Ox Fall Down

Matchday 3: the machine is down so you wait with your parents and aunt for an hour in the waiting room. Once ready it seems the techs are trying to make up for lost time. Alignment takes only seconds. Is that John Cougar playing from the ceiling? Yes, it is. Not John Cougar Mellencamp. Definitely not John Mellencamp. John Cougar singing the very first radio song you ever loved. "Jack and Diane." Funny how quickly you can become twelve again.

No accessing the portal in your back today. The snout of the apparatus is in full view from start to finish. In three days they've used all three portals twice. Is this the rotating schedule?

Afterwards, with the family in the room talking to the techs you see behind the room. Half a geodesic dome of painted white iron supports the apparatus and the hamster wheel. A jungle gym for giants.

No time to waste. Off to the three o'clock appointment with the nutritionist.

You need 3,000 to 3,600 calories/day during treatment. At least three liters of fluids. You can manage the nausea for now just by eating every two hours. Eat before you get out of bed. Don't drink water on an empty stomach. Power bars are good and you can't eat too many. No carbs without protein. Lots of protein. Eggs and cheese, eggs and cheese. Flax seed and omega-3. Pizza is perfect: tomatoes, cheese and carbs.

Ok, you're done. Off to the movies.