chemo starts wednesday

My first chemotherapy session is Wednesday, but we won't know until Monday or Tuesday whether I'm doing the standard or the Stanford treatment (I agreed to be part of the trial, but as I explained before, some people are put in the experimental group while others are put in the control group).

I sort of skirted over the negative effects of the chemo before and just said "drugs drugs drugs." I mean, that's basically it: there are drugs for just about every side effect. But still, I have to be aware of the (numerous and multitudinous) side effects and symptoms so I can alert my doctor when they happen. If I start coughing, I have to call. Everything is to be taken seriously; no "wait and see if it goes away." So while most of the side effects of the chemo can be relieved with drugs, it still won't be a cakewalk. Well, maybe if I listen to some ragtime music it will be.