Thursday: Starting Round 4!

Bill got the first installment of round 4 today, and tomorrow gets the Big Drug in an all-day drip.

They've changed what he does for his nausea, and now it's a 24-hour plan. He also now has the ability to go into the clinic any time he feels bad, and they will give him fluids, or anti-nausea meds, or check his blood, etc., so he can now have treatments in between treatments.

To me, this was a relief. While they were talking, I could see Bill cogitating about how would that work with his teaching schedule, but he was told today that if he doesn't make it through all the chemo, THAT could be life-threatening, and he should be much more willing to miss classes and rest more so that he doesn't get so close to quitting chemo as he did this time.

I could tell he wasn't agreeing about missing classes, just listening politely. Bad cowboy!

The great thing he heard was that he was doing "spectacularly" well, according to his blood tests. The doctor said MOST patients have quit this regimen by this point; very few get to round 4 because the drugs are so rough, and that it is surprising that he is doing so remarkably well. Dr. Torti would like to get him through 6 rounds, ending sometime in May.

I'm typing this from our basement, where we will be living for the next three weeks. We're having our floors done in the "house" part of the house, and a couple other things that have needed doing for about four years now. Ooops. Of course, having all of these things happening at the same time is sort of like living our lives in the spin cycle of a giant washing machine.

But we're adapting. For example, I put a roast in the drier last night and set it on "high" for four hours, and it came out great. But after that, I dried Bill's tee shirts in there, and ever since Bill got dressed this morning, the dogs won't stop following him around.

This, too, shall pass.

Love yall!!!!!!!!!