Third induction phase - Day 12

One more week before Jonathan goes in for this fourth induction cycle and it's getting tiring.  The good thing is that we got some excellent news yesterday.  We met with the doctor in charge of Jonathan's care to discuss the results of the tests for reevaluating his tumor.  The meeting went well and we found out that Jonathan is responding well to the treatment.  His primary tumor has shrunk by 80 percent and the other spots on his body has also responded as well.  This is excellent news and paints a much brighter future for us and for Jonathan.  At least we have some concrete information that things are going well - besides what we have suspected for a couple weeks now.

The plan is that by the fifth induction phase for the secondary spots to be gone and for the primary tumor to have shrunk by 90 percent.  If that happens then Jonathan goes in for surgery to remove the remaining tumor and then one more induction cycle (round of chemotherapy) to get rid of any remaining cancer cells.  Right now he still has tumor cells in his bone marrow and secondary sites, for example, his legs - but as the doctor says, "Jonathan is doing great".

Other than that - Jonathan is doing fine.  His white blood count continues to drop - with it dropping to 1.x yesterday.  So I guess I was celebrating a bit too soon when his count was 5.x.  Jonathan also had a nose bleed on Wednesday afternoon and we had to take him into the day hospital for him to get a platelet transfusion.  We suspect that the nose bleed was because his platelet count was very low - at 18 - and since the nose bleed was from the same nostril with the NG tube - the irritation coupled with low platelets, i.e. not being able to clot, was the root cause.  What was interesting was that while we were waiting at the hospital Jonathan cried blood from one of his eyes as well.  Let me tell you - I have never seen that before in my life - and it sure wasn't a nice thing to see - but apparently the doctor was not alarmed and fortunately it didn't happen again.  Jonathan is now on a five day course of medication to help with his blood clotting and he is also getting a blood transfusion as I write this journal entry.

Other than things are going okay with us.  I've been doing some tests with my psychologist and although I know my clinical prognosis - it took me by surprise to actually hear the results and see for myself how I respond to things.  My own plan over the next week or two is to start exercising my brain.  I need to start getting out of this 'rut' and moving forward.  I need to start preparing for going back to work in mid-April.  My biggest fear is that I go back out to work and I 'trip' out and insult someone and end up getting fired.  I know my psychologist thinks I should not go back out to work - at least definitely not now - but with my private disability insurance preparing to deny my claim - after taking more than four weeks to process it in the first place - I have to face the inevitable.  I'm hoping the next two / three weeks are enough time to get back to normal and if not - I'll trust in God and know that things will work out.