So… for a while now I’ve been able to forget about the whole recovery rate thing. I’ve just assumed that I’m going to be cured of this stupid cancer. Honestly, I don’t know how much of that was/is faith and how much was/is burying my head in the sand like an ostrich. But ignoring it has served me well – it reduces the stress of worrying about things I have little to no control over.
But now that I’m in my last round of chemo, I’ve started thinking about my odds again. Surely my odds are at least slightly better than the 85-90 percent typical for Burkitt’s Lymphoma since I’ve had good results from chemo so far. That is, within that 10-15 percent of folks who do not make it, some of them probably do not get good results from the very beginning. That I have tolerated chemo well and haven’t had any symptoms has got to be a good sign. Still, I wonder who finds themselves in the 10-15 percent. And I wonder if I could be in that group.
The end of round 8 marks the beginning of a very long waiting game. And if you have followed my journey at all, you probably recognize that I’m not good at waiting – even through delays that last only a few days. I will have my first major set of scan 6 weeks after round 8 is over. Then, if memory serves me correctly, I’ll have scans at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 5 years. Each of these are milestones – and I’m not sure I’ll feel like I’m really out of the woods (or out of the 10-15 percent) until 5 years is up.
So in a feeble attempt to give new meaning to the numbers 10-15, I’ve decided to come up with a list of alternatives. Here’s my list. Be ready to give me your ideas.
10-15 = percent of readers who “got” all of my 80s songs/milk jug references.
10-15 = number of months my doctor has said it will take to gain all of my strength and stamina back. I’m gonna cut that down to 6 months, though.
10-15 = percent of body hair I have left after 8 rounds of chemo.
10-15 = total number of hospital meals I’ve eaten. All other meals have been
brought in from the outside.
10-15 = number of requests for poop references. Weirdos.
OK. Your turn. Redefine 10-15 for me……….
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
6 comments:
10-15: percentage of accuracy in your negative implications about yourself.
10-15: Points ahead that I will be after day one of SMOD 09.
10-15: Numbers of times that I have referenced poop. Making me the "wierdest" person that reads your blog.
10-15: Amount of weight I will lose just from laughing next time we actually get to hang out. I can't wait for the balcony nights in Rockport!
10-15: Number of wasted attempts to bring in a joke about "Cancer for Dummies" that never had an appropriate time to surface.
You are always an inspiration to me!
HURRY UP! (and wait)
Stupid Cancer, dude! We're here for you. Rock Arkansas!
--
Matthew Zachary
12-Year Young Adult Survivor
Founder, CEO
I'm Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation
http://StupidCancer.org
10-15: dollars per book you could make selling your blog entries from the past few months in printed form.
-Stephen
10-15: Number of shrimp we'll each eat on the deck in Rockport
10-15: Number of times we'll say we should go fishing more often
10-15: Number of times we'll think about feeling guilty about being in Rockport, while our wives are with the kids, and then dismiss the thought
10-15: Number of times my mom will try to force you to eat more (because the cure for cancer has to be somewhere in all that food)
10-15: Minutes I'll spend inbetween each keeper fish
10-15: Number of times you'll start to say the "C" word and then realize you will be docked points for doing so
10-15: Number of times we'll hear Bret brag about the redfish he caught 5 years ago
10-15: Number of times we'll try to get another member of the party to reveal "a secret from his work" (he won't)
1,000,000+: Number of times we'll realize how glad we are to still have you around!
Thom
Since you're an eighties kind of guy...how about "10:15 Saturday Night" by The Cure?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NERzLlHo-D0
and
10-15: Typical score for any game of racquetball we ever played or will ever play, you being 15, me 10. (!)
(!!!)
Post a Comment