Heads-Up, Seven-Up

Dalton: What are your plans for dinner?
Tricia: I don't know. I hadn't thought about it. Why?
Dalton: You might think its wierd and totally gross, but a sausage pizza sound really good. And a seven-up.
Tricia: I can do that.
Dalton: I mean, I know I won't be able to swallow it, but even just the idea of tasting something other than this medicinal chemo sounds so good...

30 minutes later...

This is the best pizza ever. I swear, it's almost as good as sex. (Spits out the pizza and swallows a large gulp of seven-up)

(Tricia and Dalton wait for the usual spit return of the Seven-Up. Nothing happens.)

IT STAYED DOWN!!! THE LIQUID MADE ITS WAY DOWN THE ESOPHAGUS. THE TUMOR IS SHRINKING!!!

Today was a good day. A tough morning, but a good day.

Our visit to USC started out on the right track when they told us that there was a 10am slot open for radiation instead of the 7:45am slot we had this week. This will mean that Dalton can "eat" from 9am-9pm instead of 6pm-6pm. We can return to normal hours and get a full nights sleep. We won't have to battle with the commuter traffic . And, folks who volunteered to take Dalton to his appointments will actualy be able to do that.

After radiation, Dalton had an appointment with Dr. Iqbal to review his lab results and talk about the side effects - namely the horrific nausea and fatigue. She wrote him a couple more prescriptions and then had a real in your face heart to heart. "You need to shave. You need to get up and get dressed in something other than your jammys. Don't show up here looking like you just rolled out of bed. Set a goal every day and do it - even if its as simple as walking down the block and getting some fresh air. You are young and healthy and you've got a fighting chance to beat this thing but only if you stop acting like a sick person. As much as possible, you need to think and act like a healthy person. I know it's hard and it's easy for me to say, but you've just got to do it. We'll work on the nausea and start some anti-depressants, but you've got to help out with the fatigue. The only way to do that is to move. Hopefully, once the radiation starts to shrink the tumor, you'll be able to swallow some liquids and then eventually real food."

That was at 11am. The seven-up went down at 5pm.

And, the nausea is better. Thank you Dr. Iqbal. Thank you chemo. Thank you radiation. Thank you God. We look forward to complete healing.