Round II: Shooting Lightening

Today I began Round II of chemo, spent about 4.5-hours at the hospital. Between the arrival, the blood test, the results, first round of chemicals, blood pressure and temperature evaluation, next round of chemicals, more B.T. evaluation, then getting strapped onto my chemopack to go, the whole process took four and a half hours. Add an hour to go, another hour to come home and the day is pretty much eaten up by the process. I was blessed today as I had three angels with me, my mom, my wife, and our friend Hari (from Golden Bridge Kundilini NY). During the two hours of chemical intake Hari and Parashakti massaged my hands and feet leading me into a deep sleep. At one point I was dreaming, casting seeds on to a yellow field and I awoke as my body reenacted my seed throwing initiative in the physical space as my hands tossed imaginary seeds awakening me. Two weeks ago when I went in for my first round of chemo, the session at the hospital was not that bad. Today it was even easier as I had the blessing of four hands tending to me.

I left the hospital with my mother, the side effects started to kick-in; medicated mouth temporarily solved by yummy organic candy, pressure from the top of my eyeballs, the stabbing dagger into my jaw from a first bite of an apple (my favorite side effect) and a lil fatigue played out by excessive yawning. We went from the hospital to the supermarket to get some supplies and it was there that a new side effect came into being.

I was warned not to hold anything cold. During round one of chemo I was able to tolerate the cold, not experiencing the side effects I had been warned of. Over the last few days I've enjoyed the cold plunge at the Russian Baths, cold water, cool air.... I'm a bit of a polar bear. Today at the supermarket I figured I would get some coconut milk ice cream, and it happened. It took no less than 10-seconds from pulling two pints with my hands from the frozen goods area that I experienced my first electrocution through the hands. It was an amazing feeling, like small jagged needles entering my fingertips and expanding into my hands. It was shocking and painful, and I just observed it and took it in until the jagged little lightenings expanded their shock treatment from finger tips to knuckles; I then threw the pints into my mothers hands. It was intense. The sensational pain lingered, I still feel some of the residual effects on my right finger tips. As I write this I'm feeling the a bit of the fatigue set in. I'm going to test my endurance today and get some things done before I collapse and linger in the valley of death for the next 2-3 days as the chemo does its work. Over the next few days I will exist in the silence of my medicated meditation and learn how to shoot lightening from my finger tips.