Tentative smiles, that is, among the patients. The staff smiles until you wonder if their faces will crack open and their mouths fill with blood. We primary care-givers also smile tentatively, keying on our patients.
I’m a primary care-giver now that Mrs. Charm has been diagnosed with Stage III Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, DLBCL. Tentatively. Still awaiting results of this morning’s bone-marrow biopsy and this week’s PET scan to make sure it isn’t some other type of lymphoma. The lymphoma part is definite.
Infusion port to be installed in her upper chest soon for the chemo to begin (tentatively) week of Oct. 6. Drill thereafter is one six-hour day of infusion of R-CHOP (unlovely acronym) followed by three weeks of recovery.
Then another six hours of toxic infusions and so on for (ideally) about six months. Otherwise Mrs. C will not be among the 55-70 percent for whom R-CHOP works (for at least two years, hopefully longer) and then it will be on to the radiation and, probably even more tentative smiles as the burning further diminishes her health.
There’s little joy in Mudville, i.e. Rancho Roly Poly, these days. Mr. Boy (a new high school freshman) and I are hanging (appropriate word) in there. Tentatively.
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 
Man. Sorry to hear about the Big C hitting your loved one. It seems to be a common thing, any more. Everybody who lives long enough gets it, I reckon. I’ll pray on it.
Thanks, JD, prayer will be appreciated. Cancer may very well get you if it runs in your family like it does in Mrs. C.’s, and also in mine. Altho I did expect to be first, being 16 years older.
Well I’m coming in here late from your earlier post above. Two years ago I was involved in a remodel of an active cancer treatment/infusion center. Nothing, of all the things I’ve done in my life depressed me more. My mother had the chest port it didn’t seem to bother her much, but the going down and presenting yourself on a regular basis did suck according to her. Best wishes.
Thanks, again. It is a depressing place by its very nature and the regimentation gets old quickly.