Are we home yet?

I woke up at 4 am desperately wanting to get on the road home.  My treatment was scheduled at 8 am but due to technical difficulties with the cyclotron magnets my actual treatment time ended up being closer to 10 am.  But off I was and it’s always such a shock traveling for miles past the endless array of convenience stores, fast food joints, chain stores, orange barrels, and all of that insane traffic.

I arrived home at 5-ish Friday, strung out from the physical stagnation of driving and the dreary weather.  I found a dead mouse in a trap in the basement and black ants in the washing machine…yep I’m home and I’m happy.

Living the hotel life is strange and a couple nights ago I plopped down in front of the TV and watched a documentary called The Light Bulb Conspiracy (much better than a segment of Cupcake Wars I watched).  In short, the film’s about planned obsolescence, and one of the first documented efforts to engineer planned obsolescence into consumer products.  That effort, coordinated by numerous manufactures in the late 1920’s, was aimed at light bulbs.  Apparently, many early light bulbs had a flaw: they lasted too long.  Because they lasted too long they didn’t need frequent replacement.  As the movie documented, what happened to light bulbs – which was to cut their lifespan by more than half- happened to numerous products.  Very sad.  But if you happen to come across the film it is worth watching.

So Thursday I was rescued from another night of hotel TV by friends Tom & Carrie.  They live in Naperville and are about 8 miles from where I stay.  Tom and The Former Boyfriend became buds back in their pre-teen years in Northeast Ohio and they have stayed in touch all these years.  But anyway, Tom and wife Carrie took me to their local Mexican watering hole.  The food was good and the margaritas powerful.  After dinner we went back to their home and had a chance to catch up.  Their youngest daughter Katrina studied Animal Behavior in college and now works with sea lions at the New Orleans Zoo.  I got to see video of her at work with the sea lions, she is truly, truly gifted.

And I received word this week that my final treatment will be Thursday, May 1^st.  My treatments are going well.  The only side effect I’m having is a little sun burn effect on my skin.  This is unavoidable, but the doctors are watching it closely and will adjust my treatment plan if needed.

The Former Boyfriend and I thank all of you so much for your thoughts and prayers.