deep breath and hold it.

Chemo day began as usual with me waking up late... thankfully Alison called me at 5:45am to see if I was up. I wasn't. I answered the phone "What..did I miss the bus??" she calmly said "no ..get up". I did. And I was on time for the 6:30am Jitney from Mattituck, with time to spare to get us bagels. Ali was already on the bus.. she got on at Southold.

We rode the rolling ice box for 2 hours and arrived at Sloan on time. By 10ish I saw the Oncologist who after hearing my weeks symptoms of intense night sweats, and and pain in my ribs. Thought it might be best for me to get an ultrasound of my Gallbladder and Kidney's. Little did I know that bagel would be the disruption of the entire day's schedule. The next Ultrasound appointment I could get wasn't until 3:30 and it was on 53rd Street. So Chemo was canceled.

My friend Keith had come by to give support, he has known my family and I for forever and was not phased by having to endure listening to Alison, my mother and I discussing the logistics of the day.. everything was now topsy turvey.

Do I go home tonight, to come back to Chemo tomorrow at 8:20am? Who's coming with me to Chemo tomorrow? Saturday is a holiday, who will be with me? Do we take a cab to get the ultrasound, who goes in the cab?

Mom and I decided to stay the night at Ali's in Brooklyn. And we all got in the same cab.. Mom and I went to get the Ultrasound on 53rd Street... Ali went to work for a bit. Keith got the hell away from all of us and went back to work.

In the end I got the ultrasound sooner, after a half hour with goop on my belly and the nurse asking me  "deep breath and hold it" it turned out to be nothing. The doctor thankfully didn't see any new tumors and I was good to go. So, I called the Oncologists office and begged to get back on the Chemo schedule for today. Mom and I hopped back in a cab to Sloan on 67th Street.. and by 2p I was back on the chemo schedule. After some lunch in the cafeteria I was in a chemo room by 4:30pm.

All went well... I had no adverse reactions and the drip was finished in record time 3 1/2 hrs.
We were in Mattituck by 10pm and I was a sleep by 10:01.