Update on JB

  John's parents brought dinner over this week and ate with us.  We sat and talked about Breaking Bad the whole time.  =)

This is what Mason thought of Grandma Reba's bread pudding and ice cream.

Mom and Dad brought over dinner Monday night.  Homemade fried chicken and all the fixins'!  Always my favorite.  But the best part was dessert...nothing like peach cobbler. 

Dad and Emma had just had too much...

Mason decided to get in on the sleeping action. 

(Note John in the background working.  Trying the best he could to get work done before the chemo hit him.)

This guy was hungry.  Just helped himself.  

Baby Lawson came with his Mom and Dad to my office while I cleaned their teeth.  He didn't make a peep unless he was talking.  So stinkin' cute. 

It is freezing again outside.  Like freezing...

Jenna sent us home with another delicious meal.  

Brody feels the need these days to eat standing up in the high chair.  Obviously, we are going to have to retire it.  I draw the line at leaning over to try and open the pantry door.  That's how you crack your head open on the tile floor.  

He is also obsessed with John's protein shakes I make in the morning.  He refuses to do anything until I give him a cup of it.  

Well Mason is back at it again.  Every single morning he has to go lay with his Dad and bring him stuffed animals.  Every morning.  Brody won't start moving until his protein shake, Mason won't until he gets time with his Dad.  Then we have to start it all over when we get home if John is feeling bad.  Such a sweet boy. 

Speaking of John, Round 2 of chemo started this week.  He did fairly well Monday and Tuesday, but it hit him like a ton of bricks Wednesday.  Not so bad nauseated, but exhausted.  He can hardly keep his eyes open to talk.  I guess when your body is already knocked down, then start another round of chemo, it wipes you completely out.  

They did change the nausea medication they give him with his chemo.  They went with a time release medicine given Monday and Friday so it will hopefully last longer.  Today he feels pretty crummy and that should only get worse before better.  He is a trooper. 

We got his tumor marker test back today.  I have been anxiously awaiting its arrival.  His number was in the 70s in the hospital and normal range is 1-3.  Blood work was taken Monday and it is now 2.3!!!  This is the best news yet.  He will not have to have any additional chemo treatments than already planned.  Praise the Lord.  I am also anxious to hear what Dr. Weeks has to say about this.  It could mean only one more round of chemo, but maybe not.  Certainly don't want to get our hopes up.   Just so thankful the tumor has shrunk so fast.  

We also got the full pathology report back this week.  This was an extremely aggressive form of cancer.  The testicular mass was only 4.5mm.  That is tiny.  His abdominal mass wasn't so tiny (in fact, the pathology report said is hadn't spread, although we knew it had).  This all means the cancer had not been there long at all, maybe a couple of months, but had already spread so much.        

Basically, if John had noticed the mass, it would have been dismissed because that is not what your typical testicular cancer looks like.  If it had been dismissed, this very aggressive cancer would have  spiraled out of control.    Even when they saw the small testicular mass on the CT scan in the hospital, every doctor said it was just a calcium deposit and nothing to worry about.  Although the ultrasound and blood work proved otherwise.  

We are realizing more and more everyday that it was such a blessing he was in so much pain.

These boys are happy their Daddy is at least half way through with chemo.  

 Such a love/hate relationship with chemo.   It is so horrible and you just dread it, yet it is what is saving your life and you are so thankful for it.   We are just so happy the treatment is working and this will all be over soon.  

I think if we can get through this weekend, he will start feeling better.  Fingers crossed.