Friday evening 11:48 pm

Dear Friends and Family, Fellow GISTers and Care Givers,

Nan is settled in for the night. Her day included a trip to Concord to see our oncologist which was mildly helpful. He was kind enough to up her pain patch to 100 after the lower doses have not touched the lower back pain. He too found the radiologist report from last Saturday's CT scan confusing. The report seems to refer to more than one mass being in play now but is not very helpful because the only reference point the poor radiologist had was a CT scan taken in April of this year which is well before the large surgery in Boston. The oncologist did report that the blood work shows Nan's body to be in pretty good balance now and she is gaining weight slowly. Her PH is good, her potassium and magnessium were both good, her hemoglobin was 11 which sure beats the 8 she had last friday before the blood transfusion. We also found out that the reason Nan felt so good and alive at the end of the transfusion was the mild steriod they gave her. He alluded to the fact that a little steriod given once in awhile can be of assistance but he warned that steriods get in the way of healing. We were late to our appointment due to an equipment failure, happens sometimes without warning and we always travel with back up supplies, still no fun for Nan to have to cope with and cope she does so well. What an amazing lady.

When we got home from the Dr. we had decided that I should use the afternoon to get some work done so I drove to Palo Alto, 1 and 1/2 hours to do a driveby appraisal, that means I just stop in front of the subject property and shoot a photo of the front, note the features and condition from the street, take a street photo and then go shoot comparable sales that are as similar to the subject property as possible. Then I hit the road.

In my last blog I think I may have seemed a bit to human, sort of down, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders, sorry about that. Out of the blue a person called today to offer some immediate assistance with the mortgage payment, my first reaction was to say no but Nan stopped me when she said, you've been praying for answers and perhaps God is responding, well that put a different outlook on things and so with humility we both express our appreciation for the help we received today. Let me tell you, things look more positive tonight than they did last night. Thank you secret friend for your kind assistance today.

When I finally completed my battle with weekend traffic and got home around 8 I found Nan awake and in pretty good spirits. Our visiting nurse had come by to double check that Nan was receiving the entire 1500 ml of TPN with the new computer setting. I was thinking she was not getting the entire amount since some was left in the bottom of the bag each evening. Turns out I was wrong. After I got home Nan came down and I made her a peach smoothie with peaches Barb and Gerry had brought and left here. Since I had to drink the extra I know personally that it ended up tasting great. Nan had a big glass of 2 peaches, ice cream, ice, soymilk, honey and strawberries. Then later in the evening she had a hot drink of mocha she had me buy last night at Costco. Then a glass of water. She and Starr sat in the recliner on the heating pad and although Nan was hurting a lot she hung out until nearly 11 pm. Then we made our way upstairs. Now she is sleeping and gradually her pain will subside since she just took Roxinol on top of the pain patch.

We are both so very glad that this week is drawing to a close. Two big doctor appointments and trips, stress over new tumor growth or not, wondering if we get a wound vac or not, now we know it is coming next week, wrestling with financial issues, IRS, lenders and so it goes. Finally tomorrow we will be together without stress, take it easy and probably enjoy the good weather on the back deck some, takes some naps, walk the dogs and worship God through listening to great CDs, hopefully get to see someone who gets lost and drives this way!! Perhaps even get to see Keanna.

Tonight as I reflect on the week I remember the worst personal pain I have ever felt, kidney stones, Boston contained the worst emotional pain I have felt, the strange world of vicodin and its effects, waking to hear Nan's soft groaning with pain, driving for hours trying to miss the bumps so Nan's bed would not bounce around. I also remember the courageous stand Nan took at 4 am when we went to the ER and she drove, she drove mind you with intense pain but she would not have it any other way, she simply said, we are a team, now get in the car!

Good and bad, we all experience it, we groan from the weight of it and we grow from the pressure of it. How much our Heavenly Father must love us.

Thank you so much to so many this week, it was great to hear from my sister Sibyl, my brother Jerry, Sharon, Dana, Joe and Linda, Mary, our wonderful times with Irene, our great start to the week with Barb and Gerry, really we have much to be thankful for. And we have gotten to
see Keanna nearly every day and Steve and Nikki. Thank you all for your kind messages to the blog.

We send our love and thanks for your prayers in Nans behalf. She certainly needs them now.

Tim and Nan