So far...

Maura had one of her new chemo drugs today. We were only at the hospital for four hours! And she seemed to feel pretty good after it was over.

New

Maura starts chemo tomorrow, but things will be quite different. She will take two new chemo drugs, and she will no longer take the two chemo drugs she had been taking since May. Not sure exactly what the new regimen will look like, but it appears there will be no more chemo-filled backpack to take home each night. Yippee!

Kings

Maura is home. New York was awesome, hanging out with her sister most of the time, and she saw some friends there, too. On Monday she spent the day on the set of Kings, a new TV show, loosely based on the life of David, set to air on NBC in March. How fun!...sitting behind the director during the shoot and getting to use his headphones; making small talk with the actors, receiving a kiss on the cheek from Ian McShane, and taking lots of pictures with Chris Egan. How cool is that?

Doctor appointment this Tuesday to find out where she stands.

Waiting in New York

We are still in a holding pattern for at least another week. Dr. B. is giving Maura's heart a chance rest and heal. For the first time in nine months, Maura's schedule showed no appointments for almost a week, so Lydia's friend arranged for her to fly to New York on a buddy pass! Thanks, JoAnne! Maura is freezing, but free. She's feeling pretty strong, given that it's been five weeks since her last chemo round. Not quite sure about what she's doing, but she and Lydia are having fun, and I believe Lydia has a few surprises planned.

Good News/ Bad News

Maura's most recent CT Scan showed that her tumors continue to shrink. However, her heart scan and lab work show that her heart muscle may be starting to weaken due to the toxic effects of one of the chemo drugs. She starts some heart medication today, and chemo will be delayed for a couple of weeks pending further evaluation. Platelets are still languishing.

MD Anderson Blood Drive

I haven't confirmed this yet, but I was told that Gateway Baptist Church in Spring (corner of Rayford and Fox Run Blvd.) is having an M D Anderson blood drive this Tuesday, January 6, from 10-4. If you donate at this blood drive or at another MD Anderson location, email me for Maura's medical record number.
And, again, if you can find the time, please think about making the extra effort to donate platelets. I know I sound like a broken record, but I was shocked last week when I observed first-hand the effects of a shortage of blood platelets at the hospital.