Quick Update

Dad is tolerating the new treatments fairly well. The pick line was taken out last week and a new port was put in. He seems to be doing pretty good. Unfortunately he's continuing to lose weight and has lost over 100 pounds. I guess it was good he had a few extra pounds to start with. He's taking a 48 hour treatment every two weeks and the next CATscan is on May 15th. The family is staying busy. Mom and dad went to Alabama a couple weeks ago to watch Ben for a week. I think they're going back this weekend for Ben's B-day. Angie's staying busy with work and Ben. I've also got another nephew/niece on the way. Yes, Angie's pregnant. As for me, I've been spending lot of time in the woods turkey hunting and at the lake fishing in between going home and work. I've had some success so far. Our group caught hundreds of small and largemouth bass a couple weeks ago in 20 ft of water using grubs and swimming minnows at our annual Bull Shoals Lake trip. (I'll attach a photo of some of the bigger ones.) The crappie are moving towards the banks at Lake of the Ozarks and are already on the banks at Truman. I've caught several limits of crappie over the last month but still haven't got a turkey. We're doing a small family vacation in a couple weeks and are planning a few more for the summer. Hope everyone is doing well and taking care of yourself.

Stay positive,

Tim

Doctor called.....

To tell dad that the tumor markers they drew yesterday were 5,000 lower than those from the end of Feb. This most likely indicates that dad responded positively to the chemo he received two weeks ago. There is anticipated fluctuation in these numbers. Hopefully, this decrease is a good sign. They will check the markers again in two weeks to see how he responded to yesterday's treatment.

Bad news

Dad learned at his oncologist appointment today that his tumor markers had jumped from 4,000 to 15,000. A rise like this typically indicates that the cancer has metastasized. The doctor attributed this spread to the length of time dad went without treatment while he was hospitalized. There is no line of treatment beyond what he is currently receiving. He received a treatment of 5FU and oxaliplatin today, which will be infused for the next two days. They will check the markers again next week. If the markers have not decreased, the doctor recommended that dad discontinue treatment. Obviously, mom and dad are distressed today, but remain hopeful that the tumor will respond to the treatment. Mom and dad asked the oncologist if there are any clinical trials for which dad would be appropriate. We also are checking the online clinical trials databases. Given the advanced state of dad's cancer, it is doubtful that we will find a clinical trial. Please continue to pray.