My Condition

Don't get your hopes up; I'm still alive.  My treatment begins in the next 10 days, and will consist of both radiation therapy and chemo therapy.  The primary treatment is radiation, which will happen five time a week for seven weeks.  The chemo therapy, which uses Cisplatin, is used to kill whatever squamous cells the radiation therapy breaks loose and that try to take up residence in another part of my body.  Think of this as bayoneting the wounded.

At the terminus of my last meeting with my treatment team, my doctor told me in all seriousness that in terms of undesirable side effects, this particular regimen was the toughest they had to offer.  In his entire career he's only seen two men continue working at their regular job all the way through treatment.

I don't intend to set any records, but neither do I intend to wimp out.  I'm going to get through this and come out the other side just as grouchy and ill-tempered as ever.