Next Week's Doings
Posted Sat, 08/21/10
This coming Monday is going to be a busy away-day. It isn't my intention to turn Irish Eyes into some sort of personal medical journal, but that happens to be the reality of it lately.
Mum now has an oncologist, who wants her to have a battery of tests to make sure the lung cancer has not spread to other parts of her body. Of course Mum is scared, but as the doctor told her the tests are to rule out the presence of more disease. Mum is recovering remarkably well from the initial operation last month, a fact her surgeon also confirmed.
She had a brain MRI last Friday, which can sometimes be a common secondary area spread from lung cancer. She's also having chest x-rays and a PET Scan on Monday, along with another visit with her surgeon. I also have an appointment with my hip doctor on Monday, whose office is only about a block away from Mum's activity.
Then on Wednesday (08/25/10), Mum returns to her oncologist to get the results of all the tests. No matter what they reveal, the doctor has recommended that Mum undergo chemotherapy. This is merely to insure that if there are any stray cancer cells present in her body, the chemical therapy will kill them off.
Despite all the doings, I've managed to maintain my writing pace. I tend to work best early in the morning, or very late at night. If I can keep it up through this month and next, I can see the end of Collective Obsessions coming about. For some unknown reason I'm exercising extra special care with Part Six: Hearts Desires. I'm taking my time, conducting thorough research, and not rushing dialogue or scene-settings. Perhaps that sort of writing style comes with years of practice, or maybe I'm growing bittersweet because my two-decades-plus project is nearing its end.
While elated that the story is nearly finished, I'm also a bit reluctant to let my fictional characters go once and for all.
*POSTSCRIPT 08/26/10: Mum's scans came back clear!