Earl Chemo Scheduled

Earl's chemo starts early tomorrow morning. We are to be there at 8:30 a.m.

He will get weekly chemo for three weeks, then skip one treatment, which means he'll be "off" chemo for 14 days, then back on for another three weeks. This will continue for about three months as long as his blood counts remain high enough to continue. Dr. Grossman said Gemzar (gemcitabine HCI) is harder on the bone marrow than the 5-FU I received for colon cancer. More info on Gemzar. He will have blood work before each treatment.

Chemo will stop after about three months, then radiation will start. He will not get both at same time. After he finishes the radiation treatments, he may get another couple months of chemo. The way I counted, this is six to seven months of treatments, which will run into January or February 2008.

At this time, a port is not being recommended. Each treatment will only last about 30 minutes, so he'll only spend about an hour there each time.

Three months of treatments will only be nine infusions. Another two months of chemo after radiation, would be six more. This is approx 15 treatments. Unless he starts having real problems with his veins, he probably won't get a port.

I really dread these treatments for him. I went thru a full year of a similar schedule and remember all too well.... Dr. Grossman was my oncologist.... I felt today like I was starting my treatments all over again! That this should be me, not Earl!!

He has already lost so much weight. I just could not stand the smell of food, much less stand to eat at times. He will likely lose more weight.... Oh, I hate this for him! Tears won't help, but..... here I sit....

Well... I made it thru a whole year. With God's help and your prayers, Earl WILL make it thru a few months! :-)

Earl admitted this morning that THIS had him scared. Today was a hard day for both of us!

Please remember us as you pray.

Lillian