Friday, March 27, 2009

March 27, 2009 Praise Report


This is a Praise Report. We received a phone call from the oncologist's assistant yesterday afternoon. She called to tell us the results of Gus' CA 19-9 blood test. It was 52! Anything below 55 is considered normal. I would love to talk to the oncologist to hear what his thoughts are. I will be calling the doctor next week before I order more oral chemotherapy, that is for sure. It has been a couple of weeks since we have talked to him. Gus and I are amazed, but I order the oral chemo online and it is mailed to us.

Gus felt poor yesterday which is usually normal for the 2nd day after the infusion. Today he feels great. He has spent the day doing one of his favorite things. Working alongside Scott. They were building the electric fence for our horse pasture. As of the 1st of April, we will be officially leasing the ranch and we need to get our horses off of pastures that will be part of the lease.


Wednesday, March 25, 2009

March 25, 2009 Update


Gus looks and feels too good for someone whose life revolves around chemo tablets and weekly chemo infusions. He had his scheduled chemo yesterday and he asked them to reduce his anti-nausea medicine. It is a stimulant and keeps him awake during the night. They reluctantly cut it in half and Gus did fine. He feels o.k. today and is busy getting things done. Gus is flying to Denver on Sunday so he has his list of things to accomplish first. I, of course, added my ideas to his list.

This has been a very hard week on Gus emotionally. There was a coach in Dillon that was diagnosed last January with pancreatic cancer. Gus had tried contacting him and never could. He died last Friday. Today Gus went and visited a dear friend who was diagnosed two months after Gus was. She also has pancreatic cancer. Gus originally tried to see her every other week, but as her disease progressed, he went weekly. The two of them could share with each other their feelings, their crazy and weird side effects, their joys. Things no one else understood. Today she was so frail, that he only stayed a short time. Gus desperately needs some time away from the reality of his life and the reality of losing people he cares about to the same deadly disease he has. His trip to Denver can come none too soon for him.

Yesterday, they did the CA 19-9 blood test. We are always anxious to know the results which we should have by this Friday. If how Gus physically feels and looks is any indication, then the results will be good.

Monday, March 9, 2009

March 6, 2009 Update


Gus felt great last Tuesday, the day of his chemo infusion. He also felt good the following day. The chemo was hardly affecting him. Then on Thursday the chemo took affect and he felt terrible. Today, Friday, is his last day of the chemo tablets for a week and once again he is feeling good. He is so looking forward to this coming week of no pills or infusions.


The one thing that surprised us last Tuesday was the medical oncologist is planning on giving Gus only two more cycles of chemo and then doing another CT scan. Depending on what the CT scan reveals, Gus might be done with chemo for awhile. That is at least one month less of treatment than was the original plan in January. We have not seen the doctor himself for three weeks, but have been seeing his assistants. He found Gus in the infusion room to tell him this. They did another CA 19-9 blood test on Tuesday and it was the lowest yet! It was 64 and anything less than 55 is considered normal. The highest we ever saw was 604 last October.


Gus is flying to Denver March 29th to spend time with his two sisters and his mother. He will then fly home on April 3rd to start his next cycle of chemo. Gus has not seen his mother or his sister, Jan, since he became sick so I expect it to be a wonderful time of memories, laughter and tears.


Gus is also planning on golfing his way to Seattle this spring or early summer to see Grayson, his grandson, play baseball. He will stop in theCoeur d'Alene area to golf with a friend and then he is hoping that his son, T.J., will take him golfing in the Seattle area. He would love if any other golfers between Sheridan and Seattle wanted to meet him on the way. He has no deadlines and no commitments, just high expectations for himself on the golf course.