Chemo

Hi Everyone:

Well, Jim had his second dose of chemotherapy on Monday. He receives chemo every 21 days. 2 down, 4 to go.

BAD NEWS FIRST:

Physically it's very difficult for Jim right now. After his first dose of chemo, his white blood cell count dipped very low. This leaves him vulnerable to infection and weakness. Doctors have put him on a medicine called Neulasta to help his body create white blood cells, so this helps. He also struggles SEVERLY with nausea. No medicines are helping. On Tuesday, when I took him to AGH for his Neulasta injection, I stood in the lobby with him, while he was vomiting in the garbage can in the lobby. There is just no stopping the nausea. We have tried 3 medicines so far. The nurse tells him the bed is not his friend. But between the nausea, weakness and pain, he is in bed far too much, and he continues to get weaker. He has lost a lot of muscle tone. He's lost weight, too, despite his face being puffy from the high dose of prednisone. Please pray that his nausea goes away. Tomorrow will be 1 week. I need to get him healthy for his next dose. That gives me 2 weeks. I don't know what to do with him. Pray.

Also, continue to pray that his duodenum does not perforate, which would cause major problems. Too much to go into.

GOOD NEWS LAST:

We love Jesus.

His PET scan was taken after his first dose of chemo. Despite a few lymph nodes actually getting a bit bigger compared to a CT scan taken 2 weeks prior, the mass of lymph nodes that is causing the pain, and actually grew into his duodenum has gotten smaller. The chemo is working... AND.....drum roll......Jim had gone down from 60 mgs of oxycontin every 8 hours to 40mgs of oxycontin every 8 hours, and now for 2 days in a row, he's taken only 20 mgs every 8 hours. YIPPIE. He's still feeling a little pain, but would rather that than be on the higher doses of meds. The "nausea" is stealing "less pain's" thunder, but hopefully, we will win that war, too.

MORE GOOD NEWS:

ATTENTION BALDAUFF MEN...If you have ever gone hunting in Cherry Grove (all 23 of you) AND...if you have ever arm wrested "Dad" "Uncle Jimmy" "Brother" and LOST (all 23 of you), there is good news. Jim informs me that he could still win at arm wrestling...against me. Line up guys. Now is your chance. :-P~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also, Baldauff men. (You too, Pastor Dave, since you like to fish) Jim will need your help getting "helgies" this summer. We know a great place where you can get 25 hellgramites per net and you can't stop catching the smallies. And it's where John caught the 30" walleye. So, hope to see you this summer up the cottage.

MORE GOOD NEWS:

I actually like his bald head. I love to rub it and kiss it. I think it's very sexy on him. (I can say that on the WWW, can't I?) ;-)

LAST BUT NOT LEAST:

My saliva gland is infected again. AND I'm either getting a cold or the flu. PLEASE PRAY FOR JIM'S PROTECTION FROM ME. Him getting sick would be disasterous right now. There will be NO kissing of the head for a while. So, pray for me, too.

If indeed Jim only needs 6 cycles of chemo rather than 8, and everything goes as planned, he will be done Memorial Day. Poetic, isn't it?

PS: I promise smaller posts. I'm just playing catch up.