Dear Family and Friends,
Long has it been (over a month), and between being busy trying to have a normal life and having massive writing block, well, here we are. I hope my gentle reader will please allow me to change my format a bit from my standard, as I am tired, and still blocked up (literarily, that is!!).
Julie and I are in Seattle. We flew down last Wednesday, as the trio of docs (oncologist, surgeon and radiologist) wanted to get on with progress earlier, and they bumped up the schedule about two weeks.
The surgeon took one look at Julie's incisions, saw the failure to close (ie two really ugly holes, one with a wonderful view of her chest wall), and scheduled her for surgery Tuesday afternoon. He explained it as needed to "be tidied up some." In an instant, what should have been the start of radiation this week and my return to Juneau last weekend became an indeterminate wait for surgery, and now, recovery so that chemo can start early next week. Since the chest won't heal with radiation, no man-made nuclear particles touch my BooBoo for at least a month post-surgery.
Surgery was just over an hour this afternoon, and Julie (and Dr. Beatty) did great. There was no problems in closing the holes, and Julie had the best recovery from anesthesia I have seen her have to date. We were outta the hospital about three hours later, and eating a nice shrimp scampi on the way home.
Home isn't actually ours, but Jo and Dan are making us feel perfectly comfortable in their beautiful home in Everett, just north of Seattle. They are truly lifesavers, even trusting us with their totally cherry red convertible turbo PT Cruiser. Thank you guys so much... what can I say?!
Today's visualization of the future looks something like this:
Now, a week to recover from surgery.
Monday the 29th, follow-up with docs, get the OK to start chemo.
Week of the 29th, start an aggressive chemo, something like three sessions in two-weeks then two weeks off. Repeat. Repeat.
No sooner than a month from now, evaluate whether we stop chemo to do 5-1/2 weeks of radiation, and then resume the chemo; or, do both at the same time.
We are thinking we will return back to Juneau during that first two-week break in chemo, about mid-October. Thinking, that is... we really have no idea and I have stopped trying to predict how this whole affair is going to unfold. I had to buy dress pants, shirts and ties so that I can go downtown to work, since I thought I was only going to be here for 4 days, and so I had packed uncharacteristically light. I usually carry the kitchen sink around, but for once, I listened to BooBoo. Figures...
I am outta here for now. I haven't narrated the last month (on account of the writers' block and all), so maybe I will get around to that, or not. My gentle reader should not hold their breath. What I must include though, is a hearty thanks to all of you who have shown us kindness and support. Julie and I tend to remember the events of this ordeal by the wonderful things done for us. You know who you are, and we can't thank you enough.Bless us all,
Ken and Julie
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