Oct 2

Good news today. We just got back from Dr. Farmer's office. She was impressed with how much better Mark looks today. He hasn't had any more fevers. He gained a few pounds and is up to 174 now. She wants to get his pain under better control so that we can get a few more pounds on him, so she is putting him on a long acting pain patch. We will start that today and see how it does. Hopefully it will be just what Mark needs. She wants him to drink supplements like Ensure, Boost or Smoothies, but he won't. (I've been trying that since his surgery. Glad it's not just me he won't listen to.) She says he needs the vitamins to heal, but he is so stubborn!!!

We will see her again on Tuesday afternoon for an appointment and to discuss the chemo again and then she plans to start his chemo on Thursday. YEAH!!!!! The chemo regimen will be different and this one will be given weekly for just one day. The down side is that 1 in 5 patients has an allergic reaction to the drug and sometimes it is an anaphylactic reaction. She said they had to code a patient who started this a few weeks ago with chest compressions. Not what we wanted to hear. They did resuscitate him.

We are glad to be moving in this direction and pray now that Mark will have success on this new chemotherapy and not be one of the patients who develops an allergy. We have to think positive. Continue to keep Mark in your prayers as always. Remember Bennie Pierce who is also battling cancer and pray that Carly Parker remains cancer free. God bless!!!