Hi everyone,

Just a quick update with the latest news:

Ken is bouncing back from this last round of chemo! (Thank heavens. It got pretty rough, again, with another blood pressure drop to 60/40, due to a potassium deficiency.) The last day of this last round of chemo was 10 days ago, so he's moving into really good territory, now. He had a great weekend, and actually enjoyed the heat wave, because the chemo has made him so sensitive to cold that the extreme heat felt really good to him! It was so nice for Ken to just sit with the door open, to smell the grass and the trees, and to feel the warmth. Good stuff!

Last I heard, May 28th is the date that the next set of scans will be performed. We will learn a couple of things:
1.) How much is left of the esophageal tumor
2.) How much is left of the metastases to his spine and pelvis

I called today, to check on him, and Inga was giving me a run down of all the solid foods he had just eaten. (Eating solid food is a real mark of progress for Ken.) He had eaten fish, shrimp, sloppy Joe's and ice cream. Ken then said "I hope I don't throw this up". To which I said "Well, if you do, just get a plate, because I'm sure the cat will eat it!" It made him laugh. Hearing him laugh is like music to everyone's ears.

So - I'm sure Inga will have more to tell you, as soon as she gets a chance. Meanwhile, I thought I'd put this little update out here, to keep you posted, and to say "thank you", for caring about Ken and staying interested.

We hope to see you all, later this summer!

Laura
(Ken's sister)

P.S.
Ken's son, Matthew, is graduating from Lutheran High School next weekend, (ceremony on the 30th), so we're all really proud of him! Kenny's little boy has become a man. Where does the time go??? If you look at the pic in this blog's 'About Me', it's actually a picture of Ken and Matthew, on Matthew's 12th birthday, when Ken took him for his first motorcycle ride. (Matthew looks exactly like his mom, Debbie, in this photo!) Right after this photo, Matthew started to sprout up, and he didn't stop. He's now tall and thin, with very chiseled and handsome features ...like is daddy!