In Like Flynn--Cycle 7 has begun

It has been a long day. We started out around 7:20am (not exactly dark and early). There was a long line for valet parking so that took a bit longer than usual. Woody got into the clinic around 9:30am. He got called in for lab work around 10am (the nurse told us that yesterday people were having to wait for three hours to get their lab work done! We were glad that we weren't there yesterday! The back-ups were due to the holidays.) . And...then...we pretty much stalled out...or so it seemed. Dr. Sosman walked by when Woody was being taken to a room and he reminded the tech that he was going to be leaving shortly and that he would be gone for at least an hour...that was a little before noon. They suggested that we go get something to eat...well, duh...Woody is supposed to be fasting. So then they suggested that we go on up to get his Zometa infusion. Which we did. We got out of there around 1:30pm and headed straight back to Dr. Sosman's exam area. We were taken immediately into a room and it wasn't too long before he came in. He said that everything that he saw in the scans and with the labwork indicated that Woody would continue in the drug study. All melanoma places continued to be stabilized, except for one under his right arm and that had grown a couple hundreths of a millimeter. He did say that at a point if that place continues to grow that they would remove it...BUT having surgery would take him out of the drug study. Dr. Sosman said that if they did do the surgery, that he would want Woody to continue with the Temodar (the known drug that he is presently taking in the study). After Dr. Sosman examined Woody and talked with us for a bit, he left and the drug study nurse came in to see us and get the drug study chart and pill bottles that we were finished with for the 6th cycle. She had already ordered the chemo drugs. So we left the examining room and went back to the inner waiting room to wait on the drugs to be brought down from the pharmacy. Woody took his first dose about 3:20pm and we headed out to get the car. And, were pulling away from Vanderbilt by 3:30pm. We did make two stops in Murfreesboro. One to get gas and the other at Melany's to drop off some Christmas gifts. We got home a little after 5pm...rather hungry and worn out from a long day.

The above picture was about the last that I snapped today...and the only one that I got out of the car to take. We were looking for the bison and they weren't where they usually are and THEN I saw this one perfectly silhouetted on top of the ridge! Of course, by the time we realized the photo op...we were a bit beyond the ideal place to stop and there was a car approaching from behind...so Woody found a good turn around spot and headed back...and let me get out to take it...I was thankful for a very warm coat!

Woody will not take any more chemo pills this evening...due to how late he took the first dose...so at Vandy, he just took what would have been today's morning dose. Then tomorrow he will start taking chemo pills morning and evening. THEN he will have to take the evening dose that he missed today at the end of this "pill cycle"...confused? That means 1 dose today, 2 doses for the next 6 days, and 1 dose on the 8th day (I think!).

We are glad to be back in our warm home relaxing...and getting ready for another cold day tomorrow...and then still more cold as the week continues...but MAYBE S N O W on Thursday!