Surgery set for 1pm Wednesday, if

I get over this bad cold.  Home today running a 100 degree temperature and all the aches and pains that normally come with a cold.  In thinking back, however, this is the first one of any severity I can recall since my diagnosis.  So, fingers crossed that I will be recovered sufficiently Wednesday to have the lymph node excised so the EGFR mutation testing can be done.  It seems that UW can do the testing and get the results back in 5 days.  Hopefully we will know something more by next week.

If the EGFR mutation comes back negative, then they will check to see if my tumor is positive for something called the ALK mutation.  This study shows exciting promise for a small subset of NSCLC cancer patients, and it is becoming more widely available thanks to money from the stimulus bill.  So now you can say that you know of one good thing the stimulus bill funded!

Waiting.

Of course, where I can get in an offhand Firesign Theater reference, I will.


Well, it's that season of the year, Advent, so I should be resigned to waiting. But I am not a patient person. As I've mentioned before, I read the ends of books when I get tired of the pace and just want to find out what happens. I've been doing that more of late. Much that it helps the current situation.

I received a call from Group Health this morning and the biopsy of the swollen lymph node in my neck will be done at 10:15 this Wednesday. So I wait for that as well. The reactions to the third round of chemo seem to be just a touch more dizziness. The tinnitus is ever present. But I can ignore it fairly well. What I don't like is the "chemo brain," where I forget if I took all the medications I was supposed to or misplace a Christmas present. At thanksgiving, we had to stuff and restuff the turkey twice because I forget essential ingredients! Better organization perhaps.

Last night, in a probable energy surge occasioned by the steroids, I cleaned out some of boxes stored in the garage (I moved to a smaller house 4 years ago and have not done all that could be done yet to downsize). I focused particularly on the boxes that contained old toys, and repackaged them to go to Francis House, a wonderful charity that offers clothing, household items and other needs to those who really need it. Without charge. My amazing 91 year old next door neighbor, MB, has volunteered there for years and her house serves as a pick up point for the Francis House van, Monday morning, so my son helped with the final sort and he and I carted 12 boxes and bags over to her carport after we were done slimming things down (though many children's books were kept).

It was bittersweet, going through the old toys, stuffed animals, and books, and reflecting on how quickly time has passed, and how I took so much for granted over the years. And, to be honest, how much stuff we gave the kids as presents over the years! I hope that some of this can be put to good use by other children. It helps the waiting.