DID MY regular Monday labs today, to track the progress of the ongoing white-cell massacre. Twice we’ve mustard-gassed the cancer cells inhabiting my lymphatic system. Between rounds of chemo the docs like to track how well you’re bouncing back.
This is just to gauge whether you’re healthy enough to be poisoned again. Like in the Pit of Despair, where Count Rugen insists on everyone being healthy before they’re broken on The Machine.
I almost rode the iron piggy to the hospital today, then thought better of it. A hard winter rain, temps in the low 40s, compromised immune system, what could possibly go wrong?
Round 3 of 6 starts a week from Wednesday. Round 2 was a whole lot less fun than 1, which I guess augurs poorly for 3.
Not that there’s anything to be done about it at this point. In for a penny, in for a pound.
We’ve had a touch of winter lately. Here’s the mighty iron piggy under her blanket. She gives plaintive oinks whenever I walk by, just can’t wait to run somewhere.
By spring, I’m sure any old anywhere will do.
Piglet and iron piggy, snuggled up to the ’49 truck. Yeah it’s a long dark winter but they’re all the hearty, outdoor type. And all on battery tenders, that helps.
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One good side effect to chemo: people give me cool stuff over and above the standard-issue cool stuff, like grippy hospital socks.
Buzz The Paperboy gave me a book he likes, about kids coming of age in a small town. Looks like a fun read, I’ll enjoy it.
Buzz The Paperboy’s mom gave me a book, too. I’ve read a couple of Tim O’Brien’s Vietnam books, The Things They Carried and Going After Cacciato. Will see what he has to say about other things now.
Remember the three mystery Phantom fans, brothers H and M, and their little sister F? They sent me a care package.
The rainbow at the end of chemo.
A Phantom-themed get-well card.
Lucky doubloons, redeemable for 44 percent of a cat’s nine lives. Might come in handy.
The kids have family in Australia, the internationally known home of irresistible chocolaty happiness in a biscuit. Having a few with my coffee as we speak…
Family in South Africa, too.
I hope they had permission to swipe this from their pilot dad’s bookshelf. It appears to be much-read, hence, much-loved.
Hmm, is my friend H merely silent on the permission question, or pointedly so? A man of mystery either way. I’ll bet he got that from the Phantom.
Tony DePaul, December 9, 2019, Cranston, Rhode Island, USA
Hey Tony! Keep gassing those bastards! And once they have departed their mortal coil, and spring is happening down here, we can meet on Tybee and go fishing! I also know the Tybee crab guy so we’ve got that on our culinary side if the reds have lockjaw. You’ve got this. Keep. Kicking. Ass.
Cancer trembles, and takes flight, before the strides and footfalls of the mighty DePaul. Old Jungle Saying.
Fight on Tony, you are indeed a tiger, and one that has many people, friends, and fans who love you.
From one Phantom to another, keep fighting the fight brother.
Tony, the trick with Tim Tams is to bite a small portion of one corner, then kitty corner, bite the other and then use it as a straw for your coffee. They complete dissolve and are good this way. All the best, Roger
Dear Tony,
Your machines look very forlorn in the New England winter, makes me long for Spring! You are blessed with many people who love you, get well soon and keep writing.
Thanks,
Will
I know your bookends are herniating, but I highly recommend The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. Rachman was a foreign corresponded for the AP, stationed in Rome, and worked as an editor at the International Herald Tribune. And his voice echos yours. The story is about journalists at a paper (like the Tribune) just as it’s shutting down. I’ve read that book several times and still can’t figure out how he pulls off the gripping story without a plot. I am certain you’ll catch the subtle points that I’ve missed.
Be of strong courage. Hold fast to that which is good.
You got me thinking. That is always dangerous. I walked past the mighty K1600GT and saw that it was not plugged into the battery tender, thought about it, smiled a bit, and continued doing whatever else it was I was supposed to do right then, because I had taken her out a couple of weeks ago and it was a lovely ride, if a bit nippy. She’ll go back on the tender later this week, the Winter is threatening to stir up some pea soup and black ice.
Blackie is still receiving some attention, I know you’ll appreciate the thinking on the work when you get out here and see what’s what. Otherwise, it is off to work for the rest of this week, and then take 3 weeks to spend with family. We will be having a celebration of Dad’s life in a couple of weeks, Jorge and Peggy flying in from Panama. Were you out here, no doubt you’d be discussing routes through that isthmus and how to get past the parts of S. America where there are no through roads.
