I didn't include a cancer update in my last post so thought I should add it, in case any of you are following. Things have improved and my family is back to dealing with one cancer patient again. Yay!
My Dad had his colonoscopy reversal surgery in March and is now pretty much fully recovered. He's out golfing again and is ready to enjoy an active summer after sitting on his butt for the better part of a year. He goes back for a routine check up in July, which is 6 months since the end of his chemo treatment.
My sister's cancer is stable. There are still some stubborn "spots" on her liver, which refuse to go away. On the bright side, they're not growing but they're not shrinking either. Because there hasn't been any change despite continued chemotherapy treatments, her doctor decided to switch things up and enrolled her in a clinical trial for a new drug. This new drug is a "smart drug" which is designed to target only cancer cells. As such, it is something like 500 times more potent than regular chemo. It also is supposed to have fewer side effects -- like her hair might grow back in. She is very excited to have been accepted into the study (she's one of five people at that hospital) and should be starting treatment soon. She's been able to have a month or so treatment free while she changes programs, which she really needed. Being on chemo for over a year has been really difficult. She's exhausted and fatigued all the time and lost 20 lbs, purely due to lack of appetite. We're all hoping the new drug will a) be more effective at treating the cancer and b) won't be so hard on her. Fingers crossed!
And fingers crossed that I can soon stop writing "Stupid Cancer" updates!
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