Oft-tread paths

Each night for the last three nights, I've been on the road to and/or from Houston. On Tuesday night, Josh drove he and I halfway down to Houston where we met Isaac in Buffalo. Josh moved over to Isaac's car and I drove the van back home to Dallas (me arriving back home at 11pm and Josh and Isaac arriving at their folks' farm at about the same time). Josh spent a nice day on Wednesday with his mom and brother as he got blood work and scans done as part of the prep for the 5th round of chemo.

On Wednesday evening, after a full day at work, I drove the kids down to Houston. To enable Josh to sleep as much as possible on the drive back up, I created a bed in the back of the van from his beloved couch cushions (he spent many a night on those when he was in so much pain prior to treatment).


We arrived at the farm shortly after 11pm and quickly crashed along with Josh, Josh's mom and cousin Llew in preparation for a Thursday trek down to MD Anderson for a doctor's appointment and chemo.

We arrived at MD Anderson right around 9am, just in time for the appointment, but ended up spending time together in a small room waiting until nearly 11am. It was a study in patience for the kids who are accustomed to being able to entertain themselves with electronics or a rambunctiousness that wasn't allowed in that small room. Ethan did spend some time trying to figure out how to turn on the x-ray viewing machine and finally did with some help from his doctor-in-training uncle. Kate and Llew enjoyed pulling open and closed the curtain that circled the door.

The replacement doctor (our regular doctor is on vacation this week) was less than helpful - it was abundantly clear that he didn't read Josh's chart before he walked into the room. He stuttered through saying that Josh was cleared to go for the next round (after handing us a copy of the preliminary scan report) and then ended up coming back a bit later to clear up some comments he had made about "a healing hip fracture" (that is really signs that the mets in his hip are healing). Until we're able to talk with his doctor, either on the phone in the next couple of week or not until round 6 in three weeks, we're not sure on the details. But what seems to be the case is:
1 - No sign of any cancer in the liver (which the PET scan in Dallas had shown as "lit up," meaning it had some level of cancer effects)
2 - No sign of mets in the ribs (which also had previously "lit up")
3 - Signs of healing in the bones
4 - Continued reduction in the size of the primary tumors in the chest (the largest of which is now like 2.6cm x 3cm)

Chemo was delayed because of a partial order. We wait...


With Josh's birthday in July, he's a Cancer so I thought this flier was apropos.


Finally Josh is hooked up to the chemo drip at around 1:20pm. We get a visit by the assistant nurse manager with all 7 of us in Josh's treatment room at first, letting us know that only one person is allowed. She also confirms that Katelyn is indeed 12 since that's the age requirement for entry. We assure her, but get a couple more stares by nurses walking by in the hallway. After the kids get a chance to try out the bed, push the buttons, turn on the TV, etc., Grammy takes them back to the farm.


The remainder of the evening, Isaac and I watch videos with Josh, take turns wandering the hospital trying to get connected to the wi-fi, eating dinner, etc. By 8:30pm, Josh is done and we're on the road back to the farm to drop Isaac off and pick up Kate to head to Dallas (Ethan is staying with Grammy and Papa for a week).

2am this morning I pull up at home and we crash. Josh looks good this morning, eats a bit and was watching the World Cup as I went off to work. With acupuncture and a positive mindset given that he only has one more round to go through, we're hoping the recovery time this time is quicker than the last. But it's a path that Josh still has to tread...all for the healing.