Day 7 and my first follow up...Doc, you look like hell!

The first week went down yesterday in a not so stellar start to this whole thing.  I was able to see my Dr for our weekly meeting and it started off a little funny.  My Dr is a fairly young guy and very well dressed and well coifed.  When he walked in he looked worn down.  So, to save us all some time in the how do you do's and set it straight how things were I say, "morning doc, you look tired.  Is my chemo treatment wearing you down?  He laughed and said, 'let's focus on you for starters'.  So I shot back, "the only way I want you focusing on me is on all cylinders, get some sleep before our next meeting so I feel like you're the man with a plan".  He laughed and agreed, and we moved on to me.  First he looks at my chart and says something is wrong with your weight.  So I say, "great, cancer isn't enough for you, now you're gonna start with the fat jokes, real nice".  'No' he says, 'this can't be right, get on that scale for me'....'ok, let's go across the hall and get on that scale, well, i'm not happy at all with this, you are down 13 pounds in 7 days!'  

Mark's response..."Doc, you have the worlds best diet plan going, we can fund cancer research with all the fat money you'll be getting from the Atkins people!"  This he didn't find funny.  He was not happy with me.  Well sorry for feeling like crap, maybe it's all the poison you filled me with.  He gave me an IV with some new stuff to try out and about 2 hours later I felt the best I had in the prior week.  It gave me a ton of energy and so Tuesday night we had a visit from some friends and family and I ate like a horse for the first time.  I definitely learned a key lesson, I have to let him know when things aren't going perfect.  I was trying to suck it up and figured a little nausea is to be expected....now I now.  

From an emotional standpoint last night was huge.  I was really getting down on the process and how much I was hurting so early on.  Now I know it was my pig headedness hurting myself.  No longer baby.  Those Doctors and nurses are going to get to know me pretty well coming up.

Today, Wednesday I already had a radiation treatment at 8 and I go back in for a second at 3.  This way I can skip Friday.  I said to my radiologist, "hey, if we can do two a days, how about we do two every Thursday and you can take some extra long weekends going forward?"  Yeah, that was shot down pretty quickly.  THough I have to give her credit.  No more dilly dallying with the answers after our first meeting.  She just says, "uh, no" now.  If you recall it used to go more like:

Mark:  dr, can I have a drink during 4th of July?

Dr: well, I think you may not be up to it

Mark: well, if I'm feeling ok I could right

Dr: well, your body will be under a lot of stress

Mark:  Ok, but just a couple aren't gonna kill me right

Dr: well, i'd really prefer that.....

Mark: Dr, hold on.  Let's cut to the chase.  If the answer is no, say no.  Otherwise we go with the Dumb and Dumber approach which says "so what your saying is that there's a chance!"

Dr:  "ok, NO"

Mark Well there we go.  Thanks.

The Dana Farber people again are unbelievable.  The compassion they show is crazy.  I saw an older woman today with a thick accent in a wheelchair by herself.  I asked if she needed anything and you could see she was very independent and said she was fine.  An admin nurse stopped by, knelt beside her and I heard her say she had her hair shaved off.  She asked them to cut it and put a hat on her head and she didn't want to see it.  It was clearly very impactful to her.  The nurse stayed for 20 minutes sharing with her other stories and how everything will come back better than ever.  As she walked by I said to her "I hope I get the same compassion when I shave off my thick mane!"  The lady in the wheelchair may have peed a little by the time she finished laughing.  It just amazes me the compassion and time these people devote to the soul, never mind the disease.  Kudos to you all.  God Bless You!