Happy 70th Birthday!!!

There have been times that I wondered if Mark would be here for his 70th birthday. Today, December 28th, we CELEBRATE!!! 

This past year has certainly taken a toll on his body—he is quite frail, often nauseous, and gets easily fatigued, but he is not in pain, his mind is clear, and he has not been in the hospital for three weeks. That’s quite an accomplishment! He does have fevers that come and go, but it could be a side effect of the meds, Braftovi and Mektovi. Even though life isn’t what we would prefer, we love the time we get to spend together! 

In a couple of weeks, Mark will have a CT scan to see what is happening with those tumors. Since he is still on the targeted therapy, we won’t know which is doing the most good—that or the T-cell therapy. Either way, we pray that something is causing those tumors to shrink and go away. 

May the coming year 2022, bring many good things your way!  

With love and appreciation, 

Ane & Mark

Happy Holidays

So far, the pill antibiotics are working. I'm generally getting a good night's sleep and doing pretty well during the day. Although, some days I am so tired I have slept all day and night, too. There are still bouts of nausea, dizziness, and weakness. The course of antibiotics will end tomorrow. We are checking my temperature regularly to catch any signs of new fevers or infections. Hopefully, they are gone and we can stay home through the rest of the year and beyond.

Ane has all the Christmas decorations up and it is delightful. She collects nativities, so we have lots, and it is sweet. What a joyful time of year!

Thank you for your warm thoughts and faith-filled prayers. We need them now. There are early signs from CT scans that are hopeful, showing some tumor shrinkage and others, at least, not growing. We will know more definite results in mid to late January when a PET scan will be done.

If all goes well, you may not hear from us for a bit, so, just in case, we hope you have a wonderful Christmas or Holiday and a Happy New Year!

80 Days

 Today was Mark’s 80th day in the hospital in 2021 (I miscalculated in the last post).  He was taken off IV antibiotics on Saturday, put on oral doses, and monitored for 48 hours. A CT scan showed some possible infection in the small airways in his lungs, but there’s no pneumonia, and he has had no more fever or chills. He will stay on oral antibiotics for 10 days. The good news is that he got to come HOME!! We’re praying that he can stay here for a long time! He was home for 8 days in October and 10 days in November. We’re hoping for 25 in December (the rest of the month.)

He’s weak, doesn’t feel good much of the time, and his tastebuds are tweaked, so it’s hard to find anything to eat. He gets a bit discouraged at times but does his best to smile and show his appreciation. We’re finding joy in this beautiful Christmas season. May your hearts be filled with love and peace throughout the holidays.

Back Again!

Mark was discharged last Wednesday a week ago from St. Vincent Medical Center after we were taught how to manage IV antibiotic infusions independently. The first time or two we changed bags was stressful, but we finally got the hang of it. 

How delightful it was to be with family over the Thanksgiving holiday. We hadn't seen some of them for well over a month, so it was a treat! 

Mark had his last dose of IV antibiotic around noon yesterday, and last night he started a milder oral antibiotic. He wasn't feeling good this morning but thought he was just tired and needed more sleep. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible since he had a 9 am appointment with Dr. Taylor. By the time we arrived, Mark needed a wheelchair to go in because he felt so weak. When his vitals were taken, we were surprised that his fever was almost 102! Although he hadn't had chills, the fever could indicate infection. Dr. Taylor didn't want to take any chances, so he requested that Mark be admitted to Providence Portland Medical Center. A hospital bed would be available later in the day, so Mark was taken to a private room in the infusion area of the cancer clinic, where he was given IV antibiotics. Once the antibiotics took his fever down, he felt much better. Although/ most of Mark's labs looked good, there is obviously something amiss. More tests will be done. 

We're so thankful that Mark's fever spiked while we were at the appointment. If it hadn't, we'd likely have had to go through ER again, and that's certainly not our preference! 

Since visitors are not allowed in the infusion area, I went home to pack. Mark was taken to a room on our beloved 7th floor, the cancer wing, by late afternoon. Have I mentioned that Mark has been in the hospital for over 80 days this year, (Oops, I miscalculated--it's only been 75 days so far.) But, of course, that doesn't include the many days spent in radiation and other appointments! Yep, the hospital feels more and more like home, away from home.