Back in the (Chemo) Saddle Again...

At our appointment with Dr Sheehan today we decided to go back on a chemotherapy regimen. It will be a weekly dose of Velcade (sub-q) at the hospital with a dexamethasone chaser. We will check the progress with monthly appointments until the "numbers" reduce -- then, hopefully, a maintenance dose.

It is a rainy day, but we both remain grateful for each other, our family, and what world we inhabit. (And lunch at the Sushi Box made it all better.)

Blessings...

Lambda Light Chains Chart

These are the "numbers" we anxiously await before our time with Dr Sheehan. On the left is November, 2011 and the far right is the result of last week's test (142). We meet with Dr Sheehan tomorrow and are expecting to be back on chemotherapy. In the meantime, life is good...

Twelve Weeks!

A stop-over in the Poconos!

We have been off chemo for 12 weeks now. We took blood this week for the cancer test (lambda light chains) and this coming Wednesday we will be seeing Dr Sheehan again. Tension time. The numbers! We will see what direction we will take on Wednesday. Time for lots of prayer this past weeks. But to counterbalance the prospect of Sabine going back on chemotherapy again has been a GREAT birthday celebration with a visit to granddaughter, Taylor, and her mom and dad and uncle Mike!

Sabine is doing well, exercising daily, getting me and the dog out for snowshoeing, and maintaining her always-positive outlook on life as she enters her 60th year. I thank God daily for having her in my life!

Celebrating Our Birthday!

Not everyone knows this, but Sabine and I have the same date of birth -- April 5th. So, this week we celebrate her 60th and my 75th birthday. (Wow! 75 seems old!). To celebrate, we are going to visit our daughter, Sumi, granddaughter Taylor, and son-in-law Scott in West Orange, New Jersey, a short distance from Broadway! Son Michael will also be in the neighborhood (a biking partner me?). We are scheduled to see "Book of Mormon" and a modern dance program.

We bought a joint present -- a chess set -- to keep us tactically sharp.

But the "big birthday bash" will be this summer over the 4th of July weekend at our farm where I will attempt to cap my 75th year with a 75 mile cycling event. Some friends have already signed on! Others wisely did not!

Sabine has been off chemo now for a couple of months. When we return we will, take a blood test to check on the cancer growth, see Dr Sheehan, and plot an attack on those nasty blood light chains that has been slowly growing but were not quite at the intervention (chemotherapy) stage two months ago when we last checked.

By the time we get back we will expect Spring to have settled into Wisconsin.

Have dialysis machine, will travel!