Winter sports have begun for the two younger children. Tom and/or I are on the road 4 days a week to support our athletes. We love this time of year, but it can also be a little taxing. Kyle is getting ready for the end of semster exams next week & will enjoy his month long break before starting his winter classes. He is really enjoying his classes. He has decided to focus more on Programing & Coding. There is a large demand for this field and I am happy to know that he doesn't HAVE to "Go West Young Man, Go West"!
Tom and I were back in AA at the end of November to talk with the doc and get his CT Scan results. We had a great drive over & a quick visit as it was the day before Thanksgiving & they were on top of the patient visits. Tom had a very low blood pressure reading & the MA took it twice because of the low read. The result was the same both times. It is believed that the drugs are causing his blood pressure to be lowered. Tom was told to eat salt, Fritos, or anything that will help to keep his bloodpressure up. The Cancer in Tom's neck, lungs, and bones were all stable for this scan. His liver had about 4 lessions that have grown 1/2 centimeter in size. This is not alarming, but it is clear that the chemo is not stabelinzing this area. It was also noted that there was a thickening in the lining of his bowels. This could be caused by an infection, which would be the easiest cure. All of these factors could be causing Tom to have memory issues and be a reason for his passing out & vertigo that Tom gets when he first stands up. Tom was given an antibotic to clear the infection. If his stomache issues are not significantly better in 2 weeks he needs to see a GI & see if there is something else going on.
It was determined that Tom would stay off the chemo through the holidays and into January to help him to feel better, get his weight up, and clear up the infection. He was glad to hear that he will be able to enjoy the holidays & be chemo free while he went on a "Bucket List" vacation with his friend. Tom has a head scan to rule out the possiblity of a bleed. He will also have his neck, chest, & abdomin CT sll scheduled on Jan 28 with a meeting with the doc the next day for the results. This will help us to not have to drive back & forth multiple times. It is anticipated that Tom will go onto Vandetanib to see if this will stabilize the liver. Doc said that there is a couple more drugs that are seeking FDA approval and should be available in the next 2 years for his type of cancer. He told Tom that there are many options and that there is a Plan B to go to. He was very positive that thre is so much to offer. I had to wonder if doc was attempting to offset the comment Tom made earlier to the nurse about liver failure being his demise. However, we both left feeling that this was a positive visit.
For the month of December we are going to enjoy our holidays & Tom will even be able to have a holiday drink. I don't mind slowing down a little over the holidays and just connecting with our family & friends. I also want to keep in mind the reason for the season and what that means to me. I hope that you find, peace & His love this season.
Isaiah 44:21-22 "I made you, and I will not forget to help you. I've blotted out your sins; they are gone like the morning mist at noon! Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free."
