CANCER SUCKS

So far I am not impressed with this current round of chemo! It's never much fun, but at least with the prior rounds Jon didn't start going downhill for at least a month. This time around he's tired, nauseous, and "feels like shit" from Thursday until Monday. I don't know if its the addition of the oral Tarceva or the fact that he has been through this so many times that his body's resistance is depleted. That's fairly surprising considering how strong he appeared in August and early September. We were both optimistic that we had some more time before all the side effects started so we are reassessing our plan and "battening down the hatches" for the next few months.

We have an appointment with Dr. Reilly (naturopath at SCTWC) this Tuesday. He made a quickie appearance last week when Jon's platelets and WBCs took a nose dive, but this week will be a longer visit with an opportunity develop a more comprehensive game plan. I would also like to touch base with Dr. Chue about the Tarceva. His attitude in the past seemed to be to "take it as long as you can tolerate it." That's what he was on when he ended up in the hospital with double pneumonia last March.

Rex has called us with some great input from MaryJane Mack and Dr. Versendal who have also treated Jon this past year (more nutritional support and light therapy). Jon is talking about working that into the equation as well. I vote for covering every base we can. MaryJane is has been helping me with nutritional supplementation to keep me sane through this process-I'm planning on seeing her myself for a recheck next week :)

Just to add a little more to the mix, Jon has a decayed tooth that needs to be extracted since his braces have been removed (for those of you who haven't seen him, his teeth look great!). For most people that's not a big deal but when you're on chemo and your white cell count is low it can create a serious infection. The Physicians Assistant asked Jon to wait until his white count is in the normal range to have it pulled but he wants to do it on Monday. With any luck the dentist won't be able to get him in until Wednesday and we'll have his Tuesday blood work back before the procedure. You know Jon, he "does as he fees!"

So for all of you in the prayer lines, I'm cranking up the power! Thank you for your continued support.