Every day, things become just a little better

It's about time for an update. I just returned after driving about 1,250 miles to Ruston, LA, site of one of Judy's most favorite mountain bike races, the Piney Hills Classic. Wow, it was another great race, but we had to work pretty hard with not only Judy absent this year but two key members of the timing crew as well. But everybody pitched in, and it all came off without a hitch.

While I was gone I called Judy several times a day. A number of friends came by to give her company, help her with her shower, administer the antibiotics, and even take her out to Michael's to buy some craft stuff. She is now at a point where she can take a shower by herself, even applying the waterproof cover for her central line (through which she is going to receive daily antibiotics until at least this Thursday).

I am so proud of Judy: She has been a model patient. She is doing a few things around the house, but everything in just very small portions. She is taking her naps and is really taking things easy. She has been working diligently on her caloric intake, and even though eating is still the weak point, I think that she's doing a little better. We're still bothered by the nausea that sets in every time right after the antibiotic has been adminstered. Tonight she threw up some of the peanut butter that she had eaten. Right afterward she cried a little, and I sure was glad to be here to hold her. I told her that she'll just eat a little more of the peanut butter and that it's really not a set-back.

I can't believe how strong her attitude continues to be. She's not afraid of the chemo but a little apprehensive since she doesn't know how she will react. Jimminy, I'd be scared s***less in her situation! And she is just a "little apprehensive"!

This Friday, on Halloween, we will see Dr. Phillips and get the run-down on the chemo. We expect that her first treatment will come as early as next week. I think we both are ready to get started with the second major stage. Let's kill the bastard while it's weakened from having lost a lot of its sorry bulk to surgery. Judy hopes that the antibiotics will be stopped on Thursday so that she can, as she said, have a little holiday from the nausea before chemo starts. Maybe some of her appetite returns by the weekend and we can have us a nice meal together--even if she eats just a fifth of what I'll wolf down.

Good to be back in town after this last of this year's mountain bike races for us. Only one more race, the Half-Ironman World Championships in Clearwater (FL) in two weeks, are left for me this year. Yeah!

Jürgen