Here we go again…

So it turns out things are really rolling on the next phase of my cancer killin’. I got a call from the transplant coordinator around noon that they had sent all of the information over to Dr. D.’s office so things could be set up for me to start the ICE treatments. Around 2:30, I get a call from Dr. D.’s office asking if I can come in and get some bloodwork done that afternoon. I close things up at work for the weekend and head on over to see Vampirella. As she’s drawing my blood, she says “I guess they wanted you to get this done today so you wouldn’t have to come in so early on Monday.” Ummm… pardon? Turns out, I was already on their schedule to start bright and early Monday morning. Time flies when you have cancer.

So now, it’s another waiting game, just not as much of one as it was turning out to be. I have to get through tomorrow, then I’m right back in the infusion chair, almost like I hadn’t left.

There was a strange vibe with the infusion nurses when I stopped by on Friday to get the details. It almost felt like some weird sort of celebrity or something. They were happy to see me as usual, but you could see the sadness behind their eyes. Granted, they were probably hoping that the ABVD would finish off the cancer for me and they’d only see me once a month for a port flush (that’s what she said), but still, you’d think they would have seen this thing enough to be… I dunno… hardened or something. Rather disconcerting.

So now I’m dealing with those same conflicting emotions as before the last chemo. I have no idea what ICE is going to do to me, but Nurse Ellen used the phrase “ass kicker” many many times. Like last time, I haven’t looked through the side effects and symptoms and such, ’cause I don’t want to have them. The way my mind works, ignorance is bliss. If I had heard the horror stories before my ABVD, I wouldn’t have been playing hockey through my last rounds of chemo. Something that kind of astounded the folks at Yale when they heard.

But hey, that’s all on Monday. Tonight, the Wolf Pack is playing and we’re going to see them with Mary & Craig & Crew. After another Devils’ win (undefeated in 2006 – way to go guys), tonight is sure to be good. Right?