2014 May 24 Home from 2nd Chemo Treatment

As I sit at my little desk overlooking the back yard, I can see our Clematis which has burst into full and glorious bloom. It is absolutely lovely-makes me glad every time I look out the window here or over the kitchen sink.

Del and Chuck took us to the clinic last week, we left on Tuesday afternoon, stayed over in "our" hotel, with treatment being Wednesday morning. We were there from 7:45 am until 1 pm.  Leland has been feeling so low with continual nausea, they gave him an extra- long- working- anti emetic along with the usual one, in addition to some more prescriptions to take home. He has felt better since then, which has been a mercy since I have needed him to drive me to Doctor and PT appointments of my own on both Thursday and Friday, one in Hood River and the other in The Dalles.

 Thank you Del and Chuck for the gift of your time-we will never forget all these trips and your cheerful acceptance of hours and hours of waiting for us.

We were given the results of the post-Provenge Circulating Tumor Cell Test.  Not good at all.  The number we hoped would be lower, had instead risen from 17 to 95. Less than 5 is optimal.    Combined with PSA results of 107 and the CT report of innumerable new bone lesions, the prognosis is grim.  However, there are still more treatments to try, including another chemo if this one does not work which will mean the cancer has mutated into a different form.  It is very nasty and aggressive, but we knew that from the beginning. Dr. Chen will order the CTC  and PSA tests  again in 2 weeks after Leland has had 4 chemo treatments, and that should tell us whether or not we need to change horses in the middle of the stream.

We have a lot of surreal conversations about all this, conversations which we never dreamed of in the past.  But it is good we can communicate, not all Pca patients and their wives have that ability as I read on a couple of websites and list-serves to which I subscribe.  We are thankful for the many ways in which we can see God's blessings, that both of us have not been incapacitated at the same time-we take turns, that we have been given a grant that pays the thousands of dollars in co-pays and that our old car keeps running. As mentions above we are very thankful to Del and Chuck for all their help and support, and to our kids who help us as they are able.
We are also thankful for those of you who care enough to read this and pray for us-and let us know. Thank you!
Most of all we are thankful to understand that God know all about this, He cares more than we do and has promised to walk though the hills and valleys of life with us.