Coal Train

Stan here,

Deb just mentioned to me that we might want to update the blog a little.  As everything works out we both crave  to put something up that is bright and nice but the reality is that things of late have presented more challenges rather than solutions.  In a moment I will have Deb update the medical stuff.  I am not sure I am qualified to do that.  I had something on the bus today.  Somehow when the train delivers coal to the Grand Haven power plant  all the kids get home a little late. There are a couple of engines and a bunch of coal cars behind.  When you drive a bus you wonder if anybody at the railroad thinks of perhaps not running that train at rush hour.  I guess all I can say about this is that the coal train that we are riding on right now decides to run when it wants, It holds up traffic as long as it wants to, and when you face it you find it has sort of a mind of its own that falls somehow outside of life as we all might like to have it.  So here are the details.

Deb writing now:  Stan is thinking lately in bus terms but let me attempt to give a little more detail to the lumps of coal.   I got the results of my last CT scan and the results were good. There was no progression of the disease. A couple of the lymph nodes have gotten a bit smaller.  The one bad thing is finding a chemo agent that works. So this past Monday I started the last drug they seem to have to try. Is is called Topotecan. It sounds more like a Hawaiian drink that should have a little umbrella in it rather than a chemo drug. I have it three days in a row and then I have 2 weeks off. I have chemo the three days before Christmas. It makes me very weak and clumsy. Maybe it is also the strong pain meds I am on. I fell today getting on the elevator. I felt so stupid and was so glad there was no one around. The problem was, I was so weak I could hardly get up to get on the elevator.   I appreciate the cards and texts and words of encouragement from people. My back is also giving me real problems.  I think that I gained so much weight from taking the steroids that I am walking hunched over and that is really causing me problems. Sitting down is no problem, but walking is really painful.  I am going to ask about acupuncture next time I see Dr. Downey.  I am excited about decorating for Christmas. Will wait for the warm weather this weekend to put out some lights.   Love to all, Deb