Monday, October 26, 2009 8:28 PM, CDT

Another win for the chemo, but after this morning at the clinic I believe Mark is on the way back! His breakfast consist of 2 IV bags of fluid, 2 units of whole blood, a new antibiotic along with his regular tummy shot and labs. He also came home with a 24 hour fluids pump . About lunch time he declared that he was ready for a steak. I told him that was just fine as long as it was clear and would fit in his soup bowl! His color is so much better as well as his spirits.

The much watched WBC had almost doubled to .07 - a very good sign. Allen, his afternoon nurse said it should double every day and he should be ready to harvest stem cells on Monday. What great news - hope all stays on that schedule.

Everybody reacts in different ways to this chemo regime. Mark is the only one that I have seen at the clinic to have this, but I know of others that have. I have seen lots of other reactions. The healthcare team doesn’t seem to think this is anything out of the ordinary and know exactly what to do to take care of him. They are on the ball!

Jamie has sent Mark some wonderful high protein supplements - it has kept him going. So good to have dieticians in the family - not just one but two!

It was another nasty rainy day in Little Rock, but we had to be at the clinic at 7 and 3:30 so the traffic wasn’t so bad. I told Mark to just close his eyes! I will be very glad when he feels like driving again - then I can hang on to the door and close my eyes!

This Monday was a busy day with a lot of "long timers" coming in for check ups - so good to see! Mark sat next to a Countess Faber von Castell from Switzerland, a beautiful older lady. She and her family own the Faber-Castell Company - make art supplies, pencils, etc. Any way that is what the nurses told us - they may be pulling our leg, who knows.

We had a very big reality check today with a visit to the pharmacy. Never having had to buy much medicine, we had no idea that it could be so outrageous - no wonder there is so much discussion of “prescription drugs”. Even with our good insurance it is shocking.

Tom and his Dad were at the pharmacy - Tom is looking and feeling good. We pray he breezes through this and can collect stem cells next week, too! I don't know if the apheresis unit can stand these two together!

It has been a very long day and I was just about to post this, but Mark wanted to tell everyone that he is feeling Great!

Amazing what a couple of units of blood and lots of antibiotics can do! Thank the Lord for his goodness and his protection.

Lots of Love from Little Rock! May God Bless You All.
Karen