How did you spend your summer vacation?

Don't you just love last minute vacations? With the upcoming chemo regimen as well as the pending stem cell transplant, I asked my doctors if they would be ok if I got away for a few days of rest, reflection, socialization with friends as well as a little solitude. I thought they'd poo poo the idea, but to my surprise, they said, "Great idea. When?" So, after redeeming a few rewards miles, 3 days later I'm on a plane to Pawleys Island.

Sorry for the time between blog posts, but frankly I've  felt so good the last two weeks that there wasn't a whole lot to report in the first place. Hence, the desire to scamper out of town and enjoy a change of scenery.

A gorgeous sunset after dinner at K Rae's.

Early morning kayak trip through the tidal creeks and marshes of Pawleys Island.

On the tennis court for the first time since March. I played like it too.

This week though, I am back in the hospital for a 5-day stay, and the chemo is dripping again. This will be the exact regimen as the 2 previous rounds of chemo. That is a 4-day, continuous 24-hour drip of various amounts of cisplatin, etoposide, adriamycin, and cyclophosphamide. Complicated formula, but it is working, and both Dr. Zhong and Dr. Tse are happy and satisfied with progress to date. The week before vacation, we completed the stem cell harvest, so that was a success, garnering 14 million stem cells over a two-day period. Dr. Tse was looking for 10 million, so we over-delivered on that expectation . . . a good result.

All in all, it's been a hectic couple weeks. But the real test is the chemo this week as well as the actual stem cell transplant in early August. I keep praying that things go just as well in the forthcoming weeks as they have in the past couple months. Thanks so very much for your ongoing prayers and support. I feel them working and the power of God's grace and goodness is on full display.