25th Treatment Day

Tuesday June 10

Today started out taking Peter and Amber to Bellefontaine Cemetery in north St. Louis.  This cemetery the final resting place of many of rich and famous of St. Louis particularly in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  There are many private mausoleums with intricate designs and stained glass.  Also the cemetery  has many fine funerary art sculptures through out its grounds.  I picked up a booklet at the main office on the way in which explained who many of famous people were.  By about 10 minutes in to touring around the cemetery I could tell it had peaked Peter's interest.  I am sure he did not expect that.  When we got home he did searches on people who were not in the booklet whose graves or mausoleums had something of interest.

The afternoon was booked.  First had an appointment medical oncologist, Dr. Donegan.  The appointment went well.  As this will be the last appointment I will have with him until after surgery he laid out what will be the followup treatment plan which will include about 5 months of infusion based chemotherapy (fortunately at this point it anticipated to be biweekly).  He also wanted me to have another iron infusion so my blood will build up more prior to surgery.   He then said he wanted me to have an MRI on my liver, as some spots had been noted on original CT scan and the liver is one of the first places my cancer will spread to.  Alarms go off in my head, my mind assume the worst.  Not how I wanted that appointment to end.

Then had an early radiation treatment as I showed up early and the scheduled people had not arrived and they did not want to fall behind.  I was done with the treatment 20 minutes before I was scheduled to start.

Then had my final appointment with my radiation oncologist.  He explained how the treatment would be slightly different the last three days as it would be more targeted right on the tumor.  Like always his appointment was very short.

Late this evening M.E. and her classmate, Kate (who happens to be dating my younger son Patrick) arrived for the rest of the week.  I don't think we have had this many women the house ever

Except to now having to do an MRI the day was good.