Aww Captain Holt knows what's what. Thanks for sharing, Dana!

Dana, thank you for sharing! Self-knowledge is always a good thing, I feel.

I swear I posted this earlier, but I guess I just typed it? Anyway, I did think of that Captain Holt quote at the time. I think it's one of those lines that will outlast the show it came from.

Dana, congratulations on self knowledge! And thanks for sharing.

Congrats, Dana! Knowing and acknowledging who you are is a good thing.

dcp and Calli, thank you for your cards! They're lovely.

(I need to go back and read everyone's posts about this year and respond properly. I will. Eventually. Sorry about that).

I thought I knew what to say about this year, but I really don't. I'm just glad it's almost over.

But! Dana, that's a wonderful revelation to have had. Congrats!

The card exchange has been fun. Thanks to all who sent me cards this season; I have enjoyed them very much. They hang on a string along my mantel and they make me smile every time I see them.

2020 treated me very mildly, compared to most people. When it came time to isolate, I was well prepared to be able to work from home, and well prepared with groceries and other supplies needed to stay home. The various shortages in the stores never bothered me. I had shelter. Water stayed on. Power stayed on. Internet stayed on.

Most of my attention has been taken up with monitoring the progress of my cancer, adjusting to changes in medical routines, and dealing with side effects. Loss of muscle, lack of strength, lack of stamina, and an increase in overall fatigue have all become very noticeable, especially since September, but I'm coping.

In November I qualified to enroll in a clinical trial, and one of the consequences of that was another round of chemotherapy -- a different poison this time, cabazitaxel instead of docetaxel. The routine is the same as last time, six intravenous infusions, each three weeks apart.

No scalded tongue this time, but some flavors have definitely shifted. Pears and apples are bland, but not completely tasteless. Ginger ale is now somehow both sour *and* bitter, but it still seems to help against the nausea, so I keep sipping.

I started growing a Van Dyke at the end of May, and haven't trimmed it at all. The moustache doesn't grow long enough to twist or curl, which is disappointing. The goatee is now long enough to tug meditatively, but not yet long enough to braid. I wonder whether the chemo will make it fall out. I haven't lost any hair this time -- yet.

If all continues to go smoothly, I should be done with IV chemo in the first week of March, leaving just a regular routine of daily oral medications. Early signs are that the chemo is working as desired, knocking back existing tumors and preventing new ones.

I am not at all religious, but I try to be mindful of my responsibilities, my privileges, and my blessings.

I have a lot of blessings I can count. Buffistas.org is among them. Thank you for being here.

Now, begone 2020! Here's to a better 2021!

Early signs are that the chemo is working as desired, knocking back existing tumors and preventing new ones.

That's excellent!

The card exchange has been fun. Thanks to all who sent me cards this season; I have enjoyed them very much.

I still intend to send mine out! I just couldn't get my shit together to send them before Christmas. So 5 people have a Teppy card to look forward to, I promise.