It's Been A Year

Been a little more than a year, actually. And I'd thought about putting up something on the 10th. Morning that I walked into IRMH at around five thirty. And around noon walked out, slowly and carefully. Ellen drove me home. And I began recovery.

"Lance Cancer" I call it, trying to be a bit breezy about the whole thing. And it's fixed up just fine. Despite being crappy pens, I now use Uniball. Or at least have one in my pocket, even if I'm using something else for actual writing.

When the cutting is all done, the question becomes what are you going to do next. For simple stuff like mine, one of the options is watch and wait. The others are a follow-up with chemo or radiation. I had a two week course of radiation, just to make sure. 

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I had intended to write more with the above. Things I'd thought about while riding. Or while just sitting. About the process and the after processes. Somehow a lot of it does not readily condense to words, and I want to avoid tldr.

My friend David, who drives the big jet airplane on my header, remarked that "there's too much cancer." And, neglecting my personal case in this argument, I'd say that there damn sure is. Cancer has been in his family. And it has been in Ellen's. And it has been all around us. Seeing how quickly shortened life can become has changed my sense of what is and what isn't important.

Medical care in our wealthy community was a mixed bag. I can't tell a good doctor from a bad one, except in extreme cases. I can spot bumbling in the bureaucracy of paperwork and procedures. Sure as old hell was a lot of it.

And I can really appreciate the people who took the time to explain and who had the time to care. - The aside is that I have close to zero personal space. If you talk to me and gradually get closer and closer, I am not going to step back. Why would I? And you don't need to explain what you are touching and why. I'm curious about the process, but I'm not likely to be offended.

Anyway. For radiation, first you get a support made, and then some tats for alignment. After that it's big machines. Talking to people who are waiting with you. In which there is some glad and way too much sad.

Still not close to what I think I want to write. So maybe some more later.

Well, anyway, here's the zapper.