Hi Team Mark, I apologize for the length of time since the last update. The past couple of weeks have flown by. As we had expected, the first two weeks after treatment ended were going to be rough on Mark. He still has many of the same side effects. Each day he was getting a bit better, but has now had a rough 3 days. He is frustrated, but knows the healing is going to take time. The biggest concern now is still the kidneys. I am trying to hydrate him till he grows gills, as that is the best treatment to heal them. He has some upcoming kidney tests, and hopefully they will continue to show improvement. Last weekend we went to Palm Springs and stayed at our friends Jane and Bruce's home, as we had Mark's sister from Costa Rica, Mark's nephew and his wife, and their two children with us. Meghan, Maura and David came out for the weekend too. It was great R&R for all of us, in an absolutely beautiful and tranquil setting. Thank you Jane and Bruce. This had been Mark's first trip besides the daily trek to Anaheim for treatment since the end of October. Our downstairs remodel in Laguna is 95% complete (Hallelujah !!) and this weekend we moved back into our home. When we left the condo yesterday that we had rented, Mark said, "I'm leaving the cancer here....Let's go home." This week will be about getting the house put back together, and continuing to get him the rest he needs to build his strength and start gaining some weight back. There are a lot of upcoming follow-up doctor appointments, and then the big tests are still a couple months away to see if the cancer has been eradicated.
He is now eating 100% orally, which is HUGE, and the chemo doc said he is way ahead of schedule. Mark can hardly wait to get the G-Tube removed from his stomach. The one thing that hasn't changed, is the continued love and support from all of Team Mark. You continue to provide immeasurable strength to both of us. Love, Perry