I'm about to sneak off to do the marketing for the week. No calls from my parents, no calls on the cell, no emails from the divorce lawyer, the boys are safe at school. Freedom!
Yesterday my dad got his most recent blood test back. His numbers are back up. He was diagnosed with multiple myeloma about nine years ago. He's getting treated with a drug that manages the growth of the cancer, but he'll never be cured of it. He's 76 now. The cancer is eating his bones from the inside out, through the marrow. Eventually he'll be in a lot of pain.
Dad is a big, BIG baby about pain. His tolerance for it is extremely low. His tolerance for modern medicine is equally low. He doesn't like going on the treatment. He will not have chemo. He'd rather die. But bypassing all treatment will lead to even more pain, excruciation pain. And then he'll have to go on morphine, which will cloud his mind, and he doesn't want that either. Basically, he's screwed.
He pours a lot of his time and money into alternative medicine. Every week I hear about some new vitamin or nutrient that someone is selling, promising to rid him of cancer entirely. He's about to send his urine off to the Philippines to have his blood tested, for $50, to see if he has cancer...I thought that was already established, like nine years ago. When he's not pursuing alternative medicine, he's biking and cleaning the rain gutters. He's in pain and he's cleaning the rain gutters, from a ladder, and biking 10 miles a day. That's probably the best thing he can do, staying busy doing things that he loves.
I'd better get out of here before the phone rings...I still have to get stuff for dinner tonight. Barley and 12 Bean Vegetable Soup, sourdough rolls from Boudin and some grilled salmon.
Damn! The phone's ringing! Oh! It's all good...just a reminder for my massage appointment tomorrow. Phew!
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