Thank you for all the continued prayers, thoughts, and kind words.  Although we wish the pain relief were more complete, we are very appreciative and grateful that these last two weeks have brought an overall decrease in his level of pain. 

He completed the last day of radiation on his thoracic spine last Friday.  We have learned that myeloma cells are very sensitive to radiation and die easily when subjected to just a low level.  Speaking strictly in terms of his thoracic spine, this has greatly helped in relieving his pain.  Since he did get such localized pain relief from the radiation, we have decided that it would be in his best interest to start some radiation on his lumbar spine (a relatively new area of pain), starting early next week.

He will wrap up round one of chemo on October 4th.  He starts round two on October 11, round 3 on Nov. 1st, and round four on Nov. 22nd.  If all goes as planned and the cancer cells have been sufficiently killed off, he will recieve a stem cell transplant in December.

Many of you are asking me how Kev has been feeling since the chemo.  In general, he is faring quite well, and has had very few days that he hasn't been able to function normally (as normal as his pain levels will allow).  He won't lose his hair and only has to visit the doctors office one time a week, the rest of the chemo being in the form of pills from the pharmacy. 

The other common question we're getting is when we'll know how the cancer is responding to the chemo.  Without getting too technical, MM has varying levels of response to chemotherapy.  There is a level called "complete response" wherein following the chemo treatments the MM is not even detected in the body.  The other levels of response are in decreasing degrees respective to the amount of monoclonal protein detected on blood serum screens.  Obviously, we are praying for a complete response.  We most likely will not know this information until he has completed at least 2 rounds of chemo. 

Some good news is that his blood counts continue to come back positive every week since our discharge from the hospital.  He, at this time, is not at increased risk for infection (and that is a blessing in our house since our kids are human petri dishes). 

Emotionally, we are on the "cancer roller coaster" and have our good days and bad days.  I go from feeling hopeful to angry to tearful in the span of a few hours and it truly is exhausting. 

We have the best family in the world and this has done nothing but bring us all closer together.  Right now the family is really rallying together and meeting everyone's needs (special thanks to our parents--you guys are absolutely amazing), and we are so very thankful and grateful for the continual offers of help from EVERYONE.  Thank you.

I continue to be humbled by the vast amount of readers to this blog.  As of today, it has had close to 3,000 pageviews. 

Lord, I pray that you will use me and this awful experience for your good.  Let our family and others feel the peace that comes from you--the only true peace.  Please provide wisdom to Kevin, myself, his other caregivers, and doctors so that these cells will continue to be killed and never return.  In Jesus' name, Amen.