The Day After the Last Treatment

The last treatment of the first series of treatments, that is. Rick is lying down right now, because yesterday's instillation hit him hard and he's recovering from the effects. He looks tired and a little gray still this morning. So he went and got back into our nice warm bed, with a good book (Patrick McManus' novel, Avalanche, the second of his Sheriff Bo Tully mystery novels. This and the first novel, The Blight Way, are available at your local library. For Vashon Islanders: this is Patrick McManus the writer who lives in Spokane, not Patrick McManus the guy who lives on Vashon and has a little career as an Albert Einstein impersonator). The book is entertaining, but I think Rick will be asleep soon, if not already.
(pause)
Yup, he's out like a light.
He is glad that this first series of six treatments is over. Now he is free of the medical community until July 22, we hope, when he will return for a biopsy to see how things are going, and then another three weeks of treatments, if everything looks OK at that time.
We were told that each treatment would make more of an impact on him, and while that has not been entirely the case, I can sure see it this time. Rick has really been knocked flat. Of course, he was on call last week, so worked half days last weekend. On call weeks took it out of him before he started the cancer treatments, so I can see why he's in complete collapse today.
My part of this is trying to figure out how to pay the regular bills as well as the medical bills. What savings we had were pretty well tapped out over the last year – sound familiar, anyone? - so it's a challenge. But, hey, I really enjoy a challenge. Although I've decided I need to keep the nitro pills at hand when I'm paying bills. Stress causes chest pains, and I'm not good at dealing with challenges when I'm having angina.
All I'm looking for here is a little sympathy. I figure plenty of people have it harder than we do, but the crap we're dealing with is sufficient that I wish to acknowledge it. So don't feel bad if I don't answer an email or otherwise respond immediately to whatever. Life is a little overwhelming right now, and sometimes I need to step away from reality and watch the waves at the beach for a few hours.
I'm hoping to attach a photo or two to this blog – a picture of Rick in the waiting room, and a head shot of Theresa, the nurse who does Rick's instillations, among other things. Even though she hates Vashon Islanders, she and Rick have formed a cordial working relationship, and she seems like a nice kid.
Also, a shot of the orange fish in the aquarium at the clinic office. This fish spends most of its time trying to find a way out. We admire its spunk, and pity its frustration.
Thank you for continued prayers and good wishes – we feel blessed in friends and family, and so grateful.