Late Night Monday Musings

Today's scheduled CT Scan turned out to be a big bust; someone apparently neglected to mention to me that I wasn't supposed to eat or drink anything for at least four hours before the test, except for a special chemical contrasting agent which they had also neglected to mention and which I didn't have anyway. So I showed up dutifully at the appointed hour, and was sent back home ten minutes later with a new appointment Thursday AND the appropriate materials to prepare for it.

This round of CT images are to assess the current size of my tumors, and whatever effect the chemotherapy is having on them. Either they are shrinking, growing, or staying the same; and whatever that turns out to be will pretty much determine the next step in my therapy. Part of me is looking forward to a very aggressive Round Two that will really break the back of this cancer (for the time being at least, since I'm also told it is technically "incurable"), but part of me would also like a bit of a break, since I'm REALLY anxious to get back to work as well, and am finally starting to feel frisky enough to do that in a reasonably meaningful way. Still don't have the spunk or the energy to go full time, full speed -- but with my increasing mobility and improved pain management I can actually manage a fair amount...provided I prioritize, and don't squander my "good time" on trivial pursuits.

Speaking of which (and I probably shouldn't admit this) I won four more Sea Dogs tickets tonight. My friend Chris and his family are here in Maine for two weeks visiting relatives at Higgins Beach, so tonight I dragged him up to Bingas just to show him what it was like, and sure enough we finished in the money -- second place rather than my accustomed first, but I still ended up with the prize I wanted. Hadn't actually intended to stay and play, but there was a problem with our order and we didn't get our food for nearly an hour...and then when it arrived the game was starting and we decided to play along and the next thing we knew.... Anyway, it turned out to be a lot more fun than either of us thought it would be. Played under the team name "Bi-Coastal Beach Bums," which actually describes us pretty well. Still, I feel a little guilty spending a late evening out, given the tall stack of papers piled here next to my computer.

Because it is now the first full week in August. Summer is half-over, and the beginning of the new church year just around the corner. Don't need to start up with a bang; just need to get off on the right foot, and keep putting one foot in front of the other. But we still have lots of staffing and leadership issues to resolve before we really get going at full speed. Things are in process, and I like the trajectory so far, but until I'm confident that we're right on target it's going to be constantly on my mind.

Not tonight though. I've used my brain enough for one night. It's time to shut my eyes and recharge instead....