Updates from Wednesday

Just got off the phone with mom and dad, mom was a little woozy from a pill they gave her as she came out of her hyperthermia treatment tonight. She was about to be fast asleep, but she had the intestinal fortitude to stick it out long enough to talk to Caleb and Joshua for a few minutes. For some reason, their voices give her a little extra energy. They told her all about their new trains and Joshua's potty progress. It was great.

Hyperthermia treatment: The night before last mom made it for 50 minutes and her body temperature up to 101 degrees. The target is one hour and 104 degrees perfectly, but usually anything between 30 minutes and one hour is fine and helpful.

Today she was only able to make it about 25 minutes, but it was more because of her pain from laying down flat on her back then the heat. It really hurts her when she is on her back. Her lower back and hip really hurt a lot in that position. She got a little nauseated from the pain but settled back down. Dr. Ortega and Dr. Perez came to her rescue when the pain got too bad. They are going to sedate her from now on because the heat is not causing the problem, it's the pain of laying down.

Dr. Ortega is the Internist, and he will be working with her tomorrow on some cutting edge pain management for her lower left side - the side worst affected by the lymphedema. Dad said that Dr. Ortega is quite a comedian as well. They decided that one of the things that they want to do is get mom an Infusion/Transfer of healthy white blood cells when they find a blood match. If they get more white blood cells into her system with full immunity it will help her fight the cancer significantly. Dr. Ortega told her that a liter or two of "Mexican blood will fix her right up."

Mom's veins are small and deteriorating with so many needles and I.V.'s in a short time - So they are adding a subclavicle "port" as opposed to a little more invasive aorta/artery port. The more invasive port could last for years, and this "subclavicle" will last for a month or two for them to just plug into each time without having to stick her with a needle.

Sample tissue update:

This sample tissue issue we talked about could be worked out by today. The actual specialist/oncologist Dr. McGee (back in the States) works with for this kind of testing is going to come to Sanoviv to take care of the problem so that it doesn't have to be sent across the border. Incredible. Thanks for praying.

Passport update:

I'll be in contact with people in Washington and in Lee County, Virginia today after dad worked with them yesterday. I've got a package to receive and turn around that might take care of this issue. Thanks for praying.

Mom did not rest well on Tuesday evening, but she is not "jumping and jerking" in her sleep nearly as much as she was. Also, she can lie all the way back and on her side to rest. She has not been able to do this for a long time. Additionally, she walked all the way out of the room and to a patio, about 40 steps each way back and forth. She said that the chiropractor is helping greatly. Dr. Luc (Luke)! Dad said, "Dr. Luc, that's a great name for a doctor!" He probably thinks my dad is weird, but then again, maybe he is Biblically literate and knew what dad was talking about. We will follow this story.

Mom had a "spa treatment" for the lymphedema again and combined with the Acuscope electrical treatments it is opening original pathways of blood vessels and the like, pathways for healing and getting blood and lymph fluid back and forth in her body. She has had terrible swelling in her legs, hips and midsection. Dad said that her right leg is almost completely back to normal. The lower part is and the edema is almost completely gone in the top part. Her left leg is progressing as well, there was just much more work to go on it to begin with. Praise God!

Her Nutritionist (Johnny) is working on giving her an outline for ongoing nutrition after they leave Sanoviv. Mom ate fish and refried beans today (again, this is just incredible if you knew how she wouldn't eat anything before they left! By the way, Johnny is dad's buddy there. They hit it off as he was an athlete back in the day and he and dad watched the Super Bowl together.

Dad went swimming today. He said that a Mexican olympic coach did not spot him. There is a women's basketball coach and a softball player from Vancouver there at Sanoviv.

Dad likes to comment on the food - Looks great, especially the salads and the vegetables, but the problem is that "the dressings aren't very tasty" to mom and dad so they sometimes won't use dressings and eating salad with no dressing gets blah dad said. Also, he said that he had to go "cold turkey" since the rule is no in-between meal snacks. He does like when they have fish.