Chocolate Malts for Breakfast

Dear Family and Friends:

Thank you once again for your continued prayers and support.

We were in the hospital from Monday through Friday Jan. 10 - 15 because of stomach pains and inability to eat. Cody is doing better and better each day. Monday was his last day of radiation! Yeah! Yippee! Wahoo!! Also his last day of chemo for a month. this time off will give him/us time to recover from this last phase of treatment and prepare him mentally and physically for the next phase of chemo.

This last go around in the hospital was traumatic for him (us too). He was really stopped up and the ordinary remedies were not working. He had a choice of drinking a liquid concoction every hour on the hour for 24 hours or a hose down his nose to his stomach with a 24 hour drip. He chose the hose because he does not like being woke up in the middle of the night. When the hose was inserted, he had a panic attack and checked out mentally and really wished he had made a different decision. He felt short of breath and very uncomfortable. His eyes glazed over and his body slumped in submission. He didn't want to eat or engage in anything...just sleep. It was very scary to see him in that state. So for all of us, it was a long 24 hours. Once the tube was taken out, his whole attitude changed immediately. He has been a trooper through this whole thing. Can't say I would do as well as he has.

On February 14, he gets admitted to the hospital to start his next phase of chemo. He will have to stay in the hospital a day or two as he will be on an IV drip with this chemo treatment. He will get this every 6 weeks x 2, 4 weeks X 1, another 6 weeks X 2, another 4 weeks X 1, another 6 weeks X 2, another 4 weeks X 1. During this time, in addition, he will receive the same chemo he has had during the first phase of treatment once a week, 3 weeks on, 3 weeks off. So according to my calculations, we should be complete by 1/15/07.

As each day passes, his appetite is increasing. Our plan is to fatten him up in this next month with Chocolate malts for breakfast loaded with protein powder, fruit smoothies and anything else we can encourage him to get down. We let him eat whatever and whenever he wants. A lot of it is hit and miss. Needless to say, I have gained weight, eating what he hasn't.

We are looking forward to this time off from treatment. He will be having an MRI on February 9th to see the results of radiation. Please pray the tumor and all of it's relatives are all gone and not a trace.

Dave seems to be "over" his stones as he has not been in pain for about a week now. (Thanks for your prayers for him too). He will be doing some follow up doctor visits this coming week.

Thank you again for your continued prayers,

Dallas