quick update

For those wondering how Mark is doing the hospital: still no solid foods. :( He's really hoping for any kind of food, and last night he was really craving root beer floats and carmel corn. At least he's back on liquids today. No word yet as to when he'll be able to check out and go home.

So far, so good

Surgery went off without a hitch Tuesday morning (February 21st). So far, Mark is still in the hospital and has been up and around on several walks. Yesterday he was transferred off of clear liquids and given the OK to try some solid food. Unfortunately, that was a short lived victory. By evening time they had decided to go back to the liquid only diet, and then do away with that plan completely and hook him back up to an IV to give him hydration and his pain medication. The doctors say there is too much bloating right now, so no liquids and no solids until the bloating goes away. They think the steroids he had been taking (to help with his lung disease) have slowed the way his tissues heal and that is what is causing the delay.

Otherwise, Mark is still in good spirits, and enjoying all the visitors he's getting to chat with in his hospital room.

Surgery back on

Last year the surgery to reconnect everything had to be postponed because of a flare up of Mark's lung disease.
Well, several months later, a new doctor and a new medication have got him back on track. We just learned today that the University of Washington hospital is ready to schedule the surgery again!

The new surgery date: February 21, a Tuesday

You'll never guess what happened!

Because of the chemicals and medications used in chemo therapy lots of times foods taste different. Sometimes you'll enjoy foods you've never liked before, and other times your favorite foods take on new, very unappetizing flavors. So besides feeling sick, tired, and all the other assortments of side effects, chemo patients can have a hard time eating because of those changes.

Well, this week Mark discovered he likes butter again! It used to be a staple at the dinner table (to smear on a dinner roll, or homemade piece of bread), but it hasn't tasted right to him for a long time. This week he said he had a piece of toast with butter and jam and it was one of the best experiences to have it taste how he thought it should taste!

Thankful for little miracles this week :)

surgery scheduled

The surgery in Seattle to reconnect everything and take away the colostomy bag is scheduled for the morning of October 29 (saturday).

It's Official!!!!

Mark is having his last chemo infusion right now. Just called to say he spoke with the oncology Dr. and his CT scan from Friday looks great, no signs of cancer at all. As of right now he's officially considered "in remission" (they don't use the 'cured' word or 'cancer free' until he's been in remission for several years).

In 3 months (so around the end of November) he's scheduled to visit with the oncology dr. again to see how he's feeling, how he's healing/recovering from the chemo, and do some blood work. 6 months from now (end of February) he needs to have another CT scan done, and this time next year he'll have another colonoscopy to confirm no return of cancer.

Now if we could get the surgery scheduled to see if his colon and all the muscles are ready to function normally again.....

We're planning a small family "no more chemo" party for Mark on the 3rd of September. Definately something to celebrate!

T minus 16 days and counting...

...until the end of Mark's chemo therapy!!!!!

Today was Mark's 2nd to last chemo infusion. He goes back on the 10th to get his chemo pump removed. On Friday the 19th he'll get a CT scan of abdomen to check for signs of tumors or cancers. Then on the 22nd it's officially his last chemo infusion. I asked the dr. today how his blood counts were and if he forsaw maybe an issue with them that he would need to suspend his treatment for longer. He said "no, his blood levels are great, everything should go exactly as scheduled". He'll go home that monday with his chemo pump, as usual, and return on the 24th to have it removed.

Other good news: the dr. told him he can also go ahead and schedule the surgery with the University of Washington to reconnect all the 'plumbing' and get him back on that road of recovery. Mark's not too excited about another surgery, but definately excited to be this close to finished with chemo.

Other information we learned: the Dr. recommends that his port (the thing in his chest just below the skin that allows the nurses to 'plug' a special needle into it to infuse the chemo drugs) stay in for probably 12 months. He'll likely need to return reguarly for CT scans of his midsection. Probably every 3 months for a year, and then every 6 months for several years.