Chemo, Take Two...

There is no better--or depressing--place for a middle-aged heterosexual man to spend the afternoon than roaming the grounds of a college campus on a warm Spring afternoon. Ah, youth. The inventor of the sun dress should have a statue somewhere.

The occasion for my semi-lecherous perambulation was today's visit to Georgetown for Day Two of my second Chemotherapy series. Day One was yesterday, and both days have gone very smoothly, at least from a medical point of view.

Logisitics are complicated this week by Liz's absence. She is chairing a design review in Seattle and had signed up for a ten-mile run in Washington on Sunday before we discovered the schedule oops on my chemo. She has another ten-miler in Philadelphia next Sunday. Robbie and I will be heading up to the City of Brotherly Love on Friday to meet her and bring her home.

Anyway, I was left Sunday to dress and feed Robbie, sing a solo in church, pack bags for Robbie and myself, fix dinners for Sunshine, load everyone into the Mini, drop Sunshine at the kennel, pick up food and beverage for our hosts for Sunday evening, and arrive spent at the doorstep of Jim and Elena, where Robbie and I spent Sunday night.

We were delighted to find that not only was Elena's daughter, Taryn, there, but also her son, David. They fed us extravagently and put us to bed.

I left Robbie early Monday and went in for treatment. I had to wait for blood work to be processed (had my most recent blood work been take within the last five days, I could have used that. Mine was--of course--six days old). Mercedes, Jamela, and Mary Ellen were all in attendance. Mercedes moved me to a room with a better view after I joked about the room I was in. Thanks, Mercedes. Georgetown provided the usual Giant Bag O'Calories for lunch (tuna salad sandwich with all the trimmin's), and I was done infusing by 3:00 p.m. Back to Jim and Elena's, then back to Leonardtown. Elena and Taryn had taken Robbie to the National Zoo and wore him out. Long day for both of us.

This morning I dropped Robbie at school, along with a list of people authorized to pick him up should I get stuck in Washington. My deepest thanks to Rich, Mindy, Kathleen, and Calvin for volunteering for that duty this week. It takes a load off my mind.

Anyway, I got in at 11:00, was done infusing by 12:00 (thereby avoiding the Giant Bag O'Calories), and set out across the campus, determined to find and photograph the Exorcist Steps, the picture of which you see above. It was on that trip that I got to do the "sight seeing" referenced above. God bless those girls.

Picked Sunshine up at the kennel, picked up Robbie at school, made everyone dinner, and decided to catch up on my blogging.

A special "Hola" to Trylce, our former au pair who is following this down in Peru. A hug and squeeze to your children from us.

More tomorrow.