Monday Dec 11 Update

Today got even more interesting. It was my day for hyperthermia and IPT. In the IPT treatment I got the usual Carnivora, but also UKrain, which I also had last Wednesday, AND today they added a dose of Navelbine, which is a kind of chemotherapy. The three complement each other, so it is a very aggressive approach to the cancer. The dosage of chemo is not big enough to be likely to cause any adverse reactions, but it is strong enough and given at the precise time in the hyperthermia treatment to be very effective to treat the cancer.

I have to tell you a funny thing. The doctor came in and told me he was making jams in the oven and asked if I’d ever done that. I have only made one kind of jam before in my life and it was in the freezer with strawberries. I was sweating in the chamber, but he was making me drool thinking of my frozen strawberry jam. I asked him if that’s what I smelled that smelled so good, and could we have some? He said sure, but I said, won’t it have too much sugar? He said, it was all very natural and healthy and sweet without sugar. I was wondering what would be legal for us to spread it onto, but decided to just wait and see. When I got out of the chamber I asked the other patients if they’d had the jam yet and they all looked at me like I’d fried my brain in the chamber. So, I told them about the jams; they had a really good laugh! In Mexico they pronounce ‘y’ like ‘j’ and he was talking about YAMS! Thankfully, I really love baked yams, so I was still in for a treat; it’s just another of the comical memories we’ll take home with us. They had asked me today, “What time is ‘jur’ baby coming?” They miss Gretta, too! I should have caught onto the yams deal, but I guess I was just ready for something sweet and jam sounded so right!

FYI, the ultimate goal here is for the tumors to dissolve and leave my body. If they shrink, that will be good and the beginning of them dissolving and leaving. The first step is to stop the growth; we think we’ve accomplished that. They feel like they are softening to me, so that is the next step toward shrinking. If I am progressing in that direction when this month of treatment is over, then I will continue with oral treatments at home when we go to Hawaii. If we are not satisfied with my response when I finish here, then I will pursue treatments in Hawaii. I’ve already talked to the director of the oncology department at the hospital near where we’ll be in Hawaii. I have a list of doctors. I’m ready to attack this in Hawaii as women there do if what we’ve done isn’t working, but I fully expect this protocol we are doing to at least give us a running start.

This has gotten too long, so I’ll go take my bath and call it a day! Love and prayers . . .