Hi Michael --

How are you feeling today? Will you have your last chemo?

Barry finishes tomorrow -- the tomo is *still* down -- he got treatment on another machine, as focused down as it can be and less than 2 minutes -- just a *zap* to the base of tongue -- but not tomo so he had to take the dreaded amiphostine again. However no nausea as he took Anzemet.

As for the phlegm -- Barry had it suddenly start last Thursday, gallons of it -- thick and nasty and gagging and I thought "I guess this is the phelgm from hell they talk about but why now at 62 Gy and not earlier?" Anyway, this went on for two days, he went through tons of tissues, tried gauze, filled wastebaskets with used tissues...(sound familiar?) ... then Hopkins called and ordered him in for that staph infection, put him on vancomycin IV and gave him a suction set-up (which he used a lot at first -- they really help). They also gave him Mucinex, 2 tabs. Overnight the phelgm went away. Like that. And stayed away. He hasn't had any since. The consensus was that it was a result of his infection and that this probably started in his trachea or lungs. Once the infection was under control the phlegm pretty much was as well.

What I am saying is that it might be a good idea to be sure there is not some sort of low-grade existing infection that could be triggering this. Especially if you are having any strange fevers or chills.

Best, Gail and Barry