Ephemeral -- Word for the Day -- Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Ephemeral

DEFINITION: (adjective) quickly disappearing; transient.

Kick 'em back, Kick 'em back, -- Way back, ChemoSabe.
Doctor day today.. You are just NOT going to believe our report.

Arrived waiting room at 12:45 for 1:00 p.m. appointment. We were still in the waiting room at 3:00. Hoo Hum... Back to the doctor's exam room. Saw the test results on the table. I scrolled right through them. As I was reading I was searching my pockets. ChemoSabe asked what I was looking for --- Kleenex. I read on.

Doctor came into the room and caught me reading. I get up from her chair and she sits immediately and begins speaking. I don't read the reports to ChemoSabe. I am always afraid I will read something out loud I don't understand or that is bad and I want to digest it first before he knows about it.

She begins -- Lesions in spinal area of neck have decreased in size (Ephemeral). Other lesions are unremarkable -- meaning no change. No larger, no smaller. Fractures in the lumbar area have not grown and are quite stable. No abnormal enhancement seen in any area. Right hip which holds the prosthesis and shows no evidence of avascular necrosis. No evidence of focal skull base diploic myelomatous disease is noted.

Surely by reading this, you too can see the report is extremely uplifting and overwhelming. I patted him on the back and told him that was why I needed the tissue. PRAISE!!!

We continued on with our visit with the doctor with her telling us if we just ask God for the things we need, He will provide. She tells us her husband is always telling her to pray to God and thank Him for everything.

A second stem cell will not be necessary. We are going on to the Consolidation Phase. A port will be placed on Friday and the camera bag with two chemos will be hooked up Friday. The steroids begin on Friday with the Thalidomide and the rest of his meds. Labs will be every day at the Infusion Center where he will be monitored extensively. His port will be flushed each day and he will be given a blood transfusion, platelets, magnesium or potassium, when and if needed. Back to the old grind stone. This will happen for about two weeks.

Platelets right now are 173 and he will probably go down below 50 in the next two weeks. WBC is now at 5.92 and will fall to 0.2 at some stage, as he did in the past. We are ready. We are thankful. We are prepared. We know what to expect.

This treatment will be back to back - six to eight weeks apart. Then he will have regular check up every three to four months up to a year. After that it will be yearly visits.

Full day of work tomorrow in getting everything lined out. Work, work, work. I watched the special on Patrick Swayze this evening and he just finished a television with working 12 hour days while taking chemo. He is in his tenth month of pancreatic cancer. Life span is usually six months. With watching this, he believes work kept him going. I believe that, too. I see the patients from out of state compared to the ones that are still able to work and I see more progress in the workers.

We went in separate vehicles today since we both came from work. As I entered our neighborhood my cell phone rang. ChemoSabe suggested I let the kids out ant go back and meet him to see my mom. I did. He brought her chocolates. She was in a simple minded mood today and didn't make much sense. Clock to her was a phone, rubber gloves meant kleenex and Johnnie was Jim. I was her mother at one point and grandma has been gone since 2001. As I watched how she relates to ChemoSabe and I watched him, I was reminded of why I first fell in love with this man. I had a sudden urge to go over and sit on his lap and just lie all over him as if he were a pillow. Of course, my mother would have come unglued. Even though we have been married for 21 years she thinks it very unappropriate for people to do those things. ha...

Gosh, I feel like a load has been lifted. Our transplant RN is thrilled, the doctor is happy and the Infusion Center nurses are in for another treat. He will be taking three extra drugs, but that is a drop in the bucket.

Thank you for your prayers... They worked.

Good night and Love -- Pepper