Back in Oregon

Hello Family and Friends,

We are safely back in Oregon after our very relaxing week in Mexico.  What a transition!  Yesterday was a very busy day for us.  I had my rescheduled appointment at Oregon Health Sciences University for a bone density test that we cancelled two weeks ago because of snow.  The medication that goes along with the cancer treatment can lead to a dangerous reduction in bone mass.  Even though I take special supplements to combat this effect, it is very important to establish a baseline and continue to monitor for loss.  The drive across town in the fog was much more exciting than the test itself. We didn't get lost, and took only one unintended detour.  Thanks to Garmin, it was only temporary.  Then, after some shopping and preparing a nice dinner at Erika's, we made the move into what will be our  "home" for the next couple of months.  Thank you Rob and Susan Thomason for making your beautiful home available to us.   We are nearly settled in.

Today we took advantage of what appears to be the last good day, weather-wise, for awhile.  Kathy and Erika took a nice walk in a nearby park, while Brad and I played a round of disc golf.  Then Brad and Erika joined us in our new home for dinner.  After sharing their home so often, it felt really strange visiting with them in our own space, then watching them walk out the door to go home.

Everything so far has been the lead-up to the first actual radiation treatment session, which is planned for this coming Monday afternoon.  It will be a lengthy session called "setup and verify", whatever that means.  From then on I will go in five days a week for a 15-minute treatment, with the weekends off for good behavior.  It will be really interesting to see what happens with the "verify" portion of the session on Monday.  Between the medication and a radical change in diet - more on that later - many of the symptoms which have been bothering me for the past year and a half are greatly diminished. To me, that indicates that the tumor may have shrunk, prior to receiving any radiation treatment.   Our feelings continue to be very positive toward the treatment I've received so far, the beneficial life-style changes the diagnosis has prompted, and the ultimate outcome.

Thanks, as always, for your continued prayers and support.  This is particularly important to us as we approach the actual radiation treatment and all the unknowns that will go along with it.

Shalom,
     Barry and Kathy