'Nuf Said

5/2/09

Grandkids Visit

Our grandchildren from Illinois (and their parents) are visiting us this week. Our son is in town to speak at an adoption conference, and they all came a few days early for some additional visiting time. On Tuesday afternoon, all of my sons and I went skeet and target shooting at a local range. On Thursday, Carol and I took the day off from work to take care of the grandkids while Daniel and Whitney went to the conference. Here are a few shots from Tuesday afternoon, the only day this week it was dry enough for the kids to play in the back yard, and from Tuesday night, the only time the whole family was able to get together.

Cancer Update

Lately, when people have been kind to ask how things are going with the cancer, I've told them that it is like the stalemate that existed in World War I. After 19 months of chemotherapy, I had not made much progress in beating down the cancer, but neither had it progressed against me. We gain or loose a few yards here and there, and stare at each other across the No Man's Land from our trenches. And there is a whole lot of chemical warfare going on.

Yesterday afternoon I received analytic results from a blood sample taken earlier in the week. After my first round (3 weeks on, then 1 week off) on a new medication, Revlimid, my total proteins are down to 8.3 and the all-important M-spike is down from 3.6 to 1.9. For perspective, if I were going in for a regular annual check-up at my family doctor, 8.3 on the total proteins is right on the border line of being in the normal range, and I probably wouldn't get sent on for further testing. On the M-spike (the measure of how many myeloma, or cancer, proteins there are in my blood), you can see the reduction is almost 50%. Further, the side effects of the Revlimid thus far are less severe on me the prior medication, Velcade. Let's hope it continues to be tough on the cancer and not-so-tough on me.

Thanks for your care, love and prayers. Today, we have gained some good yards against the enemy. It feels good, and for this we thank God.

More pics

Here are more pics from Saturday (see two posts down). They were just too good to leave out.

The News

At my doctor's visit today, the decision was made to switch me completely over to a drug called Revlimed, a second generation to a drug called Thalidimide, if either name means anything to you. They are very tightly controlled drugs and I had to sign a lot of forms and sit through several briefings to get a one-month prescription, and will have to repeat the process to get it refilled each month. Hopefully, side effects will be few and effectiveness will be great.

A definite positive point is that this new medication is taken orally, rather than by infusion. This frees up at least 6 hours every week from having to go to the doc's office and get infusions, as well as makes it much easier to plan trips, without having to tuck them in during times when I will be in and out of the IV room. (How would you like to be given 6 more hours a week?)

Here we go on the next phase of this adventure. Thanks for caring, and thanks for praying.

Alyssa Visits Grandpa

On Saturday, Alyssa (6 months old) dropped by for a little while to see her grandpa while her grandmother put away the groceries from their shopping expedition. While here, she became the latest of all the Bennett grandchildren to ride in the swing.

As she’d swing forward, she would tap my beard and face with her foot, then just laugh, laugh, laugh as she swung back. It was a neat time. For pictures of the great grocery shopping expedition, visit Carol’s blog.

Cancer Update

The blood sample taken on Tuesday, March 3, shows the cancer numbers continuing to increase. They are now almost as high as they were at diagnosis 18 months ago, and higher than at any time since we began chemo therapy treatments. The doctor will probably add another drug (as yet undecided) to the treatment mix later this month. I'll let you know when that happens.

Thanks for your concerns and prayers.