Onward

Hello everyone! I am so pleased and thankful for the response to this blog. Your comments and encouragement are so appreciated. I am especially thankful for all the notes from my friends in the BYU 53rd Ward. What a blessing. Thank you! I served at the Bishop (ecclesiastical leader) of the BYU 53rd Ward for a little over 3 years and had such wonderful experiences there. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I was discharged from the Huntsman Cancer Hospital just about a week ago, last Tuesday to be exact. I haven't had much problem with nausea and vomiting, although my digestive system is far from normal. About two weeks after my first chemotherapy, my hair (not that there was much to start with) began to fall out in handfuls. After a few days, it stopped and left me with kind of a stringy mop. One of my wonderful co-workers at the University of Utah department of Urology, took pity on me and made me a hat with dreadlocks to cover up my new found thin hair. I love it!I expect the rest of this hair will fall out at about the same time, two weeks after chemo. This will most likely, leave me quite bald. Oh, one up side to all of this is that I don't have to shave. My beard is gone! Wow. I've been shaving since the 7th grade. This is great!!

The most challenging aspects so far have been the profound fatigue and lack of stamina. I have found it a slight frustration to be so tired as to only be able to get showered and dressed and then to have to sleep all day to recover. That is improving slowly.

Here are some more pictures. Thanks for all of your encouragement and kind thoughts. Your prayers are so very much appreciated.

To the right here is a picture of my oncologist, Dr. Lei Chen (far right) and the group of interns, residents, pharmacists, etc. that visited me a couple of times while in the hospital. I feel very well cared for while there.

The picture below is of my nurse Ann (on the right) and a student nurse that cared for me the first couple of days back in the Huntsman this trip. I so appreciate their good care!

The plan now is to go back to the Huntsman on April 21st for my next round of chemo. In the mean time, I am scheduled for a CT of the chest and then an MRI of the right arm pit on the 17th of April. I have an appointment with Dr. Chen on the 21st prior to admission to discuss results of these tests and what is in the plan to follow that. The Sarcoma Team will be meeting on Monday morning to discuss everything before I have that appointment. I am looking forward to getting on with whatever they have planned.

God bless you all. I appreciate your kind thoughts, encouragement and prayers. I'll wright more when more happens.

Jim