Saturday, August 16, 2008

Vacation

Greetings from the middle of nowhere Colorado! We are about 3 hours south of Denver in beautiful mountain country. We've had a great time catching up with my friends from business school, and are getting ready for the wedding this afternoon. Yesterday, we went white water rafting on the Arkansas river- class 3 & 4 rapids. It was the first rafting experience for both of us, so we felt the need to jump overboard for the last 300 yards of the trip. Needless to say, it was the coldest water I've ever felt and I swam to shore as fast as I could! Dan fared better than I did, and floated down the river calmly. We missed horseback riding this morning due to the rain, so if anyone wants to go once we're back to DC, count us in!

As for the visit with the doctor... it was a good consultation. The doctor spent a lot of time with us looking at Dan's historical scans. We didn't find a miracle cure, but then again, we weren't expecting one. Many of you may not be aware that the survival statistics for lung cancer, even in a non-smoker as Dan, are dismal. So, we know that Dan has exceeded clinical expectations, although it's always weird to have that told to you. What this means is that the drugs that Dan has been on so far have worked well, but also that his cancer is very slow growing.

The doctor recommended going back on an oral treatment that Dan was on briefly a couple of years ago, but in a much lower dose. Dan had a bad reaction the first time he was on the drug, but the doctor advised starting at a much lower dose. He gave us a lot to discuss with our treating oncologist, so we will go back and weigh the options. The truth is, Dan will probably be on all available options in his lifetime, but the trick is figuring out in which order they should be administered. There is no clear roadmap, so we all have to work together to figure out the best path. And of course, we will need the continued support and prayers of as many people we can get since there is no quick fix. We will probably come to a decision in the next week or so.

Hope this post finds everyone happy & healthy and on vacation!!!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Meg, Thanks for taking the time to post the doctor's comments and the article about Leroy. My sympathies that your friend has passed on. people we get to know only a short time can still be a blessing. Hope you and Dan have had a fabulous week away. Dan has a brand new neice born Aug. 15th. Love, Cicily