Nov 29

Mark continues to do well in his chemo free week. His appetite has been good and he has been able to work some and played a round of golf with his father and some of the graduate students this week. He has remained busy with Calen and Colton starting basketball practice this week.

We took the kids to the Auburn Christmas parade this evening after Ronda got off work and then went out to eat at Chili's. Hopefully we can get some Christmas shopping done and the Christmas tree up this weekend before the next round of chemo on Monday. Mark bought the kids a gingerbread train kit to put together which will be lots of fun.

Thanks to the Bulldog class of 88 reunion committee for the care package. It was great to hear from you and very thoughtful sending the goodies. You have all been such an big help with your cards, emails and constant encouragement. We are hoping Mark will feel like travelling back for the big 20 year this summer, but will play that by ear.

God bless!!

Nov 27th

Mark was feeling good this morning and went in to the office for the first time since his diagnosis to get work done. He stayed for a good portion of the day. He enjoyed getting back into some form of routine. His appetite is good and he has been able to regain the lost weight from the first chemo. We are still modifying his diet and he is adjusting well. He has some intermittant pains in his abdomen, but seems to be dealing with it without requiring pain medication.

Mark's next chemo is scheduled for December 3rd. We will have another CEA drawn then (that is his cancer marker). We are hoping that it has fallen with the 2 rounds of chemo.

Nov 26

Mark has been feeling better since the weekend. He is having a little bit of abdominal discomfort, but much better than with his last round of chemo. We hope this is a good sign. He has been up and more active recently as well.

All of the family is gone now, with the exception of Mark's parents who are here indefinitely. We gave our Auburn/Alabama football tickets to our nephews who were here visiting and let them go with Calen and Colton to the game. They thoroughly enjoyed it and got a taste of Auburn and it's traditions. After the game, we picked up the boys and took them to Toomer's corner and let them join in the festivities of "rolling Toomer's". Mark and I went to the tailgate for a short while. He enjoyed visiting with his friends and colleagues, but the cold began getting to him and by the time we were leaving he was experiencing the numbness and pain in his fingertips that the doctors warned us about.

We are waiting for Mark's oncologist to set up our referral to MD Anderson. Hopefully in the next month or two we will be able to visit with their doctors in Houston to get yet another opinion and find out if there are any more options for us. We continue to pray for healing and strength and have been very blessed with great friends and family. Mark keeps his prayer card of Saint Peregrine by his bed and reads it daily-thanks so much Debbie!!!

November 23

Mark had a good day today. He is starting to feel better and seems to have a little more energy. We spent the day with family. Mark got a lot of rest this morning and we took him out for a short midday outing. Mark drove Jenny, our sister-in-law, to Toomer's corner and we let her try the famous lemonade. We then went to Tiger Town and had an outing at Target and Books-A-Million before driving home. Mark got to watch some football games this evening and will be saying goodbye to his twin brother Matt in just a little while. Matt, Angie, Jolene, and Lauren will be leaving this evening on their journey back to Oklahoma City.

We are hoping to make it to the tailgate tomorrow for the big Iron Bowl. Mark is still undecided about attending the game. It will depend on the weather and we'll see how he's feeling.

Thanks to everyone for the prayers and support. We are truly blessed with the best of friends and family.

Nov 22, Thanksgiving

Mark finished the chemo yesterday. His appetite hasn't been great, but he is trying to eat. This morning he woke up feeling nauseated with some vomiting. He has been able to eat since then and his stomach seems to have calmed down some. He got to visit a little with Danny before he left for the airport this morning.

Mark's oldest brother, Shaun, made it in this afternoon with his wife and 3 children. We ate Thanksgiving dinner around 2pm. It was a great meal and we had a good time. We had a total of 18 people. Harris smoked a turkey for us and it was delicious. We also fried a turkey. Steve Swider and Jordan came for dinner. Mark was able to eat a little of all of his favorite dishes and enjoyed the meal. The day has worn him out and he is resting now. He says he just feels very fatigued. Hopefully each day will get better after the chemo.

