Hitting the Wall

Looks like Jon has finally hit the wall on this round of chemo. Everything went well on Tuesday, his red count is down a little but his white count was up (yes, he did it with the essential oils!). Unfortunately by Wednesday he was fairly tired and that has progressed for the last couple of days. The fatigue is a result of his lowered red counts. Today he and Kyle worked on one of his houses which mostly involved Kyle working and Jon sleeping in the truck.

Jon told me last week that he has felt great on the "cancer scale" all month and was ready to deal with any of the upcoming side effects because he had the opportunity to feel fairly normal and productive over the last month. I am grateful he has done so well and am preparing for the next 6 weeks as well. Everything should remain status quo until the PET scan the last week of June. I suggested he just take a 6 week nap and I'll wake him when its over :)

Keep him in your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate all of your continued support.

We are back at chemo today and Jon continues to feel great. His red counts and platelets are all good but he is showing a decrease in his white blood cells. The nurse told us today that if the white count continues to decrease he will have to start on leukine or neupogen next week to boost his immune system. Jon, of course, says he will fix it with herbs and essential oils by next week. We'll see....we're not planning any more trips to the ER so I'll hold him down for the meds if I have to!

A Day For Celebration

Chemo went well yesterday. Jon's blood counts are within a few tenths of a point of normal, much improved from a few weeks ago. He slowed down a little the end of last week but is still feeling good most of the time.

Dr. Chu reviewed the CT scan from the hospital with us. He concurred that the pneumonia made it impossible to see any tumor in the lung so we don't know if its still there. He was very encouraged when he looked at the liver and reminded us that since the tumors are confined to the right lobe of the liver Jon is a candidate for surgery (radiofrequency ablation or resection) if chemo doesn't remove all of the cancer cells. We are still hoping to avoid surgery but it is nice to know there are other options available. The liver regenerates so Jon has plenty of healthy liver if it ever comes down to that.

Today is a big day for us. Jon has survived (and thrived) six months since his diagnosis. Only 10% of pancreatic cancer patients live this long and none of them are out mountain biking and hiking! Our odds of a complete cure increase exponentially with achieving this goal, from 4% to 40%. With each passing month the odds are more in our favor. PET scan is scheduled in 8 weeks which is the most sensitive test to determine the size and location of any remaining cancer.

Thanks to everyone for your continued prayers, support, and encouragement, Join us in celebrating today!!

A RECORD WEEK

Jon has had his best week since his liver biopsy back in November. He worked every day this week (with only an occasional nap) and we rode our bikes 20 miles in the Daffodil Bicycle Classic on Sunday. He wasn't as fast as last year but a far cry from the guy who had to lie down after walking up two flights of stairs two weeks ago!

Chemo again tomorrow. Tim is going with Jon since I have a deposition for an injured patient. We have copies of his CT and chest x-ray from Auburn Hospital for Dr. Chu to evaluate. The radiologist from the hospital did not see any tumors in his lung and we want Dr. Chu to see if he can identify any that may have been masked by the infection. We all think it was blasted by the Tarceva.

WHY SHOULDN'T WE?

We believe in things that we cannot see
Why shouldn't we, why shouldn't we?
Hands that heal can set a chained man free.
Why shouldn't we, why shouldn't we?

We believe in peace within every heart.
Why shouldn't we, why shouldn't we?
Burning brightly, brightly in the dark.
Why shouldn't we, why shouldn't we

So come on darling' feel your spirits rise.
Come on on children open up your eyes.
God is all around
Buddha's at the gate
Allah hears your prayers
It's not too late.

AND WE BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT WILL GIVE US HOPE
Why shouldn't we, why shouldn't we?
Let your voice be heard, celebrate your vote.
Why shouldn't we, why shouldn't we?

We believe in things that make us all the same
Why shouldn't we, why shouldn't we?
Love belongs to all in deed an name
Why shouldn't we, why shouldn't we?

AND WE BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT CAN'T BE DONE
Why shouldn't we, why shouldn't we?
Lift up your heart, put down your gun.
Why shouldn't we, why shouldn't we?

WE BELIEVE IN THINGS
WE'RE TOLD WE CANNOT CHANGE
Why shouldn't we?
WE HAD HEROES ONCE, AND WE WILL AGAIN
Why shouldn't we?
Come one darlin'
Come on children
God is all around, Buddha's at the gate
Allah hear our prayers
It's not too late
Why shouldn't we?

Mary Chapin Carpenter


Why shouldn't' we believe in miracles? I think I'm living one.

Lorri OHollaren Nichols

No News Is Good News

Jon has had an excellent week and is feeling better than he has in months. He tolerated the new chemo very well although it makes for a very day since they are giving him a cocktail of premeds, 3 drugs and 3 vitamins. His bloodwork is normalizing and only his redcount, hemoglobin, and hematocrit are a little on the low side. He commented earlier this week that he feels so good that he's concerned the drugs aren't doing their job in killing the cancer. I'm sure that they are working just fine. 10 more weeks to go and then a PET scan. I will probably just blog once weekly now unless something unusual comes up. Remember, no news is good news!

ROUND THREE

We are back at chemo today at the Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center. Jon's bloodwork is looking pretty good and he is feeling better than he has in months. He was exhausted after leaving the hospital and finally began to feel well on Saturday. I am grateful that he has had a few good days before starting this round of chemo. He lifted weights and walked the hill at Lakeland Hills yesterday afternoon for the first time in weeks. Actually, he and Rex tried the same hike Saturday afternoon but got lost and ended up bushwacking through brush and backyards to find their way home :)

We are anticipating that he will tolerate this treatment well. It is usually a little easier than the first combination and he felt good for the first 8 of the 12 weeks on the last go around. He is scheduled through the end of June on a weekly basis and will then have a PET scan to measuer his progress. We expect all the cancer to be gone at that point. He was originally supposed to take Tarceva and Interferon after this round but it remains to be seen whether we will try the Tarceva again. The interferon is designed to build his immune system.