3 down, 9 to go!

i was warned by fellow cancer survivors about hitting a wall during treatment. usually around treatment four or five...when you're not quite halfway there, and there's no light at the end of the treatment tunnel yet. it's treatment three, aaand there's the wall!

someone once referred to treatment for hodgkin's as 'the marathon treatment', long and drawn out, and the only way to finish is to put one foot in front of the other. well, two full months of tests to get a diagnosis, six months of chemotherapy, followed by radiation...i'd say that's quite the distance. ABVD is relatively 'easy' as far as chemotherapy goes, and it's one of the least toxic treatments (although, it's no cleanse diet either). the challenge? we have to tough it out for six months. that's a long time. every other week for half of a year. followed by radiation - add another month. in case you weren't keeping track...that's a long time.

that's why it's important to not let cancer (or any adversity) control your life. i feel a new ownership of this life i'm living, a responsibility to live better, and to 'take the bull by the horns' in every aspect of life. i suppose that's the perspective you get on life when you have to fight so hard for it. thank you, cancer.

while there's no 'light at the end of the tunnel' for treatment yet, my mid-treatment scan will (hopefully) happen in the next few weeks...likely the most important scan of all scans. so, i'll look forward to that...and once we get there, i'll be close to halfway through this ABVD marathon!

every day is one day closer!