Hi everyone,

We just got back from our first appointment at M.D. Anderson (MDA). It went quite well - apparently we did really well in that we were only there 6 hours and only about 5 minutes of that was spent waiting!

Basically it all boils down to a lot of tests (PET scan, CAT scans, EKG, x-rays, blood tests) this week starting Wednesday (Joey is going to school tomorrow) and day surgery on Thursday to get the port for chemo and they will do the bone marrow biopsies while he is under the anesthetic. Then we have to wait for 7 days for the surgery wounds (neck one too) to heal before starting chemo - apparently chemo tends to "breakdown" wounds so you don't want any. So except for two minor appointments and some second opinion appts he will be off the week of Oct 15 -- he will get to go to homecoming and he will play in a golf tournament at River Oaks CC on the 21st, both of which were really big issues. Chemo then starts on the 22nd. He will be hospitalized for the 3 days of chemo and then will be home. He gets injections at home for 7 days and then goes back on the eighth day for a day of chemo. Then we wait for it to do its things and then or his "counts" to come back up and if everything looks good he has another 3 days of chemo.... At best about a 21 day cycle they say. He will do this for 4 to 6 months - he will be schooled through the MDA homebound program working with Fort Bend ISD for this semester. He is allowed to play as much golf as he is physically able since he is only around a small number of people when he plays.

All of this assumes his cancer is staged at intermediate and not advanced - we will know that after the PET scan results which we should get on Friday. So that is our current prayer. Amy is probably not coming home this weekend as planned - so continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers too.

Unfortunately with all the talking to doctors and scheduling and just stuff we have not responded to emails. Please know we are so very grateful for all of them and all the phone calls and support and prayers - I think that is why we have made it through this far so well and with so many great things happening. So thank you all very, very much.

Will update you probably after chemo starts unless something significant changes.

Blessings,
Cindy