Jim just finished his 2nd week of part time work and did really well. I thought he would be really wiped out after 2 weeks of 20ish hours each, but he has done great. The pneumonia, antibiotics and chemo really took a toll on him a few weeks ago and he struggled for quite a while with no appetite, weakness, and weight loss. He did an at home sleep study. We haven't gotten the results, but he slept horribly being hooked to the equipment. They offered to have him try again since it wasn't a "normal" night of sleep, but he was pretty sure he would have a bad night any time he was hooked up. We will go in April to get the results. When we met with the oncologist he decided to keep the chemo dose the same since this last time was somewhat rough and see how it goes. All of Jim's bloodwork looks good and he will be doing 5 days of chemo starting March 26. We will be going to Moab for Spring Break that week and look forward to enjoying some warmer weather, outdoor activities, and relaxing. Tomorrow Jim has his follow-up lung CT to make sure the pneumonia is completely resolved. We will schedule a brain MRI for the first week of April. Jim has done a little driving and could probably be doing more, but we are taking it slow.
 |
| Celebrating Ezra's birthday |
 |
| Ramen date for Ezra's birthday |
Jim's follow-up chest CT for pneumonia on March 21st showed at least 90% improvement. There may be a little atelectasis or scarring in the left lung but he says he feels 90% better as well. Our week in Moab was really nice. We had a good time with my parents, great weather, enjoyed a couple days in Arches National Park and one day in the Island in the Sky part of Canyonlands National Park. The boys really enjoyed swimming and hot tubbing, playing pool in the lobby, and having beautiful weather to enjoy a relaxing week. My favorite part of the time was our hike to Delicate Arch. Historically, the Springer boys have not been great hikers, despite their athleticism. However, on this trip they did a great job. The sights in Arches and Canyonlands are awe-inspiring.
Jim started a 5 day round of oral chemotherapy on the Wednesday of our trip. We made sure to plan our busiest days for the first part of the trip and more time relaxing built into the end of the trip. He felt somewhat fatigued and lost some appetite, but it went quite a bit better than the cycle before while he was on antibiotics for the pneumonia.
Once back from our trip Jim planned to attempt a 40 hour work week and I think he ended up just one hour short. He also had an MRI which was a big deal because it was the first MRI since undergoing radiation and chemotherapy. Thankfully the MRI showed some decrease in tumor signal which would indicate response to treatment and no other signs of abnormalities in the brain. We are so very thankful for this good news. We met with the oncology PA who felt like Jim could go on a higher dose of chemotherapy since his bloodwork looked good and he didn't have too many bad side effects from it. So for his next 5 day cycle, starting April 23rd, Jim will do 400mg per day instead of 300mg.
This past week was Jim's 2nd week of full time work and it was somewhat exhausting for him. He went out to work 3 days in a row and the first 2 were 5am mornings. He needs to continue to prioritize his sleep and health while being able to attend meetings and other job functions. Jim has also started driving more and has been getting himself to the work park and ride lot on his own.
Last Saturday we got to visit the new office building in town that Jim's office will be moving to. The construction and furnishing is done and it looks great. It will probably be another 2 months before it is functional as they get all the technology and security up and running.
We will meet with the radiation oncologist on Tuesday and on Friday Jim has appointments with the neurologist and ophthalmologist. He is also meeting with our church's director of men's ministry about sharing his story at an upcoming event.
Busy Spring soccer schedules have started for Emmett and Elliott. They have both played 3 games in addition to twice weekly practice. We have had fairly decent weather for watching games and both teams are doing well. Seasonal allergies have also begun for Jim and I and that is a little rough.
 |
| Easter baskets |
 |
| The only one to do an Easter Egg hunt this year |
No comments:
Post a Comment