Happy Saturday

Hi friends and family.  The ugly side of chemo has emerged...  Laura feels nauseous a lot and pukes occasionally.  At least she feels better with food in her belly so she mostly just snacks all day and doesn't eat real meals.  Maybe 8 to 10 little snacks eat day.  Hobbits are proud of her!  It's tricky since she is supposed to take her first pills in the morning before breakfast.  Every day it is a fight to keep those wicked expensive pills down.

Today will be the sixth day in a row that Laura and I go to yoga together.  In an effort to be as close as possible with her I have started yoga for the first time in my life and it's absolutely amazing!!  

Last night the kids (dogs included) and I went to watch the sunset on the beach.  Pretty sweet!  

Note Louis feet Resting on Laura.  The dogs take turns cuddling Laura in the couch in the late afternoon.

Week one of new chemo

Well we are still here.  Week one of the new chemo pills is done.  I think Laura is still having more reactions from the radiation then the chemotherapy.  She says her head is very funny feeling meaning she's a little dizzy and a little spacey. Mostly she's doing just fine.  Very tired but doing yoga almost every day.  The above picture is Laura and Rachel with four small dogs on the couch.  Not too much to report just wanted to give a quick update.  

Chemo again

We met with Laura's oncologist today, dr Raish.  He said to start chemo pills tonight and then the other biological agents tomorrow.  She takes the chemo pill twice a day on a full stomac and the biological agent once a day on an empty stomac.  

She does this for two weeks on and then one week off and repeat.  The dr. Said watch the side effects very closely since about 50% of people have to get their dose adjusted.   The most common side effect is hand and foot syndrome which causes a painful rash or cracking on hands and feet.

Laura is progressively more tired and nauseous from the radiation but doing alright.  Here is a pic of Louis just because!

Week off

Whole brain radiation is done!  Laura has a week off before the chemo starts!!!  The full effects of the radiation take a couple to 3 weeks to kick in so Laura is getting more tired each day but her spirits have been good up till yesterday when her hair started really falling out.  Intellectually with 17 or so brain rumors losing ones hair isn't really a big deal but it is.  It says cancer.  Laura has never been one to care too much about the western ideals of beauty- meaning that she didn't wear make up till she lost her eyebrows and such.  But it is hard for a woman to lose her hair.

We have had a good week though!  Friends gave us a night and dinner at a hotel on the long beach peninsula half an hour away.  We had a sweet mini vacation Wednesday night.  

Yoga continues to really help Laura and I have been going three or four days a week too.  It really is amazing. 

Last weekend, I drove down to San Francisco with Rachel, Jeremy and Mark to see two nights of the grateful dead.  We happened to be in San Fran during gay pride just after the Supreme Court made gay marriage legal. It was cool to say the least!  The shows were wonderful too! So fun. We drive home Monday and I actually slept in for several days this week catching up on sleep.

So happy 4th of July everyone!!!  I will listen to some music today down at a brewery and we will have dinner with John and Rachel Whisler I assume probably at our house.  On Sunday, we will watch the women's World Cup final in Portland and the go to a Portland Timbers soccer game. We wi spend the night in Portland at our friend Margaret's house she is letting us use and then a dr appointment Monday and Laura's firs t chemo pill...

Oh the kids you ask??  We don't see them too much. Ani has two jobs: crest motel breakfast person and big 5 sporting goods and Tim is at texico gas station every day but Monday's.  He will take a few days off later in July to do a little college tour with me. Though!!!  Peace out friends and family!!!