Chemo Thursday. We met with my new oncologist today. (My first oncologist is making a move to another hospital.) The new oncologist has a great big booming presence, full of life and energy. Today I spent a lot of time with him, we went over all sorts of details of my current and previous situations. He also had news I could use. First up he wants to see me every time I come in for chemo. Second he detailed the next set of chemo. This is par for the course not to lay it all out from the outset, the second set of chemo, identical to the first had always been the plan, just not something they talk about until this stage. He scheduled my CT scan for June 10, the day before my first intravenous chemo in the next set. He should have the results and be ready to discuss them when I go in on June 11.

Folks this is going to get into some serious terminology issues. I will be going through two sets of chemo, each identical in pattern; three 3 week cycles. A total of 9 weeks per cycle, 18 weeks overall, and maybe more. So right now I am finishing up the third cycle of the first set. Based on the findings of the CT scan we will adapt the plan and the chemo going forward. What I found out today is not earth shattering, I rather suspected it and wrote about it earlier. The detail is that it was the original plan, I just wasn't in on that plan. So now it is on the table but I am comfortable with it.

What they don't tell you about all of this cancer and chemo stuff would fill a volume on medical deceptions just short of lying. First, pancreatic cancer will kill you fast. Possibly before the first set of chemo is done. Doctors dance around that untidy little fact. Second, chemo is designed to find that thin line between killing the cancer and killing you. Third, the medical community is scared of lawsuits, so they don't tell you all the news, just what they think you have to know and can deal with. There are no doubt more untidy facts but that is all that came to light today. On the other hand I lived long enough to see their deception thus far so I am not likely to bitch too much about all this. I can probably find all sorts of other things to bitch about.

Chemo has left me drained and wobbly. The devil just grabbed my liver for a little fun and I took some serious pain killers. More meds on the way. The full effect of the chemo should hit me tomorrow. Can't wait.