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Thanks for all the calls, cards, visits and prayers. Also, thank you Jason and Christy for letting us borrow your air mattress. Finding extra beds for this many has been challenging (especially with the holiday and Iron Bowl this weekend).

God bless!!

Nov 20, Chemo day

Mark is feeling very puny today with no energy which the doctor stated would probably happen during his chemo. His appetite is not good and he feels nauseated. He continues with the infusion of 5FU and will be finished tomorrow around noon. Hopefully he will start perking up then.

He experienced some oozing from the port this morning with a little blood getting on his clothes. We went to the Cancer Center and they changed the dressing for him.

Mark's good friend from grade school, Danny Blackburn, surprised Mark with a visit today. Danny flew in from Oklahoma and will stay until Thursday morning.

Nov 19, Second round of chemo

Mark went in today for his second round of chemo. He was feeling better today and met with his doctor. He has lost 6 pounds, so we need to try to get that back on him. We are going to work hard at this. Other than the weight loss, the doctor was pleased. His blood counts were great-no anemia or low white count and the liver functions and bilirubin were totally normal along with kidney functions. We felt very blessed to get this news.

The chemo infusion went without a hitch. He is now wearing his 46 hour constant infusion pack and will go back Wednesday to get unhooked. He is feeling a little bit puny as he did with the last infusion. Hopefully by Thanksgiving these effects are worn off and he will be ready for a big feast. He is definitely abandoning the diet for turkey day. We plan to make all of his favorite dishes and the doctor said he could even have a glass of wine.

We spent the evening playing Scene It with the kids, Mark's parents and Mark's twin brother Matt and his crew. It was a lot of fun and Mark got so excited we thought he was going to rip the chemo infusion out of his port.

Thanks Ted and Jean for the ambrosia (?spelling). It is great and Mark is really digging it!!

Continue to pray for Mark's healing and strength. God bless!!

Nov 17

Mark is feeling better today. Still with a cough and a little congestion, but no fever. The doctor started antibiotics yesterday and they seem to be helping. He is up and about and watching some football. This morning we went out for our family Christmas picture with the kids. Thanks so much Tracy for taking the pictures.

We are gearing up for chemo on Monday and hoping he does as well with this treatment as he did the last.

Mark's twin brother, Matt, is coming in Sunday for the Thanksgiving holiday. He will be bringing his daughter, Jolene, and Angie (his fiance') and her daughter Lauren. On Wednesday, Mark's older brother Shaun will be here with his wife Jennie and their children, Chris, Josh and Katie. We are looking forward to the visit with family.

Nov 16

Hi everyone!! Mark is still fighting off a cold and a slight cough today. His temperature was normal to 99.5 yesterday, but up to 100.5 today. He feels stuffy and congested. We put a call in to the oncology office this morning and are awaiting their advise. Mark continues to take his megadoses of vitamin C among others and we are hoping he can kick this before his scheduled Monday treatment. He says if it weren't for this cold, he's feel "right as rain". We had our follow up with the surgeon today for the port placement. Everything has healed nicely.

I went to work for the first full day yesterday. It was quite busy with stacks of things waiting on me and working straight through lunch. I was quite exhausted by the end of the day and glad to get home.

The kids are doing well. Football is over and we will have only a short breather between it and basketball.

God bless!!

Nov 14th

Mark was doing so well yesterday, but last evening he developed some sinus problems. He felt a little worse this morning. We've given him some OTC sinus medication to help with symptoms. He has developed a slight fever of 100.3 this afternoon. If the temp goes above 100.5, we will have to call the oncologist office. He is now pushing fluids to try and hydrate and we are hoping he will kick this quickly so as not to delay the next round of chemo scheduled for Monday.

Thanks for all the prayers and support once again.

