Remember Miracles happen:

https://www.wral.com/lifestyles/travel/video/17529378/

Well, as of yesterday morning the blood CEA level (marker) was down to 4.5 not counting the current three day cycle. So, while >2.5 is still positive for metastasized cancer, the CEA count on 5/24 was 141.4. On 7/3 it was 42.3. On 7/31, it was 13.4. As of 9/5 it was 6.9. As of yesterday morning it’s 4.5. Crazy wonderful!

Please keep praying. I’ve said it a lot but I know I’m getting a miracle or hundreds and honestly with all the people praying, thousands of them. Please please Keep praying. We are so very blessed.

The only bad news is this “permanent” chemo is killing my kidneys and liver. But I think those can recover. The doctor is pushing me to drink tons of water. I do already but I could do better. It’s hard when even water makes you feel nausea but I can and will hack it for my family, and for all of you and those praying. I owe it to you and to God.

Love to you all.

Don

Thank you for the update Airdrop.

Go Don Go!

Praying for that miracle for you!

Mentioned in my prayers Don and those numbers show progress In my heart I believe prayers from good people helped Keep going M8
.Chemo can be rough..I lost my hair and teeth started coming out..So now I'm bald ,,decided to keep the bald head and wear dentures but still Alive

Airdrop ...."Well, as of yesterday morning the blood CEA level (marker) was down to 4.5 not counting the current three day cycle. So, while >2.5 is still positive for metastasized cancer, the CEA count on 5/24 was 141.4. On 7/3 it was 42.3. On 7/31, it was 13.4. As of 9/5 it was 6.9. As of yesterday morning it’s 4.5. Crazy wonderful!"

every day i give thanks Airdrop and I'll continue to mention you as well

Hold the line Airdrop. Yep, chemo is a nasty foe. It will take a bite out of you, but those are battle scars. Continued prayers and positive thoughts of strength and courage for you and your family.

Airdrop, will the doctors allow you to drink carbonated water? My favorite drink over the past few years is something called "Sparkling Ice". I've been completely off of soda pop for a year now. These drinks are made in Washington State and they are flavored, carbonated water and I love them. They are one of the few carbonated waters I like because either these kinds of water taste like seltzer water or the flavors are barely discernible. I don't care for all their flavors but my favorites are the Grapefruit, Orange Mango and Peach Nectar. I find the carbonation helps my stomach too so maybe that would be a help with the nausea. Plus they are just water with some vitamins, no sugar or calories or anything.

".I lost my hair and teeth started coming out."

Geez! I lost my hair, but not my teeth! Yeah, it's some strong stuff, but it saved my life, too. Glad to see you're a fighter. It's easy to just say, "Screw it all," and give up. Plenty have. Every minute you spend with your family reminds you why you want to stay.

Cisplatin?

That's the one I had. A liver killer, they gave me some other drug halfway thru every treatment that made me pee like crazy. Said it was to try and save my liver! Don't remember the name of the stuff, I just know I had to walk with my IV stand to the head at least 4 or 5 times every chemo session/

Have they tried Zofran or Meclazine ? I had some success with that. Lots of crackers and flat ginger ale too.Get yourself some really soft tooth brushes too.

Pot helps ALOT

Ignore the idiots, it REALLY does...and IMO, it won't make you want to sell your wife and children into slavery, or who knows whatever other idiotic stuff is associated with it at this point. Helped me ALOT in chemo and and radiation.

Love you man, keep on keepin om!

When counting on God is the only choice you have, God is counting on you to be Courageous Don and see that the battle is already Won. Ask in Jesus' name that the nauseousness be taken away, believe you receive it , and it will be yours. Mark 11:24. Give Thanks for the Healing that God is doing as He even takes away the nauseousness resulting from the chemo.

Be Blessed Don and Receive everything God has for you, especially His Caring and Love for you.

I’ve got oxiliaplatin, fluorouracil and leucovorin in my poison regimen.

I’ll try those drinks too. Can’t hurt!!!

The zofran helps the most. Part of it is just everything tastes terrible and the smells alone are enough to knock me over!

Thanks!!!

Drew, I’ve been praying faithful and believing prayers. They’re working!!!! I just need to not falter in the belief and to keep it up. It’s not easy but I have surrendered it all to Him.

Unfortunately, I know you can't have anything cold. So, no Popsicle's. They are not joking about the cold stuff, I screwed up a couple of times, and it was unreal. The electrical shocks in my mouth scared the hell out of me. The metallic taste is not fun. Wintergreen Lifesavers candy helped a little. It is amazing how much your taste and smell senses are changed.

A trick I learned was eating with plastic forks and spoons, something about non-metallic substance on tastebuds.

Of course mine were being irradiated along with the lovely chemo flavoring...

But I am here to #%&*$# about it!

Hang in there Don.

I never had any "electric shocks" but if I tried to drink anything the least bit cold it was as if my throat were closing up. Very scary.

So, I haven’t been feeling well the past two weeks. However, today I feel excellent. So good, in fact, that we had my daughter’s fifth grade friends come over for a camp out in the back forty. Many of them haven’t ever camped, or even started a fire. We showed them how to build a fire, and in fact built several. The first we lit with a magnesium bar and flint. The second we lit with 2 D cell batteries and steel wool.

I showed them some backpacking tips, show them how to put together a small survival kit, with some very basic things. They drank water out of a life straw from a muddy pool in the yard from the rain. They pitched a tent and are now playing cards in it by their fire. They are getting ready to roast hotdogs and will have Smore‘s later. Of course, I’ll probably be in bed for the Smore‘s but my wife will supervise.

They also got a kick of something that surprised me. I let them try some MREs whch I’ve used while backpacking for short three or four day treks where carry everything in and everything out – because they don’t need water- i’d prefer to save the heavy water I have to carry for drinking with the life straw option as a last resort - other than minimal amount for the heater and drinks if you want the drinks/shakes - and they heated them up themselves with the ration heaters, managing not to burn themselves, and actually ate the food. I told them these were about 1200 cal per meal. I told them don’t make this a habit and less you are letting your backpack across the woods for three days – or otherwise in need of mediocre processed formed sausage patty, etc.

Anyway, the point is with the cancer and chemo I am unable to go actually do these backpacking trips right now, so this was a really great date for me to talk about all these things and teach these kids. It was really a blessing.

I hope you all are well. Have a great weekend.

Don

PS – please excuse typos as I did this with voice dictation on an iPad. My fingers are pretty numb lately and I am wearing gloves almost all the time. God bless. – Don

Still praying.