Donna - Thank you for the sound advice. It is perfectly acceptable for me to tell people that, no, in fact I am not okay.
I am so used to having to go it alone that it's hard for me to turn to someone for help. I will give it a try =)

Gerri - yes it does. Feels like we all got the shaft and someone else got the gold mine.

Well... the much anticipated news... No new nodules! =)
I am personally celebrating that little tidbit heavily!
While there is still some activity shown on the PET and he must remain on chemotherapy for the time being, it could have been much worse.
We found (hopefully) a new church home and having so many new arms to hang on to during hard times is going to really come in handy.
I love all of you for being here for me. Thank you!

This morning at the docs office Matt broke out in a fever and threw up right in the exam room (waste bin thankfully) but it was bizarre. Came on quick and out of nowhere. They gave us a few of these nifty bags with rings that hold them open for the car ride home. They came in handy.
At noon he still had a temp so I shoved more tylenol down him and had to head back to the office. Nausea was gone however, so perhaps we wont be up all night!

Wishing everyone a safe week (and beyond)
Weather here in NW Arkansas has been crazy and unexpected with bad storms, flooding, and tornadoes in surrounding areas.

Happy to be alive.

Christine

Fever got over 103 last night and he was having trouble putting sentences together. Scared the you know what out of me!
Ice pack to the forehead and an alcohol sponge bath.
He didn't want to go to the ER or I would have had him there.
Slight fever still this morning, but feeling much better he said.

Just checking in to see how you two are doing. So glad you got the good news we were praying for. Hanging in there with you in thoughts - take care and hope Matt just had the bug that seems to be going around now.

So far so good Karen. The MO and staff show no concern for the fevers and such, so I guess it's normal? After the big scare of over 103 it's not gotten that high again (that's he's told me).
He had another dose of chemo last Thursday. We had a fairly quiet weekend with much of his spent in bed. Spirits are good though and that is half the battle.
It's still really hard to watch his weight continue to drop.
He's so frustrated with trying to eat with half a mouth of teeth, or the slightest spicy food burning that he's lost interest in eating. I wish he could see it's the cancer taking up all his energy and that to fight it he needs to keep his weight up! He's so damn stubborn where that is concerned.
He's already lost another 10 pounds in the last two months I'd bet. And laying in bed isn't doing anything for muscle tone.
Not a great sight. It breaks my heart that he doesn't do better.

Anyhow... Thank you for the prayers!
Hope that your therapy is going well and that things with Emmett are going well.

((hugs))

Christine

Hi Christine
Your welcome. I haven't been on site lately as we were OOT at our son's helping him build a garage. Quite the experience for our friends and relatives who were also helping to experience Emmett in full mode of frustration. He was the experienced builder our son Matt was relying on - but with difficulty being understood, the heat, the realization how little he could actually do physically was very difficult for Emmett and he had quite a few "blow ups". He told me at one point he needed more drugs - "they aren't working".

I know what you mean about the weight - Emmett's keeps dropping too, I noticed that he has no more fat on his body to lose, the ribs on his back are showing and his muscle tone is gone too. He wore pants and shirts while working in 95 temps so no one would see his body. His speech therapist has started working with him to "eat" yogurt and milk shakes during their sessions but he is not trying it on his own at home yet. Eating is my biggest issue - why is he not trying?

My therapy is interesting, I just talk, Onetime I actually felt bad when I left as he is a good man but to hear me talk it is all negative and that makes me sad. I thought she might tell me I need drugs but she hasn't offered any - just listens and offers short statements to summerize what I have said. Still I feel it helps for me to hear the words that have been my thoughts.

Things are going well for Emmett - he says he turned a corner several weeks ago mentally.

Take care. Karen