CT Scan results are in and the answer is....................

NO GROWTH of the tumor!  Every 2 months we have those few days in between the scan and getting the results from Duke that are somewhat nerve wracking.  But for the 3rd straight time, Joe has a great report from Leigh Howard with no growth of the tumor.  The chemo is working to maintain it.  Of course ideally we would like to have the tumor shrink, but we will take no growth any day of the week.

You can tell by the smile on his face that Joe was quite relieved and happy with todays results (you might have to zoom in on the face - but I guarantee you there is a smile).  Anyway, he is currently hooked up to his chemo in the infusion center and should be out of there within the next 30 minutes or so.  All in all, a smooth morning.  Now he can relax a little this afternoon, go for a walk on this glorious day, get some exercise and fresh air and hopefully sleep tonight (with the help of chemicals).   He is also battling the start of a head cold so we have to keep an eye on that to make sure it doesn't get too bad.  I may try to get him to wear surgical gloves and a mask when in public for a few days.  But that will be easier said than done.  However, stranger things have happened.  Sitting at Bible study tonight with a mask on might be interesting!

Thank you for the continued support and prayers.  We love you all for everything you have done for us and every kind word.

Chemo: Round 2 (Ding, Ding)

This week was the 2nd of this 3-week cycle at Duke. Although we made good time, this week was no new record. Joe didn't get out of chemo until 11:00 am. We did get to see both Dr. Zafar and Leigh Howard, which is always a good thing. Joe seems to be doing well enough that for now, he'll only see the doctor one time per chemo cycle. The other two appointments will just be for labs and then his chemo infusion. No co-pays for those visits...YAY!

It hardly seems possible but it's almost time for Joe's next CT Scan. Two months fly by when you're having fun, right? The next scan is scheduled for January 31st. We won't know the results until his February 2nd appointment. We just love waiting for the results (if you don't hear the sarcasm in that, read it again and listen carefully).

All in all, a good week except for my cold which is now entering its 5th week. Maybe by next Christmas I'll be well! We also set a record this year by getting the Christmas decorations down the earliest ever. Joe didn't get to have them still up on his birthday once again.

Thank you for the continued prayers and good wishes. We appreciate each and every one.

Early to bed, early to rise

On Monday nights before Joe's appointments, that saying is quite accurate.  Joe was up at 5:50 am this morning and I followed soon thereafter. We arrived at 7:15am at the  Duke Clinic for his 7:30 labs.  We split at the first floor stairs, me heading for coffee and Joe's lemonade and him to check in.  At 7:40am he was called for his blood work and now we wait for the doctor.  But the real question of the day, whose picture will I take without their knowledge and post?

Dare I say it?  Maybe we are going for another record.  It's 8:00 am and Joe has already had his vitals and we are back in an exam room.   Maybe this week I'll be less than an hour late for work.  Maybe it's because there apparently are not many early appointments as is evident by the nearly empty waiting room pictured here.  

Guess the few here were the lucky photo op people. Regardless, it's fine with me to get it over with quickly, as I'm sure it is with Joe.

While waiting, I’ll digress:  We had a very quiet weekend even though I mowed the front yard on Saturday and the back on Sunday.  It's so much easier and much less of a hassle to split it up.  Thank goodness for a fenced backyard since I can let that go a little longer than I should without our neighbors having to look at it.  The rest of the weekend consisted of me and Joe laying around on the couch watching shows that were DVR'd for the last 2 weeks (with me sleeping through much of it).  Speaking of which, I need some opinions, is it fair to take a picture of a person asleep on the sofa without his knowledge when he is not very well dressed and looks like something out of Lord of the Rings?  I personally don't think so especially when said photo is VERY unflattering.  I would post it but I have to retain some degree of dignity.  Sunday was typical with church arrival at 7:30 am then off to McDonalds for breakfast between the early and late services and then back for the 11:00am service.  Afterwards out for lunch (thanks for the coupon Allana), a brief stop at two Home Goods stores then home for the rest of the day.  As soon as The Good Wife was over we were off to bed so we could make the early arrival which brings us back to now.  All in all, a very good weekend with some much needed rest for both of us.

But back to the appointment.  Princess Leigh (Mark gave her that name, not me or Joe) was back in the exam room around 8:30am and we were out at the check out/appointment  desk by 8:45.  I dropped Joe off at the infusion center 5 minutes later and I was on my way to the office.  Joe met me for lunch in the afternoon and then accompanied the Durham Children’s Chorus Training Choir later this afternoon.  Tonight he says he is tired and has a bit of a scratchy throat.  He’s going to have to take some aspirin (along with all his other pills) and make it an early night.  Best thing is that this is the end of a cycle so he doesn’t have another treatment until November 7. YAY!

So Sorry for the Delay

I do apologize for the delay in reporting in on Joe's Monday doctor and Chemo appointments at Duke. There were a couple of snags that day starting with the express self check in system. Joe scanned his barcode in around 7:15 for his 7:30 a.m. appointment. However, by 8:00 a.m. they still had not come and given him his buzzer so he went up to the desk and checked and of course they did not show him as checking in. They went ahead and gave him his buzzer and it wasn't long before it went off and he had his blood drawn for his labs. Then we waited in the waiting room for about another 20 minutes before they called us back into an exam room. Mark his nurse came in first and then Leigh Howard the NP came in for the exam. This was also the last in a three series of appointments that were recorded. Joe had agreed to the study a couple of months ago. It is amazing how aware you can be when there is a little recorder sitting there on the desk. I tried to be on my best behavior but when Leigh commented that Joe hadn't had a chance to get a word in, I shut up! Well, not really, but I did stop talking for a couple of minutes and during that time Joe still didn't talk much. It was very much like our early appointments where Joe never spoke. But anyway, there were no problems, he is maintaining his weight and his labs were as normal or abnormal as usual so after leaving the exam room he was off to the Chemo infusion center on the 2nd floor and I was off to work. By the time I got to the office, he was texting me that he was in a chair in the treatment area already. So except for the "bump" at the beginning and me apparently talking too much all went smoothly. Two more treatments to go in this cycle and then a week off as usual.