Nov 13

Mark is beginning to feel better again. He did not require pain medicine today and was acting more like his old self. He actually went in to the office for a bit to check his mail and listen to his voice mail. It was nice to see him getting out and feeling better and he enjoyed visiting with his colleagues in the office. It was definitely his best day since the start of chemo. Erin and Lee Colquitt brought over some ratatouille for Mark which was a big hit. It was very fitting with his diet and we'll definitely need the recipe. Thank you!! Also a big thanks to Duane and Stacy Brandon for all the vegetarian food, groceries and recipes. It has been very helpful.

Brent and Kathy, Mark's parents, continue to stay and help out. They installed a new soap dispenser for the kitchen sink and we've done a little gutter cleaning as well. They have been very helpful with homework, cooking, cleaning and just about anything else you can imagine.

Nov 12

Mark is doing well. He is still having pain, but the Lortab makes him more comfortable and he is getting up and about more. We made is to church Sunday and even took him out to eat for lunch after the service. Today Mark had lunch with Lee Colquitt and enjoyed the outing. He received a phone call from T.O., his former professor from OU who is now in Minnesota. Andy has also been such a big help and even went and picked up the boat for us. Thanks!!

The kids all got flu shots over the weekend. Emily only cried a bit and was much braver than I thought she'd be. Both Calen and Colton did well. Now we are all immunized to protect Mark from getting sick.

Mark has a followup appointment with the surgeon on Friday and chemo again on Monday. We scheduled family Christmas pictures for Saturday, so hopefully it will be timed just right and Mark will be feeling well.

Keep praying for Mark. There is power in prayer.

God bless!!

Nov 9

Mark continues to have the abdominal pain. We called Dr. Farmer's office and they did not feel it was worrisome. It is probably the primary tumor pressing on a nerve and we hope with more chemo, the tumor will shrink and the pain will subside. He is more comfortable today thanks to Lortab. It is controlling the pain and he is in better spirits. Mark had a long chat with John, a long time childhood friend and former Bruin teammate, which cheered him up. He also received a very inspiring email from Dr. Ederington, and phone calls from Dr. Stanhouse and Christoph (I mean Dr. Hinkleman) today.

We are continuing to find new dishes to make on Mark's restrictive diet. It is becoming somewhat easier, but still poses many challenges for us. His appetite has been a little better today as well.

Mark and I feel very blessed to have such great family and friends supporting us through this difficult journey. Thanks again for all the support and wonderful comments on the blog.

God bless!!!!

Nov 8, Day after first chemo

Mark is still feeling bad today. We were hoping for him to feel better. He is having some abdominal pain and required some pain medication last night and again today. Luckily it makes him sleepy and he has been able to get some rest. His appetite is only fair still. Hopefully it will improve later in the week. Chemo is certainly hard on the body.

Mark's parents, Brent and Kathy, are still here and helping with everything from grocery shopping to homework and dropping off and picking up kids. The kids have certainly enjoyed having their grandparents here for an extended visit.

Continue to keep Mark in your prayers. The comments, cards, visits and calls are uplifting for him. We even have a card from the University of Alabama (thanks Linda) on the dresser.

Nov 7, Finished first cycle of chemo

Mark finished his first complete chemo cycle today around noon. We went in to the infusion center and had them disconnect his chemo. Mark continues to feel puny and a little ill. Most of this stems from abdominal cramping and pain, but luckily no diarrhea. The chemo nurse feels the cramping should subside today, if not there is a medicine they can try to help him with the next infusion. We've had a quiet day around the house. Mark's appetite hasn't been great, but we've managed to get a few things down him and his mom and dad are out now buying King Crab legs to fix for dinner.

Calen has a football game tonight and Mark is one of the assistant coaches. I know Mark wants to go badly, but I'm not sure he'll make this one. It is cool today and will be much colder tonight. We'll play it by ear.

