Week One

FIrst, thanks to everyone who has called, e-mailed, or posted a comment. Mrs. 270 and I greatly appreciate the emotional support and the funny remarks. Keep them coming.

The first week of therapy is over. Well, the first calendar week.

I only had four radiation treatments instead of five. When I arrived at the treatment center on Thursday, the technologist was sending everyone home because the machine wasn't working. Apparently they forgot the change the batteries in the linear accelerator. You can't get 200 D batteries at the store, not even at CostCo. The total radiation dose is cumulative, so they will tack an extra day of treatment on the end. It's like a snow day. Or, as with Montgomery County schools, a prediction-of-snow day.

I did get my week's worth of chemotherapy. The 5-FU reservoir ran dry on my way to work on Friday morning (down I-270, of course). When the happens, a really piercing alarm sounds. Flashing back to the lab days, I worried that the column would run dry. The nurse had locked the keypad on the pump so I couldn't turn off the alarm. I had to take out the 2 AA batteries. Ever tried to do that while driving, drinking coffee, and updating a blog? I exited the highway and drove to the office, where the nurse disconnected the pump.

Anyway, it's nice (at least for the weekend) not to wear the pump and be wary of the line and the tape that secures it firmly to my chest hair. I had told the boys that I couldn't play rough with them because of the pump. So the first thing I did at home was to play rough them, much to the consternation of Mrs. 270. While I was spinning Son 2 right round (like a record baby), he kept confirming my health by asking "Daddy, you feel better?"