6 WEEKS - and then?

Its hard to believe I've not posted anything since March - a lot has happened on the 'family front' since. The last scan was one of these 'good news bad news' scenarios, good news being that most of the tumors have continued to decrease in size, if only marginally. The bad news is that one in the lung (of all places) has increased quite significantly, and they see this as a precursor that the others will stop their decrease and begin to increase in size again, possibly rapidly. How they determine this i'll never know, but i guess they've seen a lot more case histories than i have.
The specialist was keen to start the next round of chemo as soon as possible. We decided to have a 6 week break (with his reluctant blessing) as the next round means a lot stronger dose, with side effects that are horrendous, and almost certainly inevitable. You might be just about to have your lunch(?) so i wont give you the graphic details, other than to say i would be spending a lot more time in hospital while they counteract the debilitataing side effects, and keep my immune system from collapsing. Even then, they admit this is only buying me time, the tumors will inevitably grow back again, into a more resisitant strain, calling for a stronger dose (brand?) of chemo, followed by even more disastrous side effects.