Although this is late, I wanted to get a quick update out to everyone. We continue to have mixed news. I completed what should be my final round of this first type of chemo yesterday, and I'm feeling a little better in regards to nausea and fatigue, although I'm starting to experience additional bloating (edema) in my legs. Also, my liver function tests are starting to get a little higher. I haven't had a chance to check with my doctor to see the relevance of these elevations, although they are not super high. Previous elevations have been considered within a "normal" range, although these are slightly higher than those others had been. Depending on the results and his feedback, we may need to move to a second agent relatively soon, but we'll know more in the next few weeks.
On the positive front, my red blood cell count and hemoglobin counts are much higher, which means that the new blood cell booster is beginning to work – and also accounts for having less fatigue.
On a much more positive account, we've been able to take advantage of some opportunities to visit family. We spent a week out in Colorado visiting Crystal's family. We have been blessed with wonderful in-laws on both sides and I was treated like a king while I was there. A good thing too, since I wasn't really able to do much more than lie around and provide good company (I hope). Crystal's sister Sarah kept me plied with her wonderful fruit and yogurt smoothies, probably part of the reason I gained weight, although it was well worth it. And we got to meet her and husband Jon's newest addition, and Crystal's namesake, Grace Crystal. What a sweet baby. Basically, she just sat around and cooed whenever she wasn't hungry or needed attending to. My only disappointment for the entire trip was that I simply wasn't able to make our annual trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. As the name implies, it's built into the side of the mountain, so the trek can be a little grueling, and I simply wasn't up to it. It's tough to have to give up family traditions, even little ones, simply because of health. Especially since I like feeding the giraffes almost as much as the kids enjoy it.
We followed up the trip to Colorado with some rest and then a day trip to Paris, ID – just north of Bear Lake – for the annual Budge family reunion. Every year around the 24th of July the extended Budge clan – my dad and his siblings and as many of their children as possible – get together in Paris. With as many of us as there are now, we rarely get better than 50% showing, but it is so fun to see everyone who is able to come. This year my cousin Rich even called in from Iraq. His wife, Heather Ann, and their kids attended in person. Even though the visit and drive were difficult on me – it was just long – I was so glad to see everyone. You develop deep relationships with cousins and aunts and uncles that you draw on, even if you don't see each other more than once or twice a year – and you don't realize how much you miss everyone until you see them again. My thanks especially go out to all those who have helped us out by helping my parents get this basement apartment arranged and available to us. We could not have done it without all of you.
So, in all, although we don't have much to report on the medical front – next CT scan is a few weeks down the road – we did have some eventful weeks that were a tremendous blessing to our family.
