Thursday, January 7, 2010

Update on Jim 1/7/10

Jim is dealing with a cold these days. His sore throat is just about gone but the sinuses are still running. The doctor's office told him he can use over the counter cold medicine which he is and it is helping some. His sleep isn't being affected which is a good thing!

Two specific things that Jim has noticed regarding his hip pain. First, he hated sneezing because of the pain that it caused in his hip. With this cold there has been some regular sneezing and it doesn't hurt anymore. The other thing is stretching. He couldn't really do a full body stretch before without pain and now he can. We interpret that to mean that the tumor in his hip is shrinking. Which means the cancer is getting smaller....YEAH!

On the hair issue...it is only a matter of time before it is gone. This morning when he got out of the shower he had hair strands all over his face. Then we checked his pillow and sure enough there was hair all over it. If you looked at him right now you wouldn't notice anything...maybe a little thinner all over. You know how you run your hand through your hair after a new haircut and you have hair all over? That is what is happening. Nothing major, just constant. Plus, he didn't shave this morning. It wasn't worth the effort for the minor growth. We both consider this a minor side affect. He'll gladly take hair loss over nausea any day!

Chemo #2 is rapily approaching! Just a few more days. This one should not take as long as the first one. They really watch the patient closely during the administration of the first one, checking for reactions. Plus they administer it slowly. The process should be a little shorter this next time. Maybe 5 hours instead of 6. The first round was a good experience (as good as chemo can be). Everyone was so nice and Jim enjoyed visiting with the other patients that were sitting near him. He says the time went by very quickly.

Keep praying!!!!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Jim,
I spoke to a gentleman from Grundy Center who is battling liver cancer. He's been going thru chemo at the Mayo Clinic and is awaiting surgery to remove the diseased portion of his liver. He mentioned a berry concoction that he takes which he claims is working wonders. Its made with Aronia berries and has been successful at Iowa State in reducing or eliminating tumors in animals. Please ask Dr. Nabi about this and also bring up this berry on the web to find out more info. Good luck with your next treatment and we'll be in touch.
Your friend,
George