I had an appointment on Tuesday, May 7 with my general practitioner in Champlin.  They conducted blood tests and reviewed my progress since the hospital discharge on April 27.  The news was incredibly encouraging.  My white blood cell count had risen from 1.6 to 5.1.  The RBC and Hemoglobin had both increased.  One of their most significant improvements was in the neutrophil count, which skyrocketed from .2 to 3.5 in just 10 days!  Although it hasn’t reached 5 yet, the progress is remarkable.  One of the most encouraging items from a cancer standpoint was the PSA count.  You may remember that in December it had jumped to 47 and in the previous two chemo sessions it was down to 0.1.  Tuesday it was less than .1, which they label as “undetectable!”  We told this to a family member and they started crying with joy, thinking I was cured.  We have a way to go yet, including the PSMA Pet scan in July. Regardless, I will be on medications for the rest of my life, but we are headed in the right direction.

I try not to let this stuff prevent me from doing things.  Sue and I were supposed to leave for Williamsburg, VA on April 27^th but I was still in the hospital.   We changed our flight from noon that day until 8 pm the next night.  We landed in Richmond and Monday we went to the American Civil War museum and from there onto the Berkely Plantation on the James River.  We toured the big three – Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown and saw where the first permanent English settlement began in 1607.  Although Sue and I are not huge history buffs, it was very interesting to see and hear about events surrounding the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and many of the people in those eras - too much to mention.  I was a bit challenged and tired at times but I paced myself, rested as needed and Sue told me I did fantastic in managing it.

Something else has come up to cause me issues.  We were using cold packs on my hands and feet during the chemo sessions hoping this would prevent neuropathy.  This did not happen.  I have a slight amount of this in my hands and left foot.  My right foot is the main issue.  The muscles in my left shin and calf had become greatly weakened which is affecting walking. The doctors aren’t sure if it’s a nerve issue or something else.  My right let was already compromised from the cancer tumor surgery four years ago.  I have had several sessions of PT to keep the muscles firing but no improvement.  They said acupuncture will sometimes help so I am scheduled to do that mid-June. My hope and prayers are for recovery on this also.  I want to play pickleball again!

We are taking life at a little slower pace. We are home most nights and if we go out, I typically take a nap during the day. Overall, I lack the energy that I used to have. Please pray that will return. Other prayers needed are that the chemo is doing its job right now and we would love to see clear scans in July. Until then, I plan on fishing and enjoying life as much as possible. The Dempers (including the grandchildren) will be visiting in May and we can’t wait to see them.  Enjoy your summer!

In His hands,

Joe