A tired day

It was a busy, but unproductive day today. The more we talked about all the information we have, the more questions we realized we still had. We are pretty sure we know the main treatment - Folfiri with Avastin. But, we are looking at some more options as well, including that same treatment plus hepatic infusion. But, MD Anderson does not do that treatment, so we need to find someone to ask about it. (We have only been reading about many alternatives such as this. The standard treatment today seems to be Folfox or Folfiri plus Avastin). Our understanding is that Sloan Kettering in NY is the place that is doing this hepatic treatment currently. Anyone know an oncologist at Sloan Kettering?

Also, we are getting some conflicting information on where to put the chemo port. Some oncologists are saying "sub clavical", and some are saying "jugular". We are looking at some studies currently that might compare different placements.

Kathie and Bob are still struggling with the decision about where to be for treatment. Dr. Eng at MD Anderson will only be a "consultant", and the main oncologist will be the one at their treatment location. So, the big question is, "where to go?" Lafayette seems like a good choice because Kathie has so many friends close by. IU (and most university medical centers) are a little further away, but have more medical technology (i.e. finer resolution ct scans). Plus, there is still a house being built in NC. They are going to need to decide if they will end up there in the short or long term. If they eventually end up there, maybe the treatment should start in Winston Salem at Wake Forrest Medical Center since that is where they would go if they move to their NC house. It is a very difficult decision for them. Please pray for them during this process.

The key is that they need to decide soon b/c chemo should start about 4 weeks after surgery. A week has already gone by. Next week is still a recovery week in Houston. That leaves 2 weeks to find an oncologist, have a chemo "port" put in, and have a surgery for the basal cancer that was found near her nose. A pretty busy schedule for anyone...

Today was a mixed bag for Kathie. She was extremely tired at the beginning of the day, and through almost dinner time. At that point, however, she woke up and was hungry again. Her energy definitely returned. She went for a walk outside, and by the end of the night, she and Cathy handily beat Eddie and Eileen in a game of Euchre. The other point of celebration for her today was her second bowel movement. High fives all around!

Tomorrow, Brian and Liz Hanley are coming to visit. They live in Austin, so it is a pretty quick (i.e. 3 hour) drive. We are looking forward to seeing them.