We have engaged the enemy on all fronts

Since last week's post, Michelle has experienced more than a few ups and downs. When I wrote the post last Wednesday, she seemed to be doing much better but almost immediately after the post went up her condition went down. The last half of last week found Michelle becoming more and more nauseous, and more fatigued. Her pain seemed to be spiking more, and she was using the breakthrough pain medication more and more often.

On Friday we went to the radiation oncologist for Michelle's simulation appointment. They placed several tatoos on Michelle's abdomen and sides for use in targeting the radiation machines. Michelle was bummed, because she's lost the moral high ground and can no longer tell the kids not follow her example and avoid tattoos. (They also HURT!)

The nausea cleared somewhat by Sunday night, and the pain seemed to lessen a bit as well.

Monday night's prayer meeting was small, as several of the regulars stayed away to avoid sharing their sniffles with Michlle. It was still a very moving, intimate time with the 8 of us in attendance. Pastor Karen led us in guided imagery, taking us to one of Michelle's favorite healing spots - a clearing deep in the pine forests of northern Michigan. Eric brought his famous home-made pretzels and we all shared them. Next week we are planning to share communion with Michelle.

Even though there were fewer in attendance this Monday (we've had up to 18 at past gatherings), we keep hearing of more and more people who are praying with us at 7:00 every week. It's very humbling to us when we hear of all the churches, groups, friends of friends, close friends and family who are praying for Michelle every week. Michelle can feel those prayers working and our appreciation goes far beyond words. Thank You Thank You THANK YOU!

We heard from the Gastroenterology specialists at University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) in Denver on Tuesday. They scheduled an appointment for Michelle on Friday, February 13 at 9:30 AM to refresh her stents. As you may recall, the current stents (placed January 5) are plastic and expected to last 6-8 weeks. They will be replaced with "permanent" metal stents which should last at least 9 months up to several years. The metal stents have a larger bore and are much less prone to blockage.

The best news is that there is no evidence that the current stents are blocked. In fact, Michelle's bilirubin this week is only 0.1 points above the normal range: 1.3 vs 1.2! Hallelujah and Amen! (It's still important to go ahead with the replacement, because the plastic stents will eventually start to break down.)

Also on Tuesday, we heard back from the radiation center. They wanted to start Michelle's radiation treatments right away. She is scheduled for 14 daily treatments every weekday at 9:30. The first treatment was scheduled for Wednesday.

Tuesday's chemo treatment went smoothly (they even placed the IV on the second try this time!) and she didn't feel too terribly bad Tuesday night and slept well.

Wednesday's radiation treatment was quick and painless. She receives a dose both front and back, targeting the tumor in her T11 vertebra. They gave us some moisturizing cream to rub gently on her skin twice per day: the skin will become very tender, similar to a first-degree burn.

Michelle felt surprisingly well on Wednesday, and even reduced her pain medication to 2 doses per day instead of 3, with no breakthrough pain at all. Having learned how the nausea medications work for her, we carefully dosed her and managed to avoid most of it.

Thursday was pretty much a repeat. Radiation at 9:30, followed by a restful day, but without the severe out-of-control nausea experienced last time. As I write this, Michelle's getting ready for bed after a reasonably (and surprisingly) good day. She even ate a good dinner!

Tomorrow we meet with the surgeon to plan for installation of a port. This device will reside just under the skin of her upper chest, and provide easy access for blood draws and IV medication, without getting poked 2 or 3 times several times per week. We don't have a schedule for the installation, but we're hoping it will happen before the next chemo on Tuesday.

And that's all the news I'm fit to print this week. As Tigger says, TTFN!