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Today was another infusion day. They added back in a targeted therapy drug that works with two of the chemo drugs and he slept through quite a bit of the infusion. It seems that the new anticipatory medicine knocks him out and helps a little with side effects. Although not as sick as the treatment before last, he has been nauseous and vomiting. Hopefully, his two meds will kick in soon to alleviate it.

To set the record straight with facts - despite a rumor going around, Tim has not been given any prognosis on life span. We are unsure where this false information originated, but know it has upset the kids and we are working to alleviate their fears. We are continuing to live our life as normal as possible and have even made plans for the next year. What we have learned is not to take for granted God’s blessings. None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Only the Lord knows the number of our days.

The verdict is in...

This week was somewhat of a roller coaster.  Cooper had a cold, Abby played in the district golf tournament, and Tim spent three days at MD for doctors’ appointments.  We left at 4:30 Monday morning to get to the medical center for blood work, an MRI, and an appointment with his rectal surgeon. When we finally headed home we were both a little thrown off  his surgeon recommended consulting with his oncologist and a radiation oncologist about going on preoperative radiation and chemo to see how his body responded.  If he did well - meaning the cancer in the lungs didn’t grow and nothing returned in the liver - then he would be a candidate for surgery to remove the rectal tumor.  However, he was very upfront that it would be a major surgery that might alter his everyday functions.  We didn’t know what to think and decided to pray and wait.

We didn’t have to wait long. When he saw his medical oncologist on Thursday, he learned that all of the doctors had consulted and decided at this time going off of the chemo he is on right now is too great a risk for growth in the lungs and regrowth in the liver.  So the verdict is .... he continues on chemo every other week. They will be adding back in another drug next week now that his liver incision has completely healed. Praise the Lord! For now they seem to have found a combination of anticipatory drugs that are keeping the side effects well under controlled.  The biggest thing he seems to deal with is that he gets tired really easy. But we are blessed that he is able to be home and rest as he needs to.

For now we pray that his body can tolerate chemo for the long term and adjust to our new normal. We are blessed and thankful for an amazing support system and the many people who are praying with us.

Keep On Keeping On

I know I haven't posted in a while - I just haven't really known what to say.  But after several people have commented that I haven't posted in a while and asked about Tim, I decided it was time.  Tim resumed chemo on Friday, March 16.  I was off for Spring Break and was able to go with him.  That particular infusion made him extremely sick from the very beginning.  There weren't any new meds involved, but his body just didn't tolerate it well.  At his next appointment with the oncologist, he was prescribed an additional medicine to try to help manage the nausea and vomiting.  He can take it in advance and they give it to him through his port just before the chemo infusion, as well.  It's more for sensory and neurological control, but it has really seemed to help and he didn't have any adverse effects from chemo last Friday.  We did have a bump in the road last Tuesday.  His incision from the liver resection has still not closed completely and he noticed tissue coming from it.  After contacting his nurse, we were told to rush him to triage at the colorectal center.  Once there, they discussed packing it versus a wound vac, but they ultimately just pushed it back in and put a bandage over it.  At this point, he just keeps it covered and waits. They've said that being on chemo will take it longer to heal and it could take up to a year to fully close.

In the meantime, we just keep on keeping on.  We were all four able to get away for one of Abby's golf tournaments in Longview a couple of weeks ago and, Tim felt good enough to serve at church on the Thursday before Easter and in the preschool department Easter Sunday. We are trying real hard to find  joy in the small things and to not take anything for granted.

So what's next -
1) Right now he's scheduled for chemo through the end of May. It's the same schedule as before - infusion in clinic every other Friday and home with a pump through Sunday.
2) He has multiple appointments on Monday.  We will leave the house at 4:30 a.m. for an MRI and to see the rectal surgeon where we hope to get an updated plan for surgery.

Pray that he continues to tolerate chemo and that we get a good plan going forward to remove all of the cancer form his body.  The sooner the better for us.

More to come after Monday -