Saturday September 20

Hello.

Can you believe I am actually at home right now? It is the first night since Gary went into Hoag that I have spent the night at home. I am a little nervous. When I left the hospital Gary's core body temp had dropped to 94.7. The same exact thing happened last Saturday. What's up with poor Gary? He can't make his mind up - hot then cold then hot and then cold again! At least I know he has a great nurse tonight so I feel somewhat confident. I think I will call there soon to see how things are going.

Today was a mixed day. Gary had loads of pain BUT he ended up walked a whopping 140 feet! I was shocked and he did it all by himself! He even wore his SC shirt and put pants on today! I force fed him breakfast and lunch (HE HATES THAT) and tried to keep him awake most of the day. He had chemo today (Vinblastin and Methotrexate) and will get the other 2 drugs next week (Taxotere and Doxorubicin). Next weeks chemo is more harsh than this week BUT Gary will be HOME by then!

Gary is scheduled to come back home either Tuesday or Wednesday!!! I am not holding my breath but Dr. Barth feels that if things keep progressing than we will hit our target date!

I am really excited about bringing him home. I think it will be great for his mental and physical well-being. I know it is going to take some work and getting into a routine will be most beneficial for both of us. I am sure we will be in Dr. Barth's office at least 3 times a week during this crucial treatment time and that makes me feel better.

Dr. Barth has been wonderful. He is so attentive to Gary and he has been so great with our family. I can't say enough about him. He has managed to make our very complicated and tragic situation more peaceful than I had anticipated. He calls the shots and we trust him with every fiber of our being. We know that ultimately Dr. Barth is not the person responsible for Gary's outcome but it is great to know that God has provided us with a wonderful doctor who works very hard at trying to prolong Gary's life and even possibly getting him to a place where we could manage his cancer!

The boys need to get to bed and I have to get ready for church in the morning. It is great to be able to put the boys to bed! They are super excited that I am home and that makes both Gary and me feel good.

Pray that Gary gets the epidural tomorrow (yes, it was unfortunately post-poned) and that it helps to control his pain until Monday when we will attempt the nerve block once again. If all fails then Dr. Arata will see Gary this coming week and we will move forward from there (he iworks out of Dr. Barth's office).

Thank you all for your smiles and love and support and prayers! Keep it ALL coming!

Hugs and Kisses,
L