatment and I've read a lot of good advice. It's a lot like riding a ride I've already been on. I know when the drops and loops are now and I know when to scream. Screaming always helps keep your stomach from getting upset. This time through I may be able to relax a little and wave my arms around knowing more of what to expect. It's not so scary.

Let me balance that with a little news from the garage...

The Pickle lives! I've probed and pushed my limits a little over the last two weeks as my strength has returned and made some progress on the BMW. I got the heater core out and began cutting out the carpets and accessory wiring. I was able to successfully bypass the heater core, fill and bleed the cooling system, and take her out for a brief drive last night! reading the Bentley book, I needed to get the engine up to temperature to check for leaks and expel any air in the system. So, I grabbed my celphone so I wouldn't get stranded anywhere and took to the streets. After a few minutes drive I stopped and checked things over... no leaks. :D

With that success, I will have the car in for an alignment and the state inspection next Tuesday morning. I am really looking forward to finally being able to legally drive the car more often to shake out the bugs and fine tune everything.

Of course, that will have to wait for a few days while Jody and I retreat to Cancun for a long weekend. We'll be in the air eeeaaarrrlllyyy tomorrow morning and in Mexico before lunch. I am so glad I've got the energy to make the trip.

In closing, I want to add my new friend Greg to your prayers. His tumor is higher than mine and he was a few weeks ahead of me on the chemo and radiation journey. We will both be going in for surgery on the same day. I asked him if he wanted to race... ;)