6 Rounds and a Cancerey evening

Around about 2 am I was awoken by intense low back pain and lower abdominal pain. This is what I've experienced off and on to varying degrees for the past 6 weeks or so. The pain last night was near to the level that had me rushing to the ER two weeks ago. The difference last night is that I've already been through the pain-management ringer. I'm already *on* the heavy-duty painkillers they'd prescribe, the only difference would be that they'd be IV painkillers, which work more quickly. Last night, I also suffered from severe chills, shaking and teeth chattering. I simply could not get warm. So I took 2 oxycodone (10mg -- a lot) and waited it out. Jen, ever concerned and supportive, watched me like a a hawk until she was sure I was out of pain. During this time I also talked to the on-call oncologist and proposed my theory: since this exact same thing happened two weeks ago, this might mean there's a related cause: I have chemo, and two days later I have a strong, painful kickback from the tumor. Like stirring up a beehive. She thought there was some validity to this, and has seen tumors act similarly, but recommended that I talk to my regular oncogist. I left a message for him this morning.

I also found out today that I am scheduled to have 6 rounds of chemo. Last year I did only 3 rounds, and that was tough. At 3 weeks per round, this  works out to 18 weeks, or 4/12 months. I have not heard this information before so it means that I'll need to get my mind around doing chemo until nearly Christmas.

Y'all should start a betting pool as to when my hair starts falling out and I will need to shave my head. It will likely need to be in the next month. I'm currently planning to have Ming the Merciless do it at Hilda's Hair Hut. Or we could do it at my place as a party, if anyone actually knows how to do it without massive lacerations.

p.s. My new thing for winter is going to be hats with hair built in. Like that rasta hat with dreads? Priceless.