Boston clears things up

Dear Friends and Family,

We are getting ready to head up to bed just as soon as we put new pain patches on Nans body somewhere, hook up her TPN, do her dressing etc.

I wrote to Dr. Morgan this morning and tonight we had a response. He says " The CT looks remarkably good. There is a deep pelvic mass pressing on rectum, and this is a bit larger than it was on 7/20, but not strikingly larger. I really don't see any other major changes. One could consider radiation therapy, if not already administered to this site, to help control the pain."

How we appreciate his taking time to look at the CT scan. While we wish there was no change in tumor size this means there are not other new ones, this is the same one that was not taken out during surgery. We doubt we can do radiation since it is the same area as we had radiated last fall 27 times. So we will have to depend on modern medicine and God's grace to find a solution to the extreme pain Nan is having. At least we know why now.

Nan has had a rough day today, several bouts of nausea and spent the entire day after I left this morning upstairs. She was able to sleep quite a bit around times of intense pain. This evening Mary came over and brought two more pasta dishes under wraps and sat with us for awhile. She is so incredible supportive and sweet, she is very easy to love and appreciate. After Mary was here for awhile Nan came downstairs to sit in her chair, to eat a toast with peanut butter so she could take her Gleevec and Rapamune. She has also drank two glasses of water and is now catching up on her emails.

She is finding out that Roger is out of ICU which is great news. We are relieved for both he and Carol. Its hard having loved ones so far away when you would like to visit. When we get his mailing address we'll pass it along so we can flood him with cards.

Bob and Carrol are going to Tahoe for a short vacation with her sister, that is great news and their cancer numbers were good this time as well.

I worked hard today and I'm thankful that my pain was minimal, that I was able to see everything that was scheduled and that I made it home by 7 tonight. We are both so thankful that Sharon is coming tomorrow. I work hard tomorrow and Wednesday and then we take the motorhome out of mothballs and drive to Jason and Jo's on thursday and come back sometime this weekend. Nan is sort of dreading and looking forward both to the trip. Sharon comes in around noon tomorrow to Oakland so I scheduled an appraisal for the trip in. After I get her home and settled I will go out again to work, got to keep those nickels rolling this way.

My kidney stone is stalled right now, I know it is there with twinges of pain but nothing serious yet. I hope and pray that nan can have a better day tomorrow. She has been running a fever today, 101.2 this evening. We think the wound Vac might help and it is being put in on wednesday morning, then nan goes to the oncologist due to the fever. I hope Sharon can take her in.

Well I'm heading to become a nurse for the next 1/2 hour and then sleep. Sort of feel like we both deserve to sleep well tonight.

Please pray intensely regarding Nan's pain. Something special is going to have to happen for this pain to subside. God can do it if it is in His plan.

love

tim and nan
ps please pray for a safe trip for our beloved Sharon.