March 11, 2003
Update # 35
Good Evening,
My last update referred to our third snow of the season. Our latest snow just melted before lunch today. We've had so many I've lost count. All those snows have come on weekends or holidays, therefore, we have not used one snow day. Amazing! The weather has also always been clear for Jeff to travel back and forth his seven hours.
A quick update on Ken's back. He spent January recuperating at home. He worked half days for a week and then returned full time in February. Ken appreciated your prayers and cards. He was released from the neurosurgeon on 2-27.
Jeff came home the evening of 2-28 for his week long mid-semester break. As I had mentioned before, Jeff's anniversary date is 2-21 since that was the last day of any treatment. The three of us went down to St. Louis on Monday, 3-3 for the first year protocol testing. Tests were echocardiogram, pulmonary function, liver enzymes, chest x-ray, CBC, and of course, thryoid. When we arrived at 7:30 AM, we learned Dr. Chu had been out the last 4 weeks due to neck surgery. He'll return to work April 1st. We would be seeing one of the other doctors which was no problem since we had seen them all at one time or another. We spent the entire morning at Cardinal Glennon. Dr. O'Connor showed us the chest x-ray and again it shows the tumor shell a little lighter in color. This slow reabsorbtion is what they want to see. The blood work showed all counts were within the normal range. Dr. O'Connor was pleased with the way things looked for Jeff. Jeff had more weight gain but Dr. O'Connor was not too concerned by it. I called the afternoon of Friday, March 7, for the results of the other tests. The only results in were the thryoid test and that still showed the thryoid not working properly. But they feel levels are not enough off to begin medication. At this point, I missed Dr. Chu. He does not like to wait for results and is always in the different departments hounding them for his written reports. We finally heard late this afternoon on part of Jeff's results. The pulmonary function showed no change in the lungs. The written echocardiogram report is since not in but the Costas Center said if there were any abnormalities, they would have been notified before now. So that is a good sign. Dr. O'Connor said Jeff should return in June. So Jeff is one year cancer free!!! We know we still have a few years to go but are grateful for how far Jeff has come. Thank you each and every one.
Jeff went to the dentist while he was home and had some more of his teeth worked on. He'll return for more work over Easter break.
Jeff has his summer planned already. He spoke with his old boss and will work at Dairy Queen in town again. The broadcast workshop he attended last summer at Wartburg, he hopes to staff for two weeks this summer. Sounds good to us.
We hope all of you are doing well. We think of you often and appreciate you in many ways. Please continue to keep Jeff in your prayers and you will also be in ours. I'll send another update sometime in June. Until then, have a most glorious Easter.
Love,
Marcia