An update from guest blogger, James. Stine has finished her fasting period and is on the 5-FU portion of her 4th chemo cycle. More tired than usual, but that may also be due to a new treatment she is trying. Appetite is good: homemade chicken soup tonight, with strawberries, blueberries and heavy cream for desert. There are also a number of changes to help with her mouth/tongue that will be implemented this course including aloe vera juice and an oral wash with topical anesthetic. Most of these will come into play 2-3 days from now. 

Some very good news on her blood cancer markers. All are in the normal range, so no need for a CT scan until the 6th cycle. That means one less trip to the hospital- which given these turbulent times also reduces risk. However, with respect to her WBC’s and platelet counts, these have dropped significantly below normal. That isn’t unexpected for these treatments and I am thankful they have stayed strong this long. With help from our friends and family, I think we have a good regimen in place to keep her as safe as possible.