Talked to Dr. Godwin late yesterday afternoon. He said that where we are in the process, we could expect one of three things: no change; growing; mixture. He said we're in the mixture category; some are worse, some are better. Said the radiologists who did the CT didn't give him measurements, so he couldn't tell us definitively on same. He said they "clearly" weren't a lot worse; that he believed the ifosphomide had given a good result, but not good enough. He wants to switch to doxirubycin beginning next week. Jo and I have a concern over that one b/c it is hard on the heart and when she had her original chemo treatments she could only have one more dose before she had reached her lifetime maximum. She expressed this concern to Dr. Godwin; he said we would have echogram done before then (it is now, in fact, scheduled for 4 pm tomorrow) and we would review it before beginning the chemo treatment. Presuming it still shows she has good heart muscle and all appears to be well, we will begin the treatment on Weds (it will be same as before; 3-? days in the hospital). He said they'd drip it very slowly and monitor it very closely and, if there appeared to be any problem arising, they'd stop it immediately. (Jo's heartrate is already higher than normal and the supposition has been b/c there's a large tumor resting on the pericardial; I expect to question him further in our appt on Tuesday. We will also question him further re her PICC line since before she's always had a port. They have been having trouble drawing blood through the PICC; when she had the port, they couldn't do the chemo unless they could get blood return through the port.)

We continue to drip the IV daptomycin and do her oral medications (which includes the potassium 'horse' pills) and will administer the last of that on Tuesday morning. We will see Dr. Godwin Tuesday afternoon. At this point, I don't anticipate renewing the IV, but I do believe they will continue the orals that she's on. Over the past couple of days, she has had some chest tightness on the right-hand side (yesterday she said if she had a cough, she might think she had pneumonia). However, she says it isn't 'different pain' than she's had before; it's just different in that it used to be there only when she rolled over in bed-now it seems to be there all the time. She doesn't feel it's anything to go in for right now and we'll talk to Dr. G on Tuesday, unless, of course, it gets worse and then we'll go to ER or Prompt Care if it isn't during normal business hours. (She knows her body very well and is always intelligent about going in when she needs to, so I usually leave those decisions to her.) We have been taking it easy inside away from the cold and wind; reading a lot, watching a few movies; and today, admiring the sun shining on the heavy frost that's coating all of our trees and bushes. We had some anxious moments Tuesday and yesterday regarding whether Kara would get to work and back without accident, but God is faithful and watches over all of his flock. We are truly grateful for his continued care.

One of Jo's favorite Bible verses: Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." One of mine: Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Please continue to hold us up in your prayers and we shall do the same for you. Take care and God bless ...