Cape Cod Christmas

This is Kevin and I am hijacking the blog once again.  There are many details to fill you in on since the last post.

Round three of four chemos was completed last Wednesday, and the PET scan was last Thursday.  Patti wanted to take her chemo "week off" at the Cape to hibernate a bit before Christmas so on Thursday AM we had the PET scan and went off to the airport.

The PET Scan results were a mixed bag - no new cancer but still had old cancer.  Overall, the doctor said it was about the same as the initial scan.  Back to chemo next week as planned.

Hibernation was going as scheduled through the weekend, but on Tuesday it got a little extreme.  She was very lethargic and also not very coherent - like a bad drug reaction or something.  We talked with the Atlanta doctors and decided to get her over to Cape Cod hospital to have her checked out.  That was on Tuesday afternoon.  The doctors discovered that she was extremely dehydrated, had almost no white blood cells, and elevated ammonia levels in her blood - a side effect of a liver that's not working too well - which was causing her to be very disoriented.  All in all, she was not feeling well, so they admitted her.

She is still in the hospital today (Friday) but she is feeling much better and I hope to get her hope today or tomorrow.  At dinner last night she was sitting up and talking - after dinner we took a little walk around the floor - so she is making great progress but still needs a bit of rest.  They are giving her IV fluids, antibiotics and something to get rid of the ammonia, and the view is not too bad either.

As luck would have it, the doctor told me that she couldn't travel for a week or so with her white cell count so low - so we are staying up here for Christmas!  Patti always wanted a Cape Cod Christmas - so this is our year.  It was a little short notice, but all the girls and boys in Atlanta are coming up, and KB and Geem have changed their flights from Atlanta to Boston so the whole family will be here - Patti is very thankful that we will be together.

On Thursday AM I let the Cape Cod neighbors know that we will be stuck/hanging around here for Christmas.  When I returned from the hospital Thursday after lunch, there was a wreath on the door - what a nice gesture...

  

But when I walked in the house.....

The entire place was cleaned and decorated with a real Christmas tree - fully lit and filling the house with a piney Christmas smell - unbelievable!  I was trying to think of who could pull this off, and on such short notice -I later found that the Obed Brooks and Hillcrest Elves were out and about.

I was overcome with the thought that we have so many friends and family who would do something so special for us - for Patti. We are so fortunate to have these people in our lives.  I really wish I could express the feelings we have for you all but I can't find those words - you will have to trust me on that one.

Merry Christmas and thank you everyone.