Moving Along

Peace flags at New Journey Farm

Another round of chemotherapy as we begin to try and control this disease.
Dr Sheehan was pleased about the "numbers" and it looks like to prescription is to continue this level of chemical intervention.... watch out for neuropathy... and decreasing platelets in her blood.

In the meantime... both Couper and Lobitz families will be assembling next week at our farm in the unglaciated hills west of Madison.

I will be leading (hanging on) a cycling group to celebrate my 75th year and Sabine will be biking in celebration of her 60th! (And entering her 6th year of the cancer fight.)

We have a beautiful (if somewhat damp) summer here in Wisconsin.

Life is good. And I continue to be reminded that it is not where you are going in life -- it's who we are becoming that counts!

A Check-In

Here we are enjoying beautiful summertime in Wisconsin. We just received a report on Sabine's latest cancer"numbers." The "normal" range of lambda light chains is from 6-26. Dr Sheehan started chemotherapy when Sabine's numbers got up to 142 and the last three three-week cycles of sub-cute Velcade (1/2 of her usual dose) with oral dexamethasome has respectively reduced those numbers to 127, 102, and now 85.

We meet with Dr Sheehan this Wednesday and expect he may continue to try and get those numbers down.

In the meantime, Sabine remains active -- cycling, kayaking, hiking -- and expects hike up to Granite Park in Glacier Park this summer after hosting a big family get-together in July to celebrate her 60th birthday!

Granite Park Chalet -- no vehicles -- you must HIKE there!

Recovery and More Chemo

We saw Dr Sheehan on Wednesday. Sabine's lungs remain clear. The calcium level within normal range. And with some progress in suppressing those nasty lambda light chains, another round of chemotherapy (Velcade [subcutaneous] combined with oral dexamethasone) was again prescribed.

The fight continues...

Other than that little setback a couple of weeks ago, the Energizer Bunny is looking forward to our combined birthday party (60/75th) on July 6 with lots of friends and family present for a barbeque, live band, dancing and appropriate amounts of beer.

And, oh yes, a 75 mile/60km bike ride at the Blue Mounds bike trail at 7 a.m. on that day.