Update 5/6/2008

One of the things I have been warned about regarding chemo is that each progressive session of chemo will be more difficult than the last. With my third chemo session starting last Monday (April 28), I entered that week wondering exactly what they meant by "more difficult". By last Thursday around lunch time, I had determined that, apparently, I was the exception to this rule, since I was feeling pretty good. Sometime between noon and 4 pm the effects of the chemo hit me like a ton of bricks and I realized that my assessment had been premature. Unfortunately, until this morning, it's been pretty much a steady downhill road since Thursday.

On Sunday we received a call from our good friends, Brian and Sue Torppey in New Jersey, wondering how things were going. They were very patient but somewhat insistent on finding out how I was doing since they hadn't had an update from me since April 23. It wasn't until they called that I realized just how long it had been since I had updated the blog – I hope you will all forgive me any additional concern I caused by not keeping you updated. I've really appreciated knowing that so many of our friends are pulling for us, and I'll try to do better to keep you all informed as to how we are doing. Please feel free, also, to reach out any time if you'd like to get a more current update than whatever was in the last blog posting.

As for how I've been doing – it's a mixed bag. I've had significant fatigue, although it is slightly less than the last time. However, the nausea I experienced this time around was significantly greater and longer lasting. It's difficult to know how much of this was due to the chemo since half our family had the stomach flu at the same time, so some of it may have been due to that. The nausea itself is a unique experience – kind of like a low-grade headache that makes everything uncomfortable but doesn't prevent you from actually doing anything (as long as you take the anti-nausea meds). Eating has been a pain because nothing tastes good (one of the effects of chemo is to kill your taste buds). But thanks to the different meds I've been given, I've still been able to eat.

Another difference this time around is that I'm experiencing more pain. My doctor suggested that this may actually be a good thing: the tumors in my liver are very poorly defined, which means that if they are being broken down by the chemo that is probably causing them to bleed. The increased blood in my liver may be causing increased pressure on the liver casing, resulting in the increase of pain. They ran all my blood work (liver function tests, blood cell counts, etc…) again just before starting chemo on the 28th. Other than my red blood cell count, which is still way down, the rest of the tests came back in the normal or very near normal range. This is the best indication we have that things are progressing well and that whatever effect the chemo is having on the tumors, the rest of my liver and entire system is managing to function normally. On balance, then, the news is positive, but it will be difficult to say for sure until the next CT scan, which is finally scheduled for next week. Once we have those results in hand, we'll have a much better read on how effective the chemo is actually being in getting rid of the tumors.

On the family front, other than the stomach flu (which appears to have run its course), everyone is in good health. Caleb has been on a tear for the last month or so. He becomes much more capable every day, but he still isn't capable (or trustworthy) enough for us to give him the full run of the house – especially with all the tools and equipment currently being used to finish the basement. In the last week or so, however, he finally mastered the stairs, so he's had a little more freedom. Also, the weather finally warmed up enough that he has been able to go outside with his older siblings and hasn't been confined to the house. The rest of the kids are settling into a familiar routine which has helped reduce the amount of anxiety for everyone. This whole situation is so surreal – we're just in a holding pattern waiting to see how things turn out – that it's difficult to achieve a semblance of normalcy, even for the kids. But we're trying.

The basement apartment that my folks are putting together is progressing incredibly fast. The kitchen tile is in, the cabinets are almost done, and the appliances are being delivered today. The carpet comes tomorrow, the finish work will be completed over the next week or so, and the kitchen countertops will be in by next week. If all goes well, we should be able to completely move in by the middle of May – an amazing feat given all that has had to be done – and a wonderful testament to the amount of work so many friends and family have put in to help us out.