Medical Month

I have medical appointments on 15 of the 31 days in January. Some days have multiple appointments so that is 21 appointments total in those 15 days. It is exhausting but necessary. Three of those days require a trip to Barnes which is a 421-mile round trip. I am leaning hard on the piano and writing and art to keep some sense of perspective.

Tuesday I have a brain MRI and an appointment with my radiation oncologist. I am hoping my brain continues to be “unremarkable” which means the tumors we have been watching continue to be unchanged and that no new tumors or necrosis is there. I currently get a brain MRI every 3 months. For a few years I had them every 2 months since I seemed to be very good at growing brain tumors. (I’ve had 12 or 13 total. There is some confusion if the latest one was a new tumor or if it was new growth on an existing tumor.) The oral chemo pills I take cross the blood brain barrier and seem (we hope) to be working.

Chemo infusion 111 was much kinder to me than 110.

We celebrated National Labrador Retriever Day last week along with a Chicago Bears playoff victory.

The news is often too much for me to handle. I have learned to value my softness. I use it to maintain hope in this world full of hate and injustice.