RESULTS OF CT SCAN

Yesterday we saw two separate cattle drives.

This was one of the Cowboys along the Hoback River.

This afternoon about 3 p.m. Nurse Judy called and gave me the results of the CT scan from yesterday. Thank goodness the scan showed no mass or tumor in the neck or anything unusual about the lymph glands. However there may be a small clot there. The port area didn't seem to show anything else significant, no clots around there or the back or lungs. It did show some calcification in the aeorta, but not of any importance or that could cause problems.

There is still evidence of a tumor mass around the head of the pancreas. She didn't say it was larger or smaller than last time. She said the tumors and lesions in or on the liver do seem to be less than last time. That's about it. I won't know more details on any of this until I see Dr. Ward on the 29th. They don't seem to be very concerned about any of this. Judy called Dr. Ward with the scan results and to update him - and I'm sure they will send the pictures to him on the computer. He said I should continue on with the chemo treatments every other week as I've been doing. Boy, I'm sure getting tired of going. The next treatment will be next Tuesday. On that day they will do an ultrasound scan on my neck to check the possible clot. I will ride the shuttle so I have to call to make sure when and where to meet it on Tuesday.

Dr. Meno told me at my last treatment when he checked my neck to take two oxycontin in the morning and two at night for the increased pain I was having. Today I'm having less pain but my left arm, hand, ankle and foot are quite swollen. Since I thought I was feeling better I went back to one oxycontin pain pill in the day. If I feel still better tomorrow I'll go back to the pills I had been taking before all this started. Dr. Ward is sending me a new prescription in the mail for pain medicine.

By afternoon the hand and arm look more normal. My foot is still swollen, perhaps a little less. I'm drinking lots of water to flush "stuff" out. My right side is not swollen. And I did take one pill yesterday for water retention, I may take some more of that. They apparently think that it's best to let the body work through all this on its own. I am hoping that that possible clot is just going to dissolve on it's own. Just in general I haven't felt as good with many of my symptoms as I had been. Some ups and some downs, that's usual. Many are unpleasant, although still bearable so far. Anyway they haven't slapped me back in the hospital or anything like that. Still getting along o.k. and enjoying many of the things we've been doing. It does help to get out and about and see people.