OH CRAP. NOW THAT'S A BIT OF A BUMMER.

Occipital nerve headache. I diagnosed myself after a month of more or less constant headache. No other symptoms. But just to be sure, I called my radiation oncologist (the one I really like) and he arranged for a CT scan. Just to be sure, he said. And I agreed – probably nothing much – but just to be sure.

Then, yesterday, the headache woke me up – and there was my old friend, vertigo.

Today, I saw David Bowes for the scan results and oh-oh, the alien is back. Smaller than before and not yet near my brain stem.

In brief – I will never have chemo again. Nor will I have whole brain radiation. Dr. Bowes will schedule a CT scan of my chest to see how treatment went & an MRI on my long-suffering brain and will contact the neurosurgeon who got the little bastard out last time, to see if he thinks operating is possible. Either way, there will be some targeted radiation. There are a number of possible options, depending on the surgeon’s take and depending on whether the lung tumor appears to have become inactive.

I’m okay. That is to say, I’ve been to the bottom of the pit and I don’t plan a return trip. Lots of people live with cancer – and it looks like I’ll be one of them. But the operative word, at the moment is “live.” Other than the headaches, which can be controlled with a lot of ibuprofen, my spirits are good. I don’t feel anywhere near death’s door and I’m not in a hurry to get there. Cancer – it is ON!