Thanks, all, for words of encouragement and good humor. I'll be starting in a little over a week (I think), and feel well-armed with strategies for dealing with this! Drugs, music, meditation -- it'll be like the sixties. And for afterward: Halloween, Chia pet, earring tree, who knows? So many possibilities...

I highly recommend David Sedaris if you want a good laugh. Maybe not under the mask, though, you're probably right, mg...