It's Friday, Oct. 9th, and Bill's chemo got moved up!

The really nice people at the Seby Jones Cancer Center in Boone kept track of our wish that chemo could start sooner, and--voila!--an opening occurred for Oct. 15th--this coming Thursday, so they let us have the slot. Therefore, our Willy will meet with the oncologist there on the 15th and, theoretically, start the whole shebang just six days from now.

Found out that the second of his chemo-juices (cisplatin) is made of platinum--hence the "platin" part of the name. Nice to live in the 21st century when meds are made with the finest gold. I imagine that a few hundred years ago, the only chemotherapy people could get was cissilver, and before that, maybe only ciscopper or cisiron. And in the 14th century, shoot, it was probably ciswood or cisgravel or you were on your own.

I guess it's kind of weird to be happy about getting chemo--happy about something that might make Bill feel miserable. Maybe with cancer, there are concentric circles of happiness/unhappiness, like rings around Jupiter. If so, ours is the ring of HAPPINESS that's inside the ring of UNhappiness that results from knowing he needs chemo at all. UNhappy about needing chemo, while HAPPY to get it, while UNhappy about its short-term effects, while HAPPY about its long-term effects.

Um, what?

Bill's mood is the best it's been since the whole safari began. He's feeling much better as he recovers from the bladder scraping event, and he's delighted at getting emails and cards and wonderful attentions from you guys.

His only down side right now is that he is having some weird pains in his bladder AND in an area NEAR his bladder--and of course, I'm freaking out at every little thing that's NEW--hypochondriac (major understatement) that I am.

He's even trying to eat healthy, immune-boosting foods. Our dear friend, D., passed on some tips for chemotherapy health, including suggestions from some Russian scientists we know, involving drinking something called "nettle tea" during chemo. And...all kidding aside... eating beets. (If you remember the beet humor from a couple of weeks ago.)

He's also currently in love with eating grilled talapia with cheese grits. Okay, at least there is fish involved, instead of mushroom-swiss 1/3-pound Angus Burgers.

I'm also dosing him with green tea, bacteria-laden yogurt, probiotic capsules, vegetables, honey, lemons, garlic, beans, soups, and--his most detested item: fruit. And vitamins like D and folic acid. We had to stop taking selenium. Did you know selenium is a NEUROTOXIN? His urologist told us that. Kwap!

That's it for today. I think there will be a lot more posting once the chemo begins and we see how he does with it. (He got a cookbook today, with recipes organized by side effects. Oh, what a long, strange trip it shall be.)

Eeeeek.

Thank you for your prayers and wishes. God is making His presence known every day.

Seriously.

Love, Beth