When, not If

Dan had his six-month exam with Dr. G today. And while he's still not showing any symptoms of lymphoma, he is slightly . . . lumpier than he was six months ago. Newly swollen lymph nodes are poking through his groin and neck. Dr. G had warned us this would probably happen and that it was the weirdness of being lumpy with cancerous lymph nodes that frequently drove patients to chemo, not the actual symptoms of lymphoma.

Which is another disconnect of Dan's cancer. His lumpy lymph nodes are indicative of the malignancy, but not really a symptom. Sweaty exhaustion will be the sign that the lymphoma is making him "sick."

So let us stress that Dan is not sick.

But Dr. G feels that this new lumpier landscape does mean that within the year, we will need to make plans for treatment.

There are still questions about what the treatment will be -- the chemical cocktail and its application schedule. And no doubt there will be another barrage of tests before any course is firmly set.

For now, Dan is back on a three-month exam schedule with Dr. G. No ground lost, no ground gained.