Rejoice!

Two weeks ago Dan had gone in for a chest xray-what was supposed to be a follow up to the xray taken in January, his marker to the start of his chemo drug.  We waited in trepidation to find out what turn our immediate future was going to take.  Once the doctor came in, it was discovered that the xrays were of poor quality and couldn't be made out. It was such a let down.  The doctor decided to order a chest and abdomen CT scan for yesterday-Tuesday, February 19. Needless to say, there were a lot of emotions these last two weeks as we once again were waiting to see if anything was happening.

This afternoon we met with the oncologist to get the results of the scan.  What we found out was beyond belief.  Dan's tumor in his lung is GONE.  Yes, you read that correctly-the tumor in his lung is gone, leaving behind a small amount of scar tissue.  The enlarged lymph nodes around the tumor have also returned to their regular size.  The scan also determined there was no cancer metastasized into his abdomen or surrounding organs. Thanks to the hand of God and his healing powers and the marvels of modern medicine-Dan's body continues to heal.  We were in complete shock.  This was the news that we wanted, but didn't expect to hear, and not so soon into the process.

Dan will follow up with his oncologist in 4 weeks, and receive another CT scan in 3 months.  He will continue following up with periodic scans, of which the timeline has not yet been determined.  While this is amazing news, it is important to remember that Dan is not cured. You cannot cure lung cancer.  Dan will continue to take his chemo drug daily, indefinitely. At some point, the drug will become ineffective and the cancer will find ways to mutate and spread.  However, we are hopeful that will be several years away, and you never know what treatments may be available at that time.

Thank you to everyone's prayers, positive thoughts, cards, notes, and other amazing gestures of friendship that we have received over the past 3 months.  It has meant so much.  We are truly blessed in so many ways.



O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.  Psalm 30:2

Physical Therapy

I know that I promised a quick video of Dan's progress at therapy..but I am having some technical difficulties!  I recorded it with my phone and it doesn't want to upload.  So, I will bring a video camera to his next session and give you all a little peak at how hard he has been working.

In the meantime, he is still making great progress.  Wednesday he decided, after getting the okay from his PT, to use his walker at work instead of the wheelchair.  He did great! Today he not only used the walker at work, but also used it as his primary mobility source going to therapy.  His therapist, Ryan, says this is a big turning point in his recovery. Once patients decide to let go of the wheelchair their improvement increases rapidly.  It has been great to see him up and walking!

January in Review

Hello, Hello.....it has been nearly a month since my last blog.  I apologize-it feels like I blinked and January was gone.  Under normal circumstances, January is a pretty hectic month for me with work.  This year, it was even more so!  While a lot of January was focused on work, for both Dan and I, plus physical therapy, we did manage to have a bit of fun as well.

Dan's longtime friend (and best man at our wedding) Paul and his wife Wendy came to visit for a few days around the middle of the month.  It was great to see them, and we were exposed to the world of gluten free.  Which as it turns out, seems to be digested easier by Dan.  We now use Pamela's mix for muffins and blueberry pancakes, which are nice treats for Dan.  We also got to visit with the Barbeau family from Washington the following weekend.  Dan's cousin Owen, his wife Helen, their daughter Susan, and her husband Satish made the 9 hour drive over (and thankfully missed any inclement weather!) It was a nice visit, and Jack enjoyed having new Wii playing partners.

Dan has been on his targeted chemo therapy for just over a month now.  He has experienced some side effects-the two most noticeable are a rash on his chest and back, and nausea.  We are working on our 4th suggested remedy for the rash-the hydrocortizone and the antibiotic pill were of no help. In fact, the antibiotic pill just made Dan sick every time he took it.  (Like he needs any additional challenges with his eating!)  He just started a topical antibiotic cream, so we will see how that works.  In the meantime, Aquaphor seems to work the best.

Dan is continuing with his physical therapy twice a week.  He looks forward to every appointment and is really making progress. He is using the walker more around the house and just got the okay from his therapist to use it as much as he wants and he is okay to use it on his own, unassisted by me.  That means I don't have to hover over him like a helicopter anymore, which he is pretty excited about! I'll post more about his physical therapy in the next couple of days, along with a quick 30-second video I took during his session last week.

All things considering, Dan is feeling pretty good these days. We are hoping it is a sign that his chemo is working, and we have many, many more good days ahead of us.