In like a lion

posted by Mary Lello, Monday, March 2, 2009, 5:16 AM

March 2nd and it seems to be coming in like a lion as a snow storm is raging out there this morning. Deal is March is now suppose to go out like a lamb, right? It use to actually be true but global warming has tampered with a lot of old wise tales regarding weather I think.

Jim has 4 more radiation treatments - counting the one he goes to today. He is really into the count down mode and is looking forward to this routine being over. He then has a 4 week 'cooling off' period of no radiation and no chemo and at some point in this time frame we do another MRI to see how things look now. He will then have to go onto a 'maintenance' chemo regime of 1x/month for 5 days with a slightly higher dose.

I'm a little confused with the treatment plan that comes next. Dr. Weisburg's PA, Dixie, told us that Plan B - which Weisburg always has in her head - will happen if this thing grows back. But I looked at Dixie and said 'but they DO grow back, we KNOW they grow back' and she agreed. So my question is, WHY DO WE WAIT FOR IT TO GROW BACK? I didn't get an answer to this. Both Dixie and Weisburg are away this week so we won't be seeing them but certainly we will see Weisburg next week and I do plan to ask her this question. There are drugs out there working small miracles (Avistan and CPT 11) so why the hell would we wait for anything to come back before we start taking these drugs?

I do trust this doctor but I do plan to keep asking this question each and every time I see her. In Maine we have annoying little insects that buzz around your eyes and face called gnats .... that will become me!!

On a brighter note, Jim had a good weekend. Saturday was a beautiful sunny day and Jim wanted to take a walk. I took him to the ski mobile trails where we have always gone xc skiing and trail running. As ski mobile trails they are very hard packed and fairly wide - wide enough for us to walk side by side - and we could bring Ella along. It was also slightly tricky underfoot, though not icey certainly not smooth pavement. Jim did great. We walked up to the power lines where we sat on an old dead tree that was out of the wind but in the sun and took a little rest and then walked back to the car. A good 45-50 minute walk in all. Jim loved it. He loved being out there in the woods again and he even tried running a few steps just to see how it felt.

I had told my friend MaryMargaret about a month ago when we were out there running that "some day I will look forward to Jim being able to at least come and take a walk with me on these trails". And that day was Saturday. A great day.

We also had our friend Mark come and take down the 'day-bed' in the living room for us. Jim has not been using it. Ella loved it and used it all the time and now she walks around where the bed use to be looking a little confused. It feels good to have that out as we now might be able to get some normalcy in our house arrangement again.

I'm struggling with a cold but feeling relieved that it IS just a cold and not the nasty flu bug that so many people are coming down with. Todd got it and we didn't see him for an entire week. He told me he was in bed for 4-5 days and started talking to the T.V. set. Not a good sign! So I'm taking Vit. C ... a LOT of Vit. C ... and washing my hands all the time and hoping that Jim doesn't get this cold too.

And it's time to get the morning supplements to Jim. This regime won't end with radiation. Some of the supplements will stop but there will continue to be the intense schedule of them as well as pretty healthy doses of the ones he will continue to take.

For those of you in Maine drive safely out there today in this storm.

Love,

Mary