February 22, 2006

Today is my last good day before my next round of chemo. We are trying to get better prepared this time so that the side effects will not be as severe. The main problem I have is that I lose too much weight during the chemo weeks and then a try to put the weight back on during the off weeks. The big swings cause me to feel tired and nauseated.

We are currently battling with Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield to get them to approve the drug Tarceva. It is a pill that can be added to my current treatment and works to enhance the effectiveness of the chemo. Regence turned us down and we are now in the appeal process. It is a very expensive pill but also very effective. Several of the other young people we have met who are suffering from the same type of cancer are using Tarceva and having good results.

I have chemo Thursday and Friday and then again on March 2nd and then a CT scan on March 13th to see if the chemo is still shrinking the tumors.

February 8, 2006

Sorry for the long delay in providing an update. Part of the delay was good and part was not.

First, the good news. We enjoyed a great trip to Disneyland with our extended family and firends. Every member of my family (except Lana) was able to come as was most of Marianne's family and our friends the Richards. There were thirty-seven of us altogether. We appreciated the sacrifices many of them made to be with us. It was a great trip.

I felt good for most of the trip. I went to bed a little before the rest of the crowd and stayed up to date on my medication. The joy of being in the sun and with family was cretainly worth so much in making me feel good.

The day after we returned to Utah I had a PET scan to determine the overall cancer activity in my body. The results were good in that the cancer is only located in the places of which we were aware and has not grown or spread.

On Thursday and Friday of last week, I had my normal chemotherapy treatment. My red blood count was down so they had to give me some additional treatment. They told me I would feel some additional fatigue from the low count. They were right. The past week has been very tough for me. I have been extremely tired and the pain has increased some. It was also difficult to go from the high of Disneyland with my family to a week down. It is hard not to anticipate how I think I should feel and then not get down when it turns out to be different. I have to keep reminding myself that it is still early in my treatment and that I will need to be patient.

We met with Dr. Whisenant yesterday and I had another session of chemotherapy. I will be off treatment next week and then back on for two weeks. My next scan is scheduled for March 13th. That is again the time to pray for more shrinkage. My family has been doing great. Marianne and I appreciate the support from family and so many others.

We will do a better job of keeping this cite up to date.