Things are going well here in Phoenix. It’s been a whirlwind since we arrived. They started Will on many different treatments right away.
We found out that Will has fluid around his right lung and will have that drained soon. He is also going to have a blood transfusion in the morning (June 11th) because of a very low red blood count.
They definitely keep us busy at the clinic with IVs, lymphatic massage, colon therapy, many other treatments, classes, counseling… but with all of the activity Will has been able to sleep really well. Even after only a few days there are small signs of improvement. Will was able to get in the car Saturday morning with a little more ease than usual and the pain in his shoulder has decreased. Even though all of the activity is exhausting… he’s doing it. A couple of months ago there is no way he would have been able to do what he’s doing now.
It’s still a constant back and forth, which I imagine is to be expected… there are these small signs of improvement and yet there is always the glaring tumor on his chest. I’ve grown to be thankful for this one tumor. It’s the only one we can see. This tumor on his sternum has become our gauge to see if things are improving or not…we can’t know what’s happening inside, but we can see if this tumor changes.
What all of this means, we don’t know. But, we’re thankful for these small improvements and we’ll take them for what they are right now.
Will is working so hard, which is not really that surprising. Working hard has always been a trait of his, but the stakes have never been higher or the adversity he faces each day more intense yet he’s doing it and has been now for months. He does everything he is asked to do. We have been the first ones to class at 8am and stay at the clinic until early evening. Even with the pain he endures with every small movement from getting out of bed to brushing his teeth to even having to lift his legs with his arms to get them on the foot rest of his wheelchair…he does it and I could not be more proud of him… or more thankful to all of you for giving us the opportunity to be here. Not only have the interactions with the doctors and nurses been encouraging, but being able to sit and talk with other people facing cancer has been very comforting and encouraging as well. We feel very thankful to be here.
