Thurday night update by George

hello friends and family,

Janet is feeling a bit tired tonight, so she asked me to update the blog.

By the way, it's very nice that so many of you are contributing. If you're not sure how to do it, scan down a few entries below on July 1st where our son GW has posted a link {the words in grey: "invitation link" } that will help you sign on. It is a simple process: you just sign up with Google. Just type in your new password. As far as I know, they do not bother people with spam or junk messages.

Janet had coughing problems last night which impaired her ability to sleep. We are adjusting her position in bed and some medications to control this. Now that her medications have been rationalized from about 12 a few days ago down to about 5 or 6, we are better able to fine tune the dosages and frequencies. We are increasing her pain medications in particular. She has been reluctant to take as much as she could, but the doctors have repeatedly told her not to scrimp on them. Tonight I put my foot down on this and increased her dilaudid (hydromorphone).

The good news today was from her office visit to the thoracic surgeon. He had drained her lung and did the 4 pleuredeses in the hospital. He removed her chest tube 10 days ago on her next to last day in the hospital. Her surgery wound healed slowly because of the blood thinner, but it is OK now. Today he removed the stitches and reviewed a new chest x-ray that showed no fluid build up in that lung. We thank God for that small blessing. Our son G. W. took Janet to the doctor for this visit. Aleta and G. W. have been helping out in various ways and it's so nice that we are working as a team.
Today is the third day that Janet has taken her cancer attacking Tarceva. We have read that the first positive benefits may take 2 - 3 weeks, so we remain hopeful.

Carmel, thanks for the package and we appreciate the holy water. Let's hope it works. I shall pray it does.
Burak, the flowers arrived yesterday and cheered her up. That was a very fast delivery.
Glen, thanks again for the kinds words today.

Please stay tuned to this web blog about the prospective Saturday afternoon visits. If she had done it today, she would have been exhausted. Also, NO PHONE CALLS unless it is important. Each time the phone rings, there is a chance it is a physician with important information or lab results. Thus the phone ring often causes anxiety. Also, phone calls sometimes wake her up from a precious moment of sleep. I made only one call from work today, but it woke her up. I felt terrible about it afterwards. Thanks for your cooperation.

We'll have multiple postings on Friday and Saturday morning to give frequent updates on the possibility of Saturday visitations.
george