ROUND 2

Glenn has finished his second round of chemo. He has an intense dose for five days then has 23 days to recover. The dose will be increased with each round and they are anticipating five more rounds. The treatment is aggressive but the chemo is the only resource left to fight the tumor.

The medical oncologist warned us that he would experience “extreme fatigue”, usually occurring by the fifth day and for the few days that would follow. We thought we knew, but apparently had no idea, what “extreme fatigue” would be and that it could be so subjective! It hit with a vengeance on the 5^th day and by the next two days we didn't think it could be worse. But it was. We tried to compare it to the cold weather, since Boise has had plenty of that this week too. We thought it was cold at 20 degrees but then it dips to single digits, dabbles at zero, and then plunges into negative numbers. Yes, there is a difference, but ultimately, it’s just too cold! And as each day his energy plummeted, we realized he was experiencing more than just extreme fatigue, he was losing his mobility and other health concerns were exposed.

After consulting with the doctor, he felt it was best for Glenn to be evaluated at the ER. Needless to say, Glenn is sick of hospitals. Although he is experiencing “extreme fatigue”, it did not slow down the dialog about how tired he is of going to the hospital all the way there. I’m just glad the hospital is only 5 ½ miles away!

The doctor thought the problems might be from the seizure medication so they made changes and will re-evaluate tomorrow (1/22/13). Jared and Jamie came from Portland on Friday to spend the weekend with us. They always brighten our spirits and renew our hope. Their compassion and concern fill our hearts beyond words and it is always so hard for us to see them leave. We are also so grateful for our niece Tammy; she was able to roll with us and our sudden change of plans when we went to the ER instead of enjoying the fabulous lunch she had brought to our house. She kept us company at the ER while we waited for the tests and understood that we can laugh or we can cry but it’s so much easier to have a bellyache from laughing than a headache from crying.

We also appreciate all of you that have called, brought food, stopped by to say hi, prayed for us, laughed with us, and are there for us. It means more than you will ever know. We feel your love and prayers around us every day. And to our neighbor with the yellow snow blower, I will find out who you are one day, but until then, whoever you are, thank you so much!

In spite of all the “extreme fatigue” Glenn is still in amazingly good spirits. Although his physical strength is minimal, mentally he’s still Glenn and is thinking at maximal level all the time. Please keep the prayers, phone calls and letters coming….as Glenn says, they’re to live for! We love you all so much!

Linda