Sweet Distraction

“It's a massive motor in a tiny, lightweight car.”
- Caroll Shelby, creator of the Shelby Cobra, Daytona Coupe, and Ford GT40

My appetite's dropped off a bit, and is somewhere between my ravenous weekend appetite and the pathetic state I was in before. I'm pretty sure that I'm doing the 2700 calories that I need. My energy's been ok, and I've still battled nausea from time to time. Unfortunately, the inside of my throat is beginning to get increasingly sore.

Fortunately, I have plenty of incredible things keeping my mind off my present condition. Besides unbelievable companionship with Kristina, Shelly, my family and friends, I have a couple of great passions that I'm turning my attention to right now.

First and foremost is my Shelby Daytona Coupe replica car build. Last November, I bought a frame, body, and other kit parts from a company called Factory Five Racing. In addition, I bought a Ford Racing crate engine, a 392 cubic inch monster, along with a TKO 600 transmission, and loads of other performance parts from Ford Racing. Since then, my father-in-law Bill and I have been building what promises to be the most beautiful, high peformance street car ever made. Right now, we are 99.9% done, and just waiting for the body to come back from the paint shop so we can reassemble the car. Driving this car, even just starting it up in my garage will be as important to curing my cancer as radiation or chemotherapy. I'm telling you. It has been a long 11months getting this car built, and my mechanic father-in-law has done the lion's share of the work.

Right now, I spend time in the waiting room thinking about the finishing touches I'm going to put on the car, imagining what it will look like with its sleek black paint. Working with my father-in-law on the car was a great experience. I've sunk a ridiculous amount of money into this car, with thousands left to spend, and at this point, I just want to have the car done and road ready. I can feel it. We're so close . . . just in time for winter, which aint prime sportscar time. No matter. I will spend a lot of time in my garage just staring at the car, or just sitting inside. OK, I'll probaby make the occassional vroom=vroom noise when nobody's around.

In any case, I wanted other patients who might read this blog later to know that while you're in treatment, life goes on. By embracing the things you love, chemo and radiation are kept in proper perspective.