Mayo Results: More Chemo.

After two days of grueling and needlessly painful tests, persistent scheduling mixups, unexpected allergic reactions, too little sleep, early mornings and hours spent waiting for (and talking to) doctors... we have finally gotten some concrete information.

Basically, the cancer is "progressing" (growing) and shows signs of appearance in new areas in the lung and in the lymph nodes in the abdomen. Chemotherapy will start up again, most likely next week. 

That the cancer isn't gone is not surprising. That the cancer is spreading is highly disappointing, though not entirely unexpected for my type of cancer. That its growing to the rate where I will have to start a new, no-end-in-sight chemo series -- next week -- on a new and most-likely-harsher chemo drug -- really sucks.

So much for a last fun trip with Jen while I'm feeling at my best before chemo begins again. I thought I'd have at least a months' notice. Not 6 days.

This also answers the earlier school dilemma: I'll drop both classes. I don't know anything about this new chemo drug or how it will affect me, and I just can't risk it.

I'm sure I'll have more soon to say about this trip and the other information we learned there about the back, etc. But right now I'm far too fried to clearly process it all. Though writing it down will be good. Hopefully in a few days at the outside.