Thursday, July 28
Upon first being diagnosed, a friend, who is quite familiar with the western medical establishment, told me that one does NOT want to be an interesting medical case. She explain how the doctors embraced the challenge and greeted the excitement, but the long and short of it is that interested translated into not easily cured.
I have since realized that the flip side of being an interesting medical case is that there are the makings an intriguing, dynamic literary story. Writing this story quickly became my hobby!
On this morning’s walk I vexingly wondered if I still were an interesting medical case. After all I am coming to the end of what seems to be a fairly successful first phase of treatment – PSA down, blood work good, positive comments from both eastern and western treatment teams and no major side effects. Further, I am at a loss to interestingly continue my story.
So there you have it – perhaps a transition from medically interesting to standard care. With that transition the possible ending of an exciting, unfolding, dynamic cancer story to everyday life with manageable cancer that simply slows me down. WOW – exciting for me!!! Reader be warned!
I excitingly anticipate my final chemotherapy infusion in just five days. I also await the preliminary conversation with doctors on how the next phase of my treatment will unfold. The big question remains: “Will I still be an oddity and stand out – that aberrant, interesting medical case?”
Well Mike, here’s to you becoming a mundane, boring, run of the mill, uninteresting, nothing special, medical case; just another cancer survivor. And if the blog gets a little boring as well, well, c’est la vie, we’ll suffer through it.
And thank you Lana for the explanation of “pura vida”, a beautiful phrase and concept that’s well worth remembering; and also has rocketed right to the top of my list of future boat names !
Mike
Glad to hear the last chemo is right around the cornor . The not so interesting phase is definitely
welcome news.
Good luck as you get the final treatment out of the way
Roger
Mike!!
I miss you! Allora…(I learned that word first morning in Italy) one advantage of jet lag is waking at 4AM with plenty of time to catch up on the last month of blog posts before meeting Laurie for our espresso date at 9AM.
Lyme disease slowed me down but apparently that wasn’t enough. I had to come to a full stop 3 years ago to fully understand the concept. Now I am working on reintegrating with the reframe of ‘powering-up’. I’m looking forward to catching up with you in person, visa vis, tete a tete
Mikey “D”…..you are, have always been, and will continue to be an
extra-ordinary, blissful, one of a kind and quite entertaining ODD BALL. So there you have it! And don’t change a thing about yourself as we love you just as you are!