IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES

Well, they haven't got to the bottom of my love's current health problems, but they are taking the reins anyway. Last week his doctor said the biopsy of the week before showed that he has cancer. They could not tell if it was a primary or a secondary cancer. He scheduled a visit to the oncologist for Friday. We weathered our first two tornado warnings on Thursday night. This huge horn started up softly, building to extremely loud and lasting an incredibly long time. They reminded me of the sounds I had heard as a child to warn us of an impending nuclear attack. Not fond memories. They also reminded me of the movie the Time Machine when the Morlocks would summon the Eloi to the safety of the underground. Very eerie. In the dark because the power had gone out, with the sliding balcony door open, the lightning flashing and the trees moving endlessly; we sat there watching with rapt attention. We were probably the only people in Cincinnati that enjoyed that thrill. By Friday's appointment time the oncologist said that they had been able to do further tests, and that it was a secondary cancer. This means that it originates somewhere else in the body; but, they don't know where. He also said that rather than taking the time to do more biopsys to determine the source - the California way I'm sure, spoken with my best "Valley Girl" intonation - they were just going to use chemotherapy to eradicate it all! So, this very morning he was admitted to the hospital for a five day stay. After this, he will need a month to recuperate, then they will check him to see if they need to give him more treatment. The upshots are: other than the cancer he is a very healthy man, and the oncologist and the hospital are within 5 miles of our temporary apartment. So even though escrow on our California home finally closed on Friday, we are not going to look for a new home until this episode is played out.