Cock-a-doodle-doo! I'm back for round two! Let's wrestle!

There's a children's book which the kids and I love to read entitled "Mike Fink," written and illustrated by Steven Kellogg.  It's a tall tale about a young man named Mike Fink, whose dream is to be a keelboatman on the Mississippi River.  He has several misadventures before he thinks he is finally ready to make his dream come true and join the crew of a keelboat.  Only problem is Jack Carpenter, the current self-proclaimed "King of the Keelboatman," is not about to relinquish his crown, symbolized by a red feather in his cap.  Jack challenges Mike to a wrestling competition and offers him the boat and the red feather if this young upstart can beat him.

"You've got yourself a deal!" Mike responds.  "Cock-a-doodle-doo! Let's wrestle!" He exclaims.

Well, Jack makes quick work of Mike and hurls him hundreds of miles across the Great Plains into the heart of the Rocky Mountains.

"Well, that set me back a bit," admitted Mike, "but I'm determined to be a keelboatman." He decided to get in shape by wrestling with the grizzlies.

At first, those bears rolled him onto his back before he could say "Jack Carpenter."

But Mike kept trying, and little by little his strength increased until he was able to hold his own.

Finally, he decided to test himself by challenging Big Bart, the heavyweight champion of the Rockies.  When Mike came out on top, he knew he was ready for the keelboat job. He sprinted across the Great Plains and found Jack Carpenter.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo! I'm back for round two! Let's wrestle!" hollered Mike.

Again, Jack charged like a bull, but this time Mike met him head-on.

They wrestled up and down the riverbanks for several weeks, kicking up tidal waves and toppling trees.  Finally, Jack found himself locked helplessly in a Rocky Mountain grizzly-bear hug.  "I'm licked," he gasped.  Mike won the red feather and the crew voted to make him captain.

Well, round 2 of chemo began yesterday and I am ready to wrestle!  I think this round is going to be harder; the side effects have begun to appear earlier than last time, but I've met those bears before: acid-reflux, nausea, bowel movement fluctuations, steroid-induced insomnia, gerd, food craving/aversion fluctuations, etc. Thankfully my wife is stuck with me already because I am truly one attractive guy!  Thankfully, I am better equipped to deal with them the second time around and, all things considered, they have been pretty mild and, fingers crossed, may it continue that way!

We met with the oncologist yesterday and he had nothing but good news, a first since this whole adventure began.  Red and white blood cell count is normal, kidneys are looking great, and the hCG levels have dropped from 7800 when chemo began to 89.  We will take all of that good news to the bank, thank you very much!  Christmas came early this year.

Day 1 of round 2, me as Beldar Conehead, thank you Mary for knitting it for me!

Day 2 of round 2, getting on the Christmas spirit.

And that's where things stand.  Hoping everyone enjoys their Christmas with family and friends.  I am looking forward to it.  And I am looking forward to the day when this whole thing will be nothing more than Mike Fink's round 1 of wrestling.  I'll be able to say, "that set me back a bit", but the bears will have been subdued and I will descend from the mountain top and declare, "I am ready for round 2, let's wrestle!"