Here we go again?

We are back from another long day at Vanderbilt--left the house at 10:30am and didn't return till 5pm. It's hard to be gone for such a long time when you don't feel well--but Woody made it there and back and he is now back in his recliner.

We probably spent more time in waiting rooms than with the doctor--but that's the way it goes so often with doctor visits. Dr. Sosman is encouraging Woody to continue with the next set of 5 days of treatments. Left up to Woody at the moment he would pass on taking any more. Dr. Sosman inferred that more positive results are seen when infusions are taken in both of the 5 day time periods. Dr. Sosman was sure that Woody would be feeling much stronger by next week! Woody looked at him rather questioningly! And, if labs are pretty close to normal then Woody would be given a green light for more IL-2. So we are to go back to see Dr. Sosman next Tuesday (Mar. 3) for him to check Woody out and make sure that he is strong enough. Woody will have blood work done again that day. Then if everything checks out ok... AND IF Woody is agreeable to it...Woody will be checking back into Vandy the next day (Wed., Mar. 4) to under go the second set of Interleukin 2 treatments.

This is the first time that any "magical" number of infusions has been said to us. But, today, Dr. Sosman told us that they like to get as close to 20 infusions as possible. I'm not sure that Woody is up to another 8 or not! He had really about made up his mind that he wasn't going back for any more. Again, time will tell.

I just checked his lab report online and the creatinine levels are almost back to normal. Praise God!

The doctors encouraged him to keep drinking lots and also eating--as he has lost weight--he gained in the hospital due to water retention from all the fluids pumped into him, but has now lost that weight plus more. I told them that I was "trying" to get him to eat...but that it was difficult to tempt him these days! They realize that things just don't taste right to him.

So prayer suggestions...I guess...for wisdom...both for the doctors and for us; for Woody's strength to return; for his body to continue to return to normal levels; and for peace of mind for Woody in the decision that looms before him.