March 30

Hello to everyone. Sorry for the prolonged absense. Mark is doing better. He had his typical chemo course and felt better by Friday. The peripheral neuropathy seems to be progressing, though. His feet are much worse and he has pain with just walking through the grocery store now to the point he has to stop and sit. Taking the pressure off of his feet relieves some of the pain. His hands also bother him a lot and even holding the steering wheel of the car can be tricky. Buttoning shirts is very challenging with this stuff. We're not sure how many more treatments of the oxaliplatin he'll be able to take. We are really hoping that Dr. Bartlett will have a surgical option for us. If he says yes, we're still looking at at least 6 more months of chemotherapy after surgery. If he says no, we're most likely left with lifelong chemotherapy, although we'll probably do a local surgery to remove the primary tumor. We pray that Dr. Bartlett will come through for us.

We had a week of sickness throughout the household. I was home all week with one sick kid or another. Colton woke up Thursday morning with the stomach bug and missed his day long field trip to Callaway Gardens which he was so looking forward to. Everyone felt better Friday, but yesterday Emily started with diarrhea again and last night Colton, too. This morning Colton woke up vomiting. I don't know if it will ever end. I just hope Mark and I don't get it before our trip to Pittsburgh. Nothing worse than a plane ride with those type of symptoms.

Mark and Calen went to Cullman for a baseball tournament. I stayed home with Colton and Emily so we could attend mass and CFF. Colton has First Communion coming up, but we are missing anyway with illness. I guess it was fortuitous that we didn't travel given their current condition. This wouldn't have been fun to deal with out of town at a baseball tournament.

Mark's parents are driving in tonight to stay with the kids while Mark and I travel. We pray that they have a safe trip.

Continue to pray for Mark's healing. God bless you all!!!

March 25, Chemo #11

Hello. Just an update. Mark is holding his own on this chemo round. He stayed in bed all day today which is his usual. He has eaten all 3 meals and kept them down, but really didn't have the appetite for any of them. Tomorrow around 1:30 will be time to disconnect the infusion. He usually starts feeling a little better Thursday and somewhat like himself on Friday. We're hoping this round follows suit.

Emily wasn't feeling well today and I stayed home with her, so I got to take care of both her and Mark. She has her own set of tummy issues for those of you who don't know her. This one has been ongoing for 4 days now. She is still hurting a lot and has cried for much of the last 4 days. This has been ongoing since she was a baby, but it is so frustrating. I may decide to take her to see someone just to make sure she doesn't have a more serious problem. Her pediatrician here doesn't think it is anything to worry about, but to see her scream and cry in pain is so hard. She's been taking medication for more than a year now and it really doesn't seem to help at all. Anyway, a really trying day for mommy and since our trouble isn't resolved I don't know what we'll do about tomorrow.

We made hotel reservations in Pittsburgh today. We haven't decided about transportation in the city. I think they have a metro type system so I'm not sure whether we'll need to rent a car. If anyone is familiar with Pittsburgh, we'd love the scoop.

God has been very good to both Mark and I in our lives. We've both felt very blessed and we continue to look to God for answers and guidance. Continue to keep Mark lifted up in your prayers. We pray each day for healing and strength. Mark also cherishes the St. Perigrine prayer card and medallions that were given to him as gifts. Thanks everyone for your support. God bless!!!

March 24, Chemo #11

Hello. Mark is hooked up to round #11. He did well during the long infusion at the hospital today, but quickly went downhill once we got home. He has been very nauseated this time with dry heaves. I finally got him to try some toast and gatorade this evening. We'll keep our fingers crossed that it stays down.

