August 20, 2001: Weird Inbetweens

Vol. 10.3

Hi Friends: just a wee note to let you know that the past week since the end of Round #5 of VAD chemotherapy has, once again, gone very, very well. I've experienced no major side effects (just the usual fatigue and some balancing the varying extremes of regularity produced by the cocktail of drugs), and from the second day out have been eating both regularly and, on occasion, with great gusto. Thanks for your prayers.

I am currently occupying an odd, existential in-between state of life on a number of levels. Everything--social life, professional life, personal life, even the writing I'm contemplating--is waiting for the next step of treatment, and that question that I'm asked nearly every day by somebody--"what's next?"--looms large. Trouble is I have to wait until next Tuesday (8/28) when I meet with the doctors at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital to find out the answers to that question. There is a slim chance that they will want to do one more round of VAD, but it's more likely that they will tell me that they want to begin the bone marrow/stem cell transplant process immediately, possibly as early as the second week of September--right after Sheri and I have a week off together at her parents in Maine around Labor Day. If that's the case, then I can count on about 2 months of pretty much constant activity, treatment and recovery. Of course, I'll have more details after next Tuesday and will share them as soon as I do.

In the meantime, I'm taking it easy for one more week, trying to exercise, get strong and rest for the coming process. Every day I'm aware of your prayers. Thanks.

peace,

Dwight

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