2013 March 1 We got it!

This week began with a trip to Indianola Wa, near Bainbridge Island with Del and Chuck to spend three nights at Raspberry Cottage. It is a very attractive and comfortable retirement home for Chuck's brother and his wife, which they have purchased and furnished for later. They graciously invited us to stay there and we had a great time, exploring, walking on piers among saling and fishing boats, shopping in interesting little stores and just sight seeing.

  On Wednesday morning we packed up and left for Seattle on the Ferry, had our lunch watching the beautiful scenery, went for Leland's blood draw at the clinic, then went to the Boeing Flight Museum.  We really enjoyed seeing a retired Air Force One Jet, a British Airways Concorde, a MD21 Blackbird Spy Plane and scores of retired fighter planes from World War I onward.  It is a great museum. Leland says it is considerably larger than it was several years ago when he was there last.

In the evening we met Chaunda for dinner and went to an Indian Restaurant which is very attractive with excellent food.  It was really great to spend some time with her and hear more about her new job.

We stayed at our usual hotel, then on Thursday morning went for Leland's appointment.  Dr. Chen, back from vacation, says Leland's cancer is not behaving predictably, that it is rare not to have a good response at least for a while to the hormone therapy, that it is possible the cancer has mutated into a small cell type which does not respond to the usual Prostate therapies.  However, we will not know this for sure until we see his response to the Zytiga.  His PSA was higher again, up to 51 now, but the Alkaline Phosphatase (an indicator of bone cancer activity) was within normal limits for the first time in 4 months.  So the picture is a little confusing.  He feels pretty well, and has a decent amount of energy, for which we are always grateful.

 While we were sight seeing Monday morning, we got a call from the pharmacy telling us that the Chronic Disease Fund had just opened up again, and if we got an application in immediately, which she would submit as soon as she finished our conversation, we would find out if Leland was accepted within 24-48 hours. Tuesday morning she called again and said he was accepted!  The grant will cover the co-pays except for 50 dollars until we get to the catastrophic stage, and we can handle that.  We had decided that if God wanted him to have that medicine, He would provide it, and if He did not, it probably would not work for him anyway. We received the package by UPS today, and he has taken his first dose.  He will have to have blood tests for liver function in two weeks, and then have the PSA checked a week later at which time perhaps we will have a clearer picture of the course this beast is taking.

It is enlightening to seek funding for these expensive medicines.  It seems that if one wishes their donation to directly benefit cancer patients, it is best to donate to foundations which exist for that purpose.  Eventually I will do some research to disover where the millions donated to cancer actually end up. In the meantime, we are grateful for the Chronic Disease Fund and the timely efficient manner in which they have helped us.  The other foundation to which we applied has yet to respond, and the others were all closed, as their funds have already been distributed.

This is a lesson in patience and trust, and other qualities which we have yet to discover, yet there is peace in knowing God is in control; will meet our needs, and walk with us every step of the way.