The season is changing want again, and therefore it was time to visit NIH once again. After a day (well, a few hours) spent in a noisy tunnel getting shot up with gadolinium (look it up on your periodic chart!; it is used to enhance features in an MRI), the conclusion is: 1) the brain is clear (some would say empty) and 2) the tumors on the spine are the same size as 3 months ago (which showed an apparent shrinkage from 6 months ago). The decision is that I should do another 3 cycles of the chemo, and then a decision will be made as to whether to continue.

Both doctors (the junior one who takes the history, discusses the symptoms, etc., and the senior one who blesses the conclusions of the junior one) both asked how the shuttle's loss affected my work. Thus my condition was clearly not of all-consuming immediate concern.