September 19,2012 Treatment #4

We are home from Seattle once again, another safe trip.  Leland is feeling so well, he drove the entire way home while I read to him, much of the time that we were not watching the fires we could see from I-90 near Ellensburg.  Awful smoke and devastation in the forest there.

As I am writing this, he is in his office working on the program for Mom VanTassel's memorial service. This is after arriving at the clinic at 8 am, 4 hours of treatment, a trip to the South Center Mall with Chaunda then 5 hours home.  Amazing!   He enjoys that kind of work, but had not had the energy to do anything like that for months.  

The treatments are going very well, and Leland commented tonight that he feels better today than at any time since his diagnosis-what an incredible blessing after the nightmare we lived through in July!

We saw both Oncologists today, who think Leland is doing very well.  The CT scan was somewhat troubling, but was repeated after only three treatments of  twelve, so they will wait and check it again in November.  In the meantime, his blood is drawn every week before treatment;  they are satisfied with the profile and the progress he is making.  We have access to a Physicians Assistant, RNs, a Medical Oncologist and a Naturopathic Oncologist every week.  They all work as a team, meeting every morning together to discuss each patient for that day.  I cannot say enough good about Integrative Medicine and the huge improvement in Leland's quality of life! It is an answer to prayer.

 His series of treatments are due to be finished the 14th of November, and then another protocol will start, to be determined by the results of tests that will be done then to gauge progress.  I hope we will not need to continue weekly trips there, but we will do what we need to do. Hopefully, he will have made excellent progress into remission and the protocol will be one of maintenance and prevention.

Last week David and Susan came over with Kylie and Kierstyn.  David used the weedeater and cut down a lot of weeds which were growing around the parking area and driveway.  Thank you soooo much!  Kylie almost 7, and very cute, leaned into me while I was sitting in the living room and said very seriously "Grandma VanTassel, I NEED to know why Grandpa VanTassel has cancer."  "Well honey, I really can't answer that-we just don't know"  I replied.  A little later she went into the computer room where Leland was opening some pictures to show them, leaned into his chair, and repeated the same question to him.  He told her "We really don't know why Kylie, but if you ever get cancer, you will be very old when it happens"  He said she seemed satisfied with that, and ran off to play.  So sweet, and learning so fast. 
 Also last week, Del came over and organized the greenhouse in which I had been piling boxes until we can get them to recyling.  And then she washed a couple hundred of the 3 1/2  and 4 inch pots!  Thank you Del, now when spring comes, we can just go right to work :)