MDS: Ready? Vidaza—Round 4

All good things come to an end, the cliche has it, and so, too, do our Maine vacation and, come Monday, the current Vidaza shot-free MDS period.

Too bad.

As nice as this vacation has been—

and it has been fine, finishing yesterday with a round of golf in the rain that was about as good a round as this duffer can play (perhaps I should always play in the rain)

—this three-week Vidaza hiatus has been better.

• no sore arms
• no itching shot sites
• no fatigue (good energy, as a matter of fact)
• no feeling bad
• feeling much better, actually, thank-you-very-much.

But, it's a new month and that means a new shot series that, understandably, I'm not looking forward to.

Perhaps being on the road has exaggerated a liberated, shot-free feeling; made the last series seem longer ago than the past series have seemed at the end of the break.

Or, perhaps just feeling more lively has made the MDS seem less real, more removed.

Whatever is causing me to sense distance between myself and the required shots, this time a false sense of security has crept in.

• I feel fine.
• So, why undergo these shots?
• Maybe I'm not so sick after all.

It rather reminds me of having to return to school at summer's end. Last year's teachers, homework, exams, etc., always seemed so long ago. Did we really have to start all that again?

This fourth Vidaza series is supposed to be telling. After it, Dr. O reevaluates the bone marrow and, if I understand all this correctly, she decides if (that?) the drug is effective and should be continued.

No pressure?