On the Up and Up

Since Jared hasn't managed to post yet, I thought I'd fill in the curious.

The few days after chemo are always rotten for Jared. But they get gradually better and better. And this time, they'll just get better and better... and better... and better, etc. Celebrity Dr. Nichols says it takes roughly a month to get to 90% recovery (what about the last 10%? He didn't mention it. I wonder if it's like that last 10% of your pregnant weight that takes ages and ages to get rid of-?). Anyway, Jared should be able to eat like a horse come Thanksgiving. And hopefully he'll also be able to play football. And go to work. And do fun things. And give me foot rubs (did I say that out loud?).

As for lasting effects, there are a couple potential ones, and we'll just have to wait and see. He has some nerve damage and is losing feeling in his hands and feet. It was severe enough last week that they adjusted his drug regimen to try and minimize further damage, but it got worse anyway. Apparently your nerves generally recover in 6-12 months, but it sounded like if it gets bad, it could possibly be a permanent problem. We'll keep our fingers crossed (even though Jared can't feel his. ha ha! just kidding. that was morbid. sorry. Our lives are a black comedy lately and sometimes it leaks). Anyway, that and fertility. I guess we have to wait 6-12 months to find out whether he has any boys left after all this.

"But is he cured?" is the question I'm sure you're all asking (guessing based on live conversations). Again, we have yet to find that out too. In about a month they'll do another set of scans, and then we'll talk to Celebrity Dr. Nichols about what he sees. Hopefully nothing. Except a shell of a tumor (which apparently takes a long time to go away, even once the cancer is stopped). And then we'll have periodic scans for many years to come. As of now, though, we have every expectation that they'll find zero cancerous activity in a month, and we'll live happily ever after.