Susan is resting comfortably after her big day of chemo with both agents. It appeared to me that this long day was better than usual for two reasons: Susan slept through most of the treatment; and we got through by 5 PM. Also, she experienced minimal side effects (e.g. itching) during the treatment. The key now is suppressing the nausea that usually follows over the next several days. We hope to try a couple of new medications to combat this.
The other good news was the result of her CT scan on Tuesday: no evidence of any metastatic disease! We praise the Lord for His mercy in providing this prolonged remission from this very difficult (and usually recurrent) disease. Thanks for all your prayer support which has made a huge difference.
Susan has had an easier time of it this weekend as contrasted with last weekend. We suspect that's because she had one extra day off this week, compared to last weekend where she was "shorted" a day off. (Happy Independence Day....) She only took 2 nausea pills after Thursday's topotecan treatment, and today she's running around ministering to me (chest cold) and our visiting house guest Kelly (caught my chest cold), a dear friend from our Emmanuel Church days in NJ. Susan now has two weeks off before her big chemo on July 25th. We are planning a fun time with the family during that period.
PS: we are glad to report that our friend Melissa Garner is making a sustained recovery from her injuries, and is back home in Atlanta. Please continue to pray for her ongoing improvement. Also, we would appreciate your prayers for the McArthur family. Ben and Sam (son and daughter-in-law of Gary and Jeanne) are mourning the loss of their infant daughter Grace who was born prematurely. This followed major surgery in the uterus to correct Grace's spina bifida.
At Susan's last chemo on Weds. we received the results from her last tumor marker test of a week ago. It continues to hold at 17, which is considered to be in the normal range.
This weekend was a challenging one for Susan. Because of the July 4th holiday, she had the topotecan infusion a day earlier than normal. As a result Thursday through Saturday were uncomfortable for her, both in terms of nausea and abdominal pain. Today (Sunday July 7) finds her feeling much better. Her next treatment is scheduled for Thursday.