We had a good visit with Dr. Farmer. She is pleased at the way Mark looks. He has maintained his weight and has actually gained since starting chemo. His neuropathy is progressing though and we're not sure how much longer he'll be able to handle this regimen. Most people stop after 12 cycles due to the neuropathy, but Dr. Farmer has one patient who is on round #36 and is still doing okay. Mark's fingers are starting to hurt with just buttoning shirts. He had a hard time helping the boys put on their Easter ties. He also has a hard time in the shower now because we have ceramic tile which hurts his feet. I have carpeted all that I can in the bathroom where Mark stands with soft throw rugs and he lays down towels in the morning to help him walk across the bathroom floor. Mark's CEA number was a little higher today. It went up to 4.4. It was 29 at it's highest and down to 3.0 at it's lowest and 3.4 at the last check. Normal is less than 3. We will continue to watch this, but Dr. Farmer wasn't so concerned since it was only a small bump. We'll watch the bigger trend.

Our trip to Pittsburgh is in a little over a week now. We pray that Dr. Bartlett will see Mark's case as an opportunity to show off his stuff. We will have to stop some of Mark's chemo 4 weeks before surgery, so if Dr. Bartlett says yes, nothing will happen quickly. Dr. Farmer did agree that if Dr. Bartlett does not do surgery on Mark for whatever reason, that we still need to get the primary tumor out and we'll be planning that during the summer in Birmingham.

Mark will be due for a repeat CT after treatment #12. We're praying for shrinkage of tumor this time.

Today was very hectic with Mark's treatment and the boys going back to school. We had to find time for homework, baseball practice, Emily's swimming lessons and dinner. I really did enjoy spring break with the easier schedules.

Continue to keep Mark in your prayers. I will try to keep this updated as often as I can. God bless you all!!!

March 23

Hello and Happy Easter to all. We hope everyone enjoyed their holiday. Ours didn't quite go as planned. Calen was sick with the stomach bug (vomiting and diarrhea) on Saturday. This morning while getting ready for Easter mass, Emily started throwing up. Mark wasn't feeling all that great either, so they stayed home together. Mark took the boys over to the Brooks' house for Easter dinner while I took my turn with Emily at home. It was not quite the day we'd envisioned, but the guys had a great time at the Brooks' and we appreciate the invite.

Yesterday I took the kids to Kiesel park for the Easter egg hunt (Emily and Colton, anyway). They had a lot of fun and got to see the Easter bunny, find eggs and Emily got a balloon. It was a gorgeous day and we followed it with a little shopping.

A big thanks to Janice and Steve Caudill for sending over dinner. We fixed it Saturday night with Calen being sick and it was such a blessing to have something already made to fix. It was so good!!! Thanks so much.

Also, thanks so much to Melissa and Tom Denney for the quilt. Melissa made a beautiful hand made quilt for Mark to keep him warm during treatments. It was so thoughtful and I can't tell you how much that means to us. It is absolutely gorgeous!!!! Thanks you guys!!!

Tomorrow is the start of treatment #11. We also have an appointment with Dr. Farmer and the following week will be flying out to meet with Dr. Bartlett. We are praying hard that he will have some answers for us and that they are the ones we hope to hear- ones that will help heal Mark's body of this cancer. We feel very blessed to have Dr. Farmer in our lives. She is always so positive and full of hope. It is important to have a doctor who believes that there is conventional medicine, but there is also power above. Continue to remember Mark in your prayers as always and God bless you all!!

March 18

Hello to all. Mark is having a good week. He is spending a lot of time with the kids. Yesterday and today they've been in Alexander City at a baseball tournament watching the games. He's coming back to pick up Emily later today so that she can go watch some. She really just likes to run around and play. I think they've all been enjoying themselves.

I've been working. It's a quiet week in the office. No one wants to come in for a doctor appointment during spring break. I've only seen a few patients each day believe it or not. It will be awful next week I'm sure with people calling in and wanting to be seen. That's the way it goes. It's just nice to finally get a quiet week around here.

Colton's catchers gear came in the mail yesterday. His granny and granddad ordered it for him for his birthday since they couldn't find any here in town that fit him. He was so excited to open the box. It was like Christmas all over again. It was cute watching him try everything on.

