Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Well, step on my head and make me eat a bug… I had no idea that it had been two months since I last posted anything. I just declared to someone over the weekend that it had been only a month. I’ll blame it on lacrosse season and add, “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

A great deal has transpired over the last…ahem…couple of weeks. The present seems so immediate, so let’s focus on that first.

Last Tuesday, Sandy started the next round of chemotherapy. The original plan called for her to start at the beginning of May, but complications from her surgery slowed her recovery a bit. The more significant complication was the leak in the pancreas following the Whipple. You may recall that the consequence of this leak was that she could not eat (recall: Anna Nicole). Not eating simply slowed recovery and forced us to delay chemotherapy. This did not prove to be significant, as she has put on some weight and regained enough strength to commence this next phase of treatment. That delay only amounted to a few weeks.

This time, the chemo is administered orally, twice each day. The drug is Xeloda, which converts to the common chemotherapy drug 5FU when metabolized. Taking the drug orally does not make it any less toxic, but it is significantly more convenient. No trip to the hospital, no port, needles, etc. Just three horse pills at once in the morning, and again at night. And then wonder if the fit is going to hit the shan.

Xeloda (5FU) brings with it the side effects that are so common with chemotherapy, and with which many people are familiar. Sandy’s nausea never went away, and she still takes anti nausea medication daily, but the chemo exacerbates nausea. The chemical also causes hair loss, which has now started. We don’t know whether this will advance much or simply result with thinning, but hair just seems like a small convenience these days, anyway. No big deal, right?

On the brighter side, her medications, which numbered more than 20 at one point, are now a mere dozen. The addition of Xeloda is not exciting, but the elimination of the steroid prednisone is good news. She is weening off the prednisone as I write this, and will be completely done with it in about another week.

The last month or so has been good. Sandy is now out and about, driving, socializing some, and has been able to attend several of the girls’ lacrosse games. From the moment her surgery was done, she said that her goal was to make it to Haley’s State Championships (Gymnastics). She made it—and that was at the end of April (there’s the proof…). Hannah and Haley have both been grateful to have their mom at most of their games in May.

I should have known that I was delinquent with the blog. My inbox was increasingly assaulted in recent weeks. I appreciate that a lot of you have relied on the blog to keep up to date. If I don’t keep it fresh, then you’re out in the dark...and we wouldn’t want you peeping in the windows. Just kidding- I’ll try to post as things happen from now on.

We had a great Memorial Day weekend. I’ll try to post some notes about that shortly.

Cheers,

--Will