This week brings little news beyond our slowing down and scaling down our October schedule. The oncologist had Steve go in for a gastroscopy/colonoscopy on Monday, just to see what they could see. The gastroenterologist reported finding nothing surprising—lower tract looked on the whole fairly normal, but in the upper tract the primary tumor (at the junction of esophagus and stomach) is present –large, circumferential and "friable," which seems to mean "easily crumbled." I didn't ask, but I'm guessing that means it's not just a scar tissue shrunken by the radiation treatments last winter, and that if it "crumbles" that's a way it spreads? At any rate, that was the report.
We did go in for the chemotherapy on Wednesday, and after some saline and iron infusions (preliminary tests showed dehydration and anemia) the doctor asked Steve whether he wanted to go ahead with the chemo—which he did, so we did.
Steve is still feeling weak and tired—probably somewhat more so than recently. We are still going ahead with our family visit trip this weekend (at least I still think we are—it's 8 a.m. and we hope to leave around noon), but have canceled our other October travel plans. The latter is disappointing, but realistically he concluded that those activities would take more strength than he can count on having at this point. Matt and family will come here to see us next weekend; otherwise, we will pretty much be quietly at home.
In hope of getting this weekend's trip underway, I will stop short here. We will plan to keep you posted. Thanks as always for your interest and support. It continues to be much appreciated.
--Carol
