Hello again, to all of Ken's cherished friends who are checking in on him, via this blog. It's amazing and heartwarming to know that you're out there, reading, and to see the hit-counts on the site!

In short, it's now time for Ken to take a breather! It's been a rough seven months. So, Ken's taking a break, and that means no chemo and no radiation. Instead, Ken will be taking time to relax, to heal, to gain back some weight, and to get to feeling a little better and little stronger, before he jumps back into the fight.

Ken's due for his third monthly treatment of Zometa, which is the osteo drug that rebuilds the bone, kills the cancer that is in the bone, and shuts out any new cancer cells from getting into the bone. Amazing, huh? With the cancer having spread to Ken's spine and pelvis, these treatments of Zometa are very important. I'm hoping that, after three consecutive months of treatment, we'll see an improvement in the bone mass, and a reduction in the amount of cancer, in the next scans.

The good news is that Ken hasn't thrown up for over a week. This is really wonderful! And, his blood counts are holding strong. The only bad news is that the chemo treatments, over the last few months, didn't kill the esophageal tumors the way that Ken's oncologist hoped that they would. So, when Ken is stronger, the plan is to try a different chemo-cocktail, and go after those esophageal tumors, again.

So, here's the current plan:
Rest
Get stronger
Gain weight
Back off on the pain meds (cuz he's gettin' a little loopy)
Have another Zometa treatment
And then, decide on the next steps, in a couple of weeks, or so.

Thank you, so much, to one and all, for your sincerely concerned inquiries and your kind support. It means a lot to Ken. He wishes that he felt better and stronger, so that he could take calls and visits. Though just not yet, we're hoping he will be able, soon. All of you, who watch this blog, will probably be the first to hear of it, when it happens!

Love and thanks,
Laura (Ken's sister)