The weather here has been wonderful. We are hoping the rest of the week is this great. Oklahoma is playing basketball on Friday in Birmingham for the NCAA tournament. If we can find tickets, we may decide to drive up for the game.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day. Continue to keep Mark in your prayers. God bless you all!!

March 16

Mark is feeling much better. He is enjoying the nice weather this weekend. He is spending a lot of time with the kids at the ball field. Calen had another baseball tournament this weekend. They are out of it already, but they stayed to watch a few more games.

We are looking forward to Pittsburgh in 2 1/2 weeks. Of course, Mark will have one more round of chemo before we go. He will be due for a repeat CT scan after chemo #12. I don't know if they'll try to schedule it early after the next round (which will be #11). If we do that, the surgeon in Pittsburgh will have a fresh CT with data. Then again, he may want to do his own when Mark is up there. We'll see what Dr. Farmer thinks when we see her next Monday.

The kids are on Spring Break this week. I think the guys are just going to do a bunch of hanging out and fishing. I plan to work since I've been off so much with Mark's illness.

Continue to remember Mark in your prayers. We are hoping that all of our praying has lead us to Dr. Bartlett and he will have some answers or at least more options for us. God bless you all!!

March 13

Mark is starting to rebound from the last chemo round. He was unhooked Wednesday around noon and felt pretty lousy yesterday. He is perking up today. Usually by Friday he is starting to feel more like himself. This was a pretty typical round for him.

Today is Colton's first baseball practice. Colton dressed in his full uniform last night after his shower (including a cup) and slept in it and wore it to school this morning. He is a maniac when it comes to sports. He is very juiced about practice tonight. Emily and I are on our way out there to watch them.

Mark is having an emotionally trying week. Colton has been very upset and crying a lot this week about dad being sick and Calen as well. It is very difficult for Mark to see this disease tear up the kids so much. Mark was pretty down and a little tearful today as well.

Please keep Mark in your prayers. God bless!!

March 11, Chemo #10

Hello. Sorry I didn't update yesterday. Mark had his usual chemo start. He started getting his gag reflex and sick feeling before even getting hooked up. It happens every Monday morning of chemo. He started feeling puny through the infusion and his coloring always begins looking yellow. Both his chemo nurse and I observe that each time. Not sure why. He managed to eat some yesterday and is managing. He is looking forward to the weekend and the nice weather forecast. It makes putting up with the chemo crap worth it I guess.

Not much more to report. We got the packet from Pittsburgh, so we'll start filling out the paperwork for that appointment. We also purchased our airline tickets, so it's official.

Keep Mark in your prayers as always. God bless you all!!!

March 9

Hello. All is well in the Bertus household. It's been a busy week. We actually got a little snow flurry on Saturday morning, but of course it quickly warmed up and didn't last. We had a nice day today. The boys are out of town for a baseball tournament. They won 3 of 4 games and will be in late tonight. I stayed home with Emily who is sick. She had fever and sore throat, so we spent 2 1/2 hours at Auburn Urgent Care today waiting. She has strep throat and is on antibiotics now. She was starting to feel better this evening. I think she'll be ready to go to school tomorrow.

Tomorrow is chemo treatment #10. Mark dreads the infusions, but yet knows they are the necessary evil. We are very hopeful that Pittsburgh will have some better options for us. We are staying optimistic and doing a lot of praying about it.

Colton found out which baseball team he'll be on this year and they'll have their first practice Thursday. He's very excited. They will be the Twins. His grandparents got him a new catchers glove for his birthday and he can't wait to get out there and break it in.

Thanks again for all of you supporting us through this journey. We couldn't do it without you. Keep praying for healing and strength. God bless!!

March 5

Hello. We've officially changed our appointment with Dr. Bartlett and will be seeing him April 3rd which is a Thursday. This will be Mark's off week of chemo and he should be feeling pretty good and in good travelling shape. We'll fly out the day before and I'm not sure when we'll plan our return flight. This should be a one day meet the doctor and find out options day. Birmingham sent all of Mark's CT scans on CDs and all his records already. I will go and check out the pathology slides from EAMC and take them with us.

