The Good Fight

Not much has changed in the month since Mark got out of the hospital but inquiring minds want to know what is going on so I'll try to give you some idea of what's up. Our lives seem to have changed the day Mark went into the hospital on September 8 and have evolved into a series of doctors appointments, pills and treatments with a little fun thrown in now and then. Mark is on 8 medications, half are for pain and the other half are for the side effects of nausea and constipation caused by the pain medication!! I now have to keep a log of medications and food to keep it all straight. I get Mark up around 9:30 and give him pills to make him hungry and prevent nausea so that he can eat breakfast about an hour after that followed by pain medication on a full stomach. The dispensing of pills goes on a cycle like that until late at night. If Mark is having a good day, we try to go out for a walk at the canal or Craigville Beach so he can get a little exercise. Many days he is just not able to get out of bed at all other than for treatments. We go to radiation at 4 pm Monday thru Friday. On Tuesdays, Mark has chemo mid day for a few hours. For the past few weeks, he has felt fantastic on Tuesday and Wednesday and very sick in reaction to the chemo on Thursday and Friday but this week, he has not felt as good as in previous weeks after chemo. Sometimes he has cravings for something like a MacDonalds hamburger, grape juice or ice cream and other times, the very mention of food makes him sick. He is like a skinny pregnant woman constantly
swinging from cravings to nausea. Initially, he started losing weight and eating can be a battle but we really kept on top of it in the past week and his weight was actually up this week!
His spirits are pretty good but he rarely feels like talking on the phone or seeing anyone other than his sons. The staff at work hasn't even seen him in two weeks and they miss him!
He misses being able to just live an ordinary life, going to work, golfing, gardening or driving his car which he hasn't been able to do for more than a month. However, the treatments will be over in mid-October and he is optimistic that he may be able to resume some activities then.
He is still in constant pain with the tumor under his arm, therefore, he is heavily medicated particularly in the past week. The doctors say that the tumor has shrunk some. His skin is bright red on the front and back of his body where the tumor is and it's very itchy much of the time. This week's round of blood tests showed he was anemic so they added a new medication to his chemo. We have been able to go out to eat a few times but definitely not daily like we used to. I think the money we're saving on restaurants is going to co-pays for medications and doctor visits!
We have no idea what the future will bring. The doctors say that his tumor can continue to shrink for a few weeks after he finishes radiation so they will wait a while before they administer more scans and tests. Therefore, I doubt we will have any answers at all until sometime in November. The oncologist has indicated that he thinks he will start another round of chemo depending on the results of scans. I think we will also have to contend with a surgical removal of the tumor. But, for now, we are taking one day at a time and do as much as we can when Mark is able to. I've done over my dining room into a bright cheerful office/den and I spend a lot of time at the computer and I've returned to Curves. We still enjoy watching episodes of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and we rented THANK YOU FOR SMOKING on the first day it came out in DVD because we had enjoyed it so much in the theatre. It is so irreverant and hilarious, rent it!
Gary had a "hole in one" on the fourth hole at New Seabury a few weeks ago! He has been the General Manager of CAPE MEDICAL SUPPLY for the past few years and we're announcing this week that we have appointed him as President & CEO of the business. He has many exciting plans and future goals for the business. Mike returned to L.A. at the end of last week. He is currently unemployed, living on his savings and is contemplating what he wants to do with the rest of his life. It's not an easy time for any of us to make plans. Kevin was struggling with his math class but has dropped it and is focusing on the history and business classes he enjoys along with staying in shape and training for the ski season. He is off to Sacramento this weekend to MEET THE PARENTS! He has met Katie's mother but not her father until now. This blog entry wasn't too exciting but I hope it has satisfied your curiousity. Maybe we can have a blog celebration when Mark finishes this round of treatments in mid-October! Meanwhile, thanks for all the e-mails, cards, prayers and humor you've sent our way. It brightens our days. We even got a beautiful basket of mums from the VNA this week. Mark had been on their advisory board for years and just "retired"! We appreciate all your positive thoughts and uplifting words.