Nov 6, 2nd day of chemo

Mark is having his roughest day so far. He is on the continuous infusion of the 5FU and woke feeling nauseated and puny. He had some breakfast, but hasn't felt like eating since. He is still in good spirits considering the constant nausea. Ronda went to work for a few hours this morning, but is back home taking care of Mark this afternoon. Hopefully this is a temporary effect. His 5FU should be finished around noon tomorrow.

Matt (Mark's twin brother) had his colonoscopy yesterday and it was normal which is a relief for everyone. His sister and older brother are scheduled for their procedures soon as well.

Colton's team lost their game last night. Colton had a great game with several tackles and got his name called over the loud speaker which was exciting. They received their second place trophies and we took a lot of pictures after the game.

Again, thank you to everyone for your prayers, calls, cards and visits. Also a huge thank you to The Orthopaedic Clinic who have overwhelmed us with generosity and provided several meals. We cannot say thank you enough.

Nov 5, First Day of Chemo

Mark had his first dose of chemo today at the infusion center in Opelika. He was pretty nervous going in, but became more relaxed and was giving the infusion nurse a lot of his sarcastic humor. She took it in stride and gave it right back to Mark, so I think they're a match made in heaven. haha. He received a medicine for nausea first and then some steroids. The chemo followed with oxaliplatin and leucovorin (not really chemo, but has a synergistic effect with the 5FU). They hooked up the 5FU last and let him get a little to make sure he wouldn't have an allergic reaction. He is now hooked up to a fanny pack with constant infusion of 5FU for 46 hours. He will return to the infusion center Wednesday to disconnect and we are done for 2 weeks.

He tolerated the chemo well. No nausea or side effects. The side effects are cumulative, so he may at some time develop them, but we're optimistic that he will continue to do well. He is eating well this afternoon and plans to make it to Colton's championship game tonight at the High School stadium (the "Shugar Bowl"- named after Shug Jordan, a former Auburn football coach, for those of you who aren't from Auburn). He is prohibited from getting cold or even drinking cold beverages or food for 3 days into treatment each 2 weeks. He must wear gloves to reach into the freezer and continue to stay warm. Hopefully it won't be too cold tonight at the game, but if you see Mark out dressed like an Eskimo, it is for that reason.

We requested another CEA (cancer marker) to be drawn today so we will have a data point at the start of therapy and it was 29. It was 20 at diagnosis. This is what they will follow along with CT/PET scans to see if he is responding to therapy.

November 3rd

Mark loved the card from Susan Crain-it made him laugh uncontrollably. It was a great card and great advise for both of us. Thanks Susan. Mark truly appreciates all the cards, calls and visits. He has all of his cards on the dresser and he likes to look at all of them. They continually remind him of all of your support and prayers. He has a special card that Colton made him the night the boys found out about dad's diagnosis and Mark carries it with him to all of his appointments and procedures (along with wearing his lucky shirt). I'm sure the doctors are wondering if Mark has any other clothes, but we really don't care.

God bless!!!!

Nov 2, Visit with Dr. Farmer

We saw Dr. Farmer this morning and decided on the chemo regimen. We will have to wait until Monday to get started. There are 2 meds that will be infused during a 4-5 hour stay at the infusion center, but the third agent will have to run over 46 hours. Mark will get to go home wtih a pump (like a fanny pack) that will continually infuse the chemo. He will have to return on Wednesday for the nurses to disconnect the chemo (which is why they don't start this chemo regimen on Thursdays or Fridays because of the weekend). Dr. Farmer hopes to start the 4th chemo agent at the end of November.

Mark is in good spirits knowing now that there is a plan and now a timeline to get started. We were really hoping we could go ahead with chemo today, but Monday will be here before we know it. We hope there won't be any ill side effects from the chemo. Dr. Farmer talked to us about diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, sore mouth, cold intolerance and possibly hair loss. Mark didn't seem to mind so much on the hair loss since he's already getting pretty thin on top.

Yesterday Mark went out to the AU club and watched some of the PGA qualifying tournament. It was a beautiful day for watching golf.