Boring is good. That’s what the doctors told me at the start of chemo. My condition is very good. Boredom accomplished. I’ve been incarcerated for three and a half eternities, and I’ll probably be here for a couple more.
The treatment continues to go well. I haven’t had any serious side effects. My blood counts are doing what they’re supposed to do. As long as I get my transfusions every other day, I feel OK. Physically. Psychologically, it’s getting to me. There’s a long hall on my floor where I walk a couple of times a day. I had a two-hour pass a couple of days ago where I got to walk around the neighborhood. Other than that one two-hour interval, I haven’t been outside since March 14, 1723. Other than the hall walks, I pretty much stay in my room and climb the walls. I don’t get familiar visitors, because I’m in fucking Sacramento. Not only is that a long way from friends and farther away from family, but nobody wants to go to fucking Sacramento, and I don’t blame them.
The good news is I’m gonna get through this. The treatment seems to be working. I’ve got another bone marrow biopsy scheduled for Monday to see just how well it’s working. Still, it’ll be awhile before my immune system has recovered enough for me to go home. I’m confident I’ve got many good hiking years left. I just have to serve out this jail sentence.
The days plod along, mushing today, tomorrow, and last Tuesday into a homogeneous glob of time goo. My brain is just mushy enough that I have trouble focusing on reading or my photo library project for long, so I kill time with online pinochle, sports, Youtube videos, and going pee every fifteen fucking minutes.
OK, enough of me feeling sorry for myself. Here’s a quick stray anecdote and an observation.
Early in my stay here, I noticed a bird fly by my window. I didn’t get a good look initially, but it was roughly pigeon-sized. But it didn’t fly like a pigeon. I got a closer look later, and realized it was a peregrine falcon. Then I saw its mate. They must have a nest nearby. A few days passed. I saw them cruising around with some regularity. One evening, as I was eating dinner facing the window, I noticed my buddies cruising around, they disappeared from view, then there was a cloud of feathers drifting down from a higher floor. I guess they found dinner. It turns out, these peregrines are famous. They’ve nested atop the hospital for a few years, successfully raising several chicks. They even have a “live” web cam, but it’s from last year.
I’ve wondered about how sick bigots are supposed to get health care. The doctors and nurses at this, and many/most other hospitals, are a delightfully diverse group. No matter what demographic group or groups a poor persecuted bigot focuses his hate on, he’s gonna have to deal with “them” taking care of him. He’s gonna have to learn to trust.