Mark is doing well. His parents left this morning to go back to Oklahoma. Mark spent the day working in his office and then took the boys to hit at Sports Academy. Emily and I went to her second swimming lesson at Health Plus. She had a blast and loves to swim. She is floating mostly by herself now and I think will be swimming on her own before the end of lessons (right now she uses the noodle for support). She absolutely has no fear. (Which makes me a little nervous). I think it's the third child sydrome.

Continue to keep Mark lifted up in your prayers. He has the Saint Peregrine medalion on his keychain that was given to him and the prayer card on his night stand. Mark is ready to battle whatever comes next. We are anxious to get to Pittsburgh to see what our future may hold. God bless!!!

March 4`

Good news!!! I called UAB again today and finally got to talk with Dr. Heslin's nurse. The surgeon in Pittsburgh will see Mark as a patient to render his opinion. We were excited to hear that we're finally moving in a direction. The appointment was set up for March 27th, but after the fact we realized that Mark will be finishing chemo and won't be able to travel then, so we'll call to reschedule tomorrow. The surgeon in Pittsburgh is Dr. David Bartlett and Mark's type of cancer is his specialty. He loves dealing with the advanced cancers with peritoneal disease and has had some success with his surgery and procedure. You can google him and read about the surgery team there and the doctor personally. This is the original doctor that Dr. Heslin wanted Mark to see (before the MD Anderson surgeon). We're hoping for some positive news from the visit. The visit will just be a consultation to discuss things. If Mark is a candidate for surgery or the peritoneal chemo wash, we'll have to go back up at a later date for the surgery.

Mark is doing well. He feels good for the most part and just gets tired easily. He spent the day in his office today getting some work done. His parents are leaving for Oklahoma in the morning, but will most likely be back for our trip to Pittsburgh.

Continue to pray for healing and that we will receive some positives out of our trip to Pittsburgh. I have a good feeling about Dr. Bartlett after reading his interests and expertise. Dr. Heslin, who is wonderful, is also very positive about Dr. Bartlett.

God bless!!

March 3

Hello everyone. Mark is back to his usual self now. He is looking good and feeling better every day. He is still excited about the tenure news. He got another publication as well. Now that his career is on track and we've received the good news, we're hoping for the same about his health.

We still have not heard from Birmingham about the Pittsburgh surgeon. We will continue to try and get an answer. The news did come in today about the genetics test and we were relieved to know that there is not a genetic component to Mark's cancer. That is great news for our children. If and when they actually remove the primary tumor, there is more genetic testing they want to do, but for now all the blood tests were negative and we were glad to hear it.

Mark's parents are here from Oklahoma visiting. They made it in last week for Colton's birthday and have gotten to see more baseball and basketball games than I'm sure they bargained for. They have extended their stay as to avoid the weather system moving through Oklahoma and may return on Wednesday depending on the forecast. We've enjoyed having them and the kids of course don't want them to leave.

Thanks to all of you who call, leave blog messages, write letters and cards and send prayer books and messages. It is such a warm feeling to know that so many of you out there are thinking of Mark so often. The love and outpouring of support has been wonderful. Continue to keep Mark in your prayers. He is such a fighter and I'm very proud of him. God bless you all!!!!

March 1

Hello. It's been a busy week. I'll try to get a quick update in. Mark is starting to feel better and has been quite the trooper this week with so much going on. He has been helping coach Calen's baseball which takes a lot out of him. The cold bothers him and his hands sting when he throws and catches the ball. His right shoulder is also hurting him, but he hangs in there. Calen's team played last night and a game this morning and have another game in a bit. They won the first game today, but lost last night. Colton also had a basketball game this morning right after Calen's baseball game. We took Colton out for lunch and then had a birthday party here at home for him with presents and a cookie cake.

Mark got the exciting news that he got tenue. Congratulations Mark!!!! We're so excited and proud of him. He has continued to work on papers and finished another one this week while on chemo, so he is certainly dedicated.

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