2 Miles into the Marathon

I've never run a marathon. I think I could handle the physical challenge. The mental challenge is another story. Most of us are addicted to mental stimulation. We can't go 10 minutes on a treadmill without our iPod playing our favorite tunes to help us pass the time. Unfortunately, most marathons don't allow the use of iPods.

Jo has barely begun her marathon and the mental challenge has started to ramp up. She is handling the physical part quite well. She spent a lot more time out of the room today than she has in the past week or so. Her energy is very low and is most evident in her thought processes which are currently very linear - just not enough energy to multi-task.

The mental marathon is somewhat different. Day after day is spent in the same room, the same hallways and the same lounge - all while pulling around the same chemo pole. In the not too distant future, we'll leave the hospital and quickly forget how long a day can be. For now, life has given us an amazing opportunity to practice patience. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years unjustly imprisoned. Surely we can survive another 10 to 14 days on the 11th floor of MD Anderson.