January 16

Hi,

We've had a relatively uneventful week, for which we are very grateful! Denny is regaining his strength through outpatient physical therapy and following an exercise schedule here at home. He still naps a couple of times each day, but it doesn't seem that he has that constant groggy feeling all of the time like he had before. Although he won't be returning to school for the third term like he had hoped, he has been talking to and meeting with the woman who is the long-term sub for his classes. It's good to see and hear him talking about all of that subject matter.

We went to his weekly appointment with his oncologist today and she decided to begin the weaning process of the steroids. We are hoping that the third time will be the charm! She is reducing the amount from 8 mg/daily to 7.5mg. He'll stay at this level for at least two weeks. She'll assess him weekly and continue to check all of his blood tests at those visits, so hopefully, he can look forward to getting off this evil, but necessary, medicine.

Many of our questions have no answers, i.e., what's going on with all those blood clots in his legs and lungs? The answer is that maybe they will dissolve or maybe they won't. Is there a connection between the clots and the steroids? Maybe, maybe not. And so it goes. So, we just go from one day to the next, doing what we've been told, and hoping that one day we will be able to figure out the reason for all of these unexpected and unusual setbacks.

After Denny's next round of chemotherapy, there will be an MRI to see how the tumor has dealt with everything. We pray that the debris visible in the last MRI will be gone, and that what remains will be small enough so that the stereotactic radio surgery will become an option again. There's no lack of things to pray for, that's for sure.

Thanks for your interest in Denny's progress. We cherish your calls, notes, and e-mails.
Stay warm!!

Love,
Carla