Ken's Progress Report 2/08/11

News about Ken's appointment today:

Ken starts a chemo treatment next Monday. He'll take a pill to control nausea 30 minutes before taking the pill that is the chemo agent. He'll do this every evening before bed for six weeks. The doctor says this treatment is usually well tolerated but to call him if things get difficult. "It's not my intention to spoil your quality of life," he said.

And there's good news. The new MRI shows Ken's brain to be clear of the spots that were radiated in December, and a new chest X-ray shows the spots in his lungs have not grown or increased since Nov. 11. The doctor gave Ken the choice of waiting to use chemo until there were changes but he didn't recommend that. He said it's better to work to shrink the lung spots and discourage whatever else is going on right now rather than wait until they've activated and then start treatment. Ken agrees.

We leave tomorrow for a cowboy event in Sierra Vista. Ken is an invited performer. He'll be in various workshops during the day, all of them with up to three other artists in a round-robin situation. We'll see our cowboy friends. It will be great. We'll be home Monday night and he'll take his first pill.

I asked Ken on the drive home from the doctor how he felt about the visit. He was matter-of-fact Ken, "I got the information I wanted and we're starting the treatment. That's all good."

Meanwhile, Ken is drinking green tea and stoking fresh veggie juice. It can't hurt.

Thanks to all of you for your interest and good thoughts.

Phee