This week has been quite a week!  I have had a tremendous amount of pain and there seems to be nothing that can ease the spikes in the pain.  I saw my chemo doctor on Wednesday.  He was concerned that I have shown no improvements in pain levels or my ability to walk.  He cancelled the chemo and opted to order an MRI to see if the chemo is having any effect.  He also was concerned that the pain I am having is not under control.  He told us that he would discuss options with other doctors to determine what was available to help me.  He also told us that he would let us know in the next 48 hours what the team had come up with.  I went in for the MRI Wednesday night.  We went ahead and stayed in Portland instead of driving home.  I was in pain most of the day, and I didn't know if I was going to be able to lay still for the MRI.  I made it!

I was able to work on Thursday with some degree of discomfort.  When I got home, my doctor called to let me know the results of the MRI and the suggestions my team of doctors.  He told me that the MRI showed that there was insignificant growth of the tumor and that I would continue the chemo next week.  He also referred me to a neurologist.  I guess there is a possibility that he could deaden some of the nerves that are causing the pain.  No pain would be nice.  The other side of the coin would be that I would never recover any use from the nerve....it would be gone forever.  He also said that I may never get the nerve use back anyway.  We will be anxious to hear what the neurologist has to say before any decision is made. He also referred me to a rehabilitation doctor.  He will help me work around the pain and learn to walk more efficiently.  Needless to say, we have a lot going on right now.

The big positive in all of this is that the tumor has not grown very much and we actually have options to deal with the pain.  We'll continue to keep you posted.

I completed my third chemo infusion on Tuesday. The nurses and nursing staff on the seventh floor infusion unit located at the Center for Health and Healing are incredible. They help make a very difficult time as inviting and welcoming as could be imagined. I really admire and appreciate all they do. With that said, I went through the procedure smoothly. Besides I had a nice view out my window of the Willamette River and was able to watch two osprey flying around their nest. I also had a good conversation going with my wife and brother until I went to la-la land. I was also fitted for a brace that will extend from my foot to my knee. The hope is to provide stability to my walk and allow me to have a better sense of balance. I pick this up Wednesday to see how it works. I am able to continue to work, which I thoroughly enjoy, but I simply have to schedule for a longer period of time between observations because I move very slowly. I am learning to maneuver my walker a little better each day. I am learning that I really appreciate buildings that have automatic doors! I really appreciate Robin lending me two walkers and a wheelchair (if it comes to that). I also thank Barry for tuning them up for me (what a mechanic!). Currently Kath and I are trying to figure out what triggers the pain in my back. We think it may be some of the weights that I am using to try to stay in shape. We are going through a process of elimination at the moment. I hope to find what works and what does not. My hair is getting thinner, but I still have it all. Kath may have to trim it soon if it does not fall out. For those of you that have asked, the only days that I don't feel up to visitors is the day of chemo and the day after. My next chemo dates are April 25, May 2, and May 9. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. I'll take them all!!

I completed my third chemo infusion on Tuesday. The nurses and nursing staff on the seventh floor infusion unit located at the Center for Health and Healing are incredible. They help make a very difficult time as inviting and welcoming as could be imagined. I really admire and appreciate all they do. With that said, I went through the procedure smoothly. Besides I had a nice view out my window of the Willamette River and was able to watch two osprey flying around their nest. I also had a good conversation going with my wife and brother until I went to la-la land. I was also fitted for a brace that will extend from my foot to my knee. The hope is to provide stability to my walk and allow me to have a better sense of balance. I pick this up Wednesday to see how it works. I am able to continue to work, which I thoroughly enjoy, but I simply have to schedule for a longer period of time between observations because I move very slowly. I am learning to maneuver my walker a little better each day. I am learning that I really appreciate buildings that have automatic doors! I really appreciate Robin lending me two walkers and a wheelchair (if it comes to that). I also thank Barry for tuning them up for me (what a mechanic!). Currently Kath and I are trying to figure out what triggers the pain in my back. We think it may be some of the weights that I am using to try to stay in shape. We are going through a process of elimination at the moment. I hope to find what works and what does not. My hair is getting thinner, but I still have it all. Kath may have to trim it soon if it does not fall out. For those of you that have asked, the only days that I don't feel up to visitors is the day of chemo and the day after. My next chemo dates are April 25, May 2, and May 9. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers. I'll take them all!!

I just wanted to quickly update all that are following my blog. Thanks for all that have been viewing it and also I appreciate your comments. This week's chemo wore off much more quickly than last week, but my wife informed me that I had this one much earlier in the day than the last. The past several days have been tough. I slipped and fell trying to move from my walker to the bathroom sink. This caused me several painful days and nights. On top for that, I had constipation for three days, along with several nose bleeds. These are all side-effects from the chemo. Luckily, I got a good night's sleep last night, so am feeling pretty good today. I am still getting to walk a block a day with my walker (snail pace), but at least I can do that much. I am trying to keep doing some type of exercise to hopefully keep me somewhat in shape. Between watching Lie to Me and listening to the stories my daughter has to tell me about her teaching at the high school, I am kept entertained. Next Tuesday I have chemo number three, but then I have fourteen days until my next one. I am looking forward to that break. I'll keep you all posted. Thanks for reading this!