Had to do some repair work on the boat, took a really long time to figure out. Turns out there was arcing between power traces on a relay circuit board (on the underside) that was tripping power to the coil. I now own a specialized diagnostic cable and PC-based software that provides a window into the beast. But even so, the discovery was by using eyes. It just took awhile for them to land on the right thing. Along the way a robust shotgun approach was used to update a lot of 15 year-old marine motor parts, so we’ll just consider that preventative maintenance and call it good. Still need to get the boat back into a lake and fine tune the timing, but she’s ready for returning to service when I hang up my skis next Spring.
Speaking of, I will be flying back to Vail in January for my annual checkup on the new knee. Doc wants to see if the Delrin is holding up I guess. Anyway, the day after the office visit, he is taking his patients out onto the ski hill at Vail on his dime. Never skied there, so looking forward to having him give me the nickel tour. Well the dime tour I guess because it is on his dime.
I’d tell you to hang tough, but that’s what you do, so no need. Just keep on making words flow onto paper, and I will try to make paint flow on canvas and then let’s share.
Jan
Three great kids!
I worked for an Australian firm, remarkable people. Ate my first Tim tams there.
Just like your previous posts, you wrap the cancer story with news of other people.
And you seem to know the best people as well from the posts here.
I saw Peter’s post above, we’re both friends of the GWW and post at CK.
For me, your writing here is all good, food for thought.
Thanks!
Sounds like you’re totally on top of things. Keep at it. I need to come east and treat you to a Sicilia’s pizza this winter!
Atta boy Tony.
Gotcha in my thoughts.
Tony,
Thanks for the “almost to half way” status mark. We need the updates to give us the cadence for walking beside you. That “Phantom-themed” get well card is something else! Is that hand drawn by one of the mystery brothers? I’d guess so. Aren’t they remarkable to lift you up with candy and gifts from afar, a treasured book, handmade cards, and doubloons! The best care package ever. Bar none.
Glad two times are down. Got some good reading to do.
You are being prayed for. Health. Strength. Stamina.
Tough to ignore, for me, but the battery tenders are slowly boiling the inside of the respective cells in the wheels you’re trying to preserve under blankets. Put timers on them so they run for an hour or two a day. Should keep ’em happy.
Keep on, keepin’ on.
Matt
Adel, IA
T, you’re awesome.
I’ll second what CCjon says: “you got it inside, let it out” That is sage advice for all walks of life!
You got this!
You will be GTG about time to thaw out Piggy and the truck. Keep diggin, brother. BTW, I like CCJon’s “Ride of Passage”…
Hi Tony
How very odd. I was just in the middle of reading an official report from the 1980’s about Australian Army mustard gas trials and research during the War. And then I get an email alert for your latest blog post in which you speak of “mustard-gassing” those evil cells inhabiting your lymphatic system. It’s an interesting report. The Allied side were preparing to retaliate in kind if the Empire of Japan resorted to gas warfare. Japan had signed but never ratified the Geneva Protocols on Chemical Warfare but neither had the USA.
Thanks for keeping your many fans updated on your life. We only NEED to know as much as you want to tell us but people do appreciate the information about your battle with this illness. Not sure if targeted good vibes from strangers do any good. I AM sure that your own positive mental attitude can make a difference.
In the Sunday newspaper strip we are up to the bit where Dad tells Heloise that she has an equal share in the Phantom heritage and reveals the existence of a secret locked chamber in the Skull Cave. Speculation is fierce among the comments community about the possible nature and contents of this chamber and all agree that it’s a masterly cliffhanger to get everyone to tune in the following Sunday.
BTW, how did little D1D1 and her mom go with decorating her Treehouse Under The Stairs?
The commenters all regret that the Treehouse In The Sky is now disused and say that it would have been a much more suitable venue for Kadia’s Jungle Holiday with the Walker ladies. But where would the story have been in that?
Best regards
Peter
Right in front of you is the name of your next novel: Ride of Passage. Keep pecking away at the keyboard, let it flow, you got it inside, let it out.
What the mind can conjure, the body will assume.
Tim Tams? Hmmmm. Off to Amazon to see if its mighty powers extend that far.