Part 6, Oct. 4, 2008
FLASH!! DATELINE: POINT ARENA, CA, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 11:45AM
The
medical battle rages on (and on and on - and on some more). The
pathology report FINALLY came back and it showed that Jan's cancer had
spread into one lymph node. (Bad lymph node!! Bad, bad
lymph node!!) The good news, however, is that it showed no cancer
cells floating around in the liquids in her abdomen.
So what
does this mean? None of us really has a clue at this point.
Jan saw a "radiation oncologist" this week who outlined a treatment
with radiation. Two days later he called and told her that he was
referring her to a "medical oncologist" to add some chemotherapy to the
treatment mix and that the radiation would be changed (both in extent
and when it would be done). So now we wait until Jan can see the
"medical oncologist" next Thursday.
At least Princess Yoda and
Commander Blackie know the difference between strategy and
tactics. We are trying to deal with a constantly moving target
with a constantly changing strategy, tactics are therefore becoming
extremely flexible and convoluted. (How about that for a
political reference?) Nothing can start, however, for at least
another 2 weeks until the gynecologist says Jan is sufficiently healed
from the surgery.
Commander Blackie and Princess Yoda report
that Jan is completely functional both as THE LAP and as THE SEDAN
CHAIR. Jan still retreats periodically during the day to the sofa
for some television time (Princess Yoda really likes that.) although
Jan no longer has "nap attacks" (Commander Blackie doesn't like
that. She really liked nap time.) Jan is weaving at her
Navajo loom and working on a major revision of the Three Kitty
Website. She is also walking about half a mile every few days.
Jack
is still cooking, doing laundry and all the household things that Jan
has done for 35 years. He is also investigating getting an
apartment in Santa Rosa for the duration of the medical battles so Jan
can set up a "front-line" headquarters and doesn't have to commute as
often. There will probably be a laptop computer in Jan's future
so press releases can be sent from wherever the battle front-du-jour
happens to be.
Princess Yoda noticed Friday evening that it was
wet outside. We have had over an inch of rain. Princess
Yoda has told us that she refuses to go out until Amazon ships the
little pink rubber boots that she ordered. Commander Blackie,
however, is content to use the black boots that God gave her.
With the rains, our mushroom crop will be appearing soon.
(Conventional wisdom is that the Boletus mushrooms come up with the
first full moon after the first rains. We're estimating the
mushrooms will be ready in about 2 weeks.) With the mushrooms,
will come an army of mushroom "rustlers", "poachers" and trespassers
from as far away as San Francisco who believe that because this is a
rural area that the land is somehow public. (Last year one young
woman told that she had "the right" to come and pick mushrooms here.)
The
sun has come out between showers and Commander Blackie would like take
Jan out to the end of the sidewalk for a reconnaissance mission.
Princess Yoda will do her mission solo (more privacy for the outdoor
litter box).
Until next time, your Three Kitty (War) Korrespondents, Blackie, Yoda, Company Clerk, Cook and Bottlewasher Jack, and
J -