Here's a bit of an update!

It's been over a month since I put a post on the blog. Thank you to so many of you who have called me or sent emails or cards wondering how things were going. I appreciate your notes so much.

In March, about a month after the cyberknife, I had a PET scan. (There will be another one in May.) You may recall that I mentioned the cyberknife may take anywhere between four months to a year to determine its effectiveness. Well, the one in March indicated there was already significant decrease in the size of two of the liver tumors. The third tumor showed some decrease, although not as significant. We'll know a little more in May when I meet with Dr. Chu and Dr. Moreland following the May PET scan.

That was good news, but the March scan also showed some disappointing things as well. Tumors were developing on two of my lymph nodes, on two spots in the peritoneum (lining of the abdomen), and another spot on my spleen. In addition to that my CA-125 shot up over 1,000. Dr. Hudhud made the decision to put me back on chemo right away -- two drugs -- Cisplatin and Gemzar. He mentioned that these are both pretty strong drugs, and that it would be hard to stay on a regular schedule with it as they tend to affect blood counts. Since my body has always been able to handle chemo with little to no side affects, I was pretty confident that all would be "easy going." Well, that hasn't been the case. My blood counts -- platelets, red, and white blood cells -- just won't cooperate. And with low blood counts, the chemo has to wait.

In the past five weeks, I've only been able to have chemo two times. One of those was reduced potency, and still the next week (that would be today), everything is too low. In fact, today, the platelets are so low, I have to go to the hospital for a platelet transfusion. Shots today and shots tomorrow to build up the count so I can have chemo next Tuesday. This is where I need your prayers. Please pray that these counts would be so stimulated by all the extra support they are getting from Procrit, Neulasta, and the platelet transfusion that chemo would be an easy decision next Tuesday.

The exhaustion continues. I've always worn out early in the evening, but now it is absolutely ridiculous. I come home, fix a little dinner, sit down and eat, get comfortable in my LazyBoy recliner, and I'm out for two or three hours. Just can't get up and do anything... until it's time for bed. Dr. Hudhud told me that the chemo is responsible for the exhaustion... and, obviously, the low blood counts are connected to this as well.

Thanks for your prayers.... I look forward to my next post sharing some upbeat news about how God has answered these prayers.