Back on the chemo train tomorrow, after a 'skip' week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. I always get my chemo on Fridays, due to the need to wear the pump for two days. I'm on the infusion a total of about 52 hours, and the last 46 hours are at home. So if I had chemo any other weekday, I'd have to take four days off work instead of two.

Think about that for a minute, btw. My entire medical treatment schedule is driven by the amount of sick time in my benefit package. Does that seem the best possible basis for treatment decisions? I'm not complaining about my employer, mind you — they have always been profoundly supportive through this process. It's just the American way. Life-and-death healthcare needs bend to financial and workplace considerations. That's how we do things in this country.

I've been seeing some bounceback. Everything from the consistency of my bowels to the return of my appetite to a weight gain that speaks of my metabolism beginning to recover to a significant reduction in my Vectibix/Doxycycline-induced skin problems. That will all get put paid to tomorrow morning.

This will chemo five of twelve in my third chemo series, and fifth of six pre-surgery. Speaking of the surgery, Lisa Costello and I got to discussing the surgical plan recently (such relationship conversations we have) and the question of how radical my surgical oncologist can be in approaching my liver. This in light of the apparent disappearance of the tumor Rumsfeld, and the apparent containment of the tumors Bush and Cheney. Just speculation, obviously, except for the point they made to me last summer that after two liver surgeries already they cannot make free with this one. As they said, I won't enjoy dying of liver failure any more than I'd enjoy dying of cancer.

So, for today, my liver and I are still on a tiny bit of vacation.