Good stuff

I hope the new year has started well for everyone. Ian sailed through his second 2 month check up on Jan. 11 with flying colors. There's no sign of that nasty cancer. We will do a PET scan for the next 2 month check. They wouldn't normally do a PET until the one year mark, but we didn't get a clear scan the last time because Ian had a cold. Meanwhile, he continues to gain back his lost weight (only 4 lbs. to go) AND grow taller. He checked in at 6 feet, one-half inch. He's even with his sister and will soon be as tall as David!

Speaking of David, we dropped him off at UCSF the day we went to Stanford so he could attend an appt. with his Dad. He has a new Dr. who has a little different take on things. The news he gave John was good, though. John has been able to keep his various pains under control and his new Dr. sees no reason to put him back on any chemotherapy right now. "Amazed and pleased," is how David puts it.

I'm doing fine, although I've had a couple of minor, irritating side effects pop up from the chemo. Hopefully my body will continue to adjust and they will fade away. Or, maybe I'll get used to always having a sickening sweet taste in my mouth and a few itchy bumps. I was concerned the sweet taste might be due to an elevated blood sugar level (a common side effect), but my blood numbers look good. Thank goodness!

Our household is about to undergo a major change. Helen is moving out to live closer to the college she attends. I'm thankful she's not going too far and I will be able to have lunch with her once in while. ;-) Please pray that she stays safe and has wonderful adventures out on her own!

Here's hoping your own adventures are wonderful this year. Until next time, blessings to you.

Love, Natalie

So far, so good

We've all made it through the holidays–whew! I hope yours were wonderful. We actually wrote a Christmas letter, but never got it sent out. So, let me say here and now, Happy Thanksgiving, Happy St. Nicholas Day, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and whatever other holidays you may have celebrated! I hope they have been a blessing to you and a reminder of what is truly important in this life.

Our holidays were good. We got to be with both our parents over Thanksgiving–and I didn't have to cook anything. We celebrated Christmas with a Christmas Eve service including a reader's theater play David wrote (a funny, modern take on the story of Christ's birth) and by helping with a community Christmas dinner on Christmas day. I sang Christmas songs as part of the entertainment–more singing than I've done in a while! We also spent time with most of David's family in Merced after Christmas. New Year's Eve found us home playing games and watching movies as a family.

For a while there I was wondering if I would be able to handle taking the drug trial chemo long term. I've had my ups and downs. But over the past month I've improved dramatically. The mouth sores that were so miserable have been solved by Lysine supplements and I seem to have adjusted to the drug. There are only a couple of minor irritants I am currently dealing with.

I had a long day at UCSF today. I endured another battery of neuropsych testing to make sure my brain is functioning properly (it is). I had an MRI and met with my oncologist and his nurse and had a chest x-ray (protocol while I'm on this chemo.) The MRI I had today will be a baseline for the MRIs I will have over the next couple of years–the length of time I could be on this chemotherapy. The Dr. saw exactly what he expected to see after surgery and no visible growth. Although my surgeon removed all he could see and remove safely, there are places that indicate there may be additional cells. Those are what he will be watching over the next two years.

Ian has continued to do great. Today he's working on making an electricity magnet generator. Tomorrow he will be with a group of friends working on an engineering project–ever the creator. ;-) Next Tuesday he has his second two month check up at Stanford. Last time, he had a clear chest x-ray and was poked and prodded by four doctors who were all satisfied that he was cancer free. I expect a similar report next week.

As always, we are so thankful for your thoughts and prayers for us and also remember many of you in our own prayers. May you find blessings and the love of God everywhere you turn in these difficult days.

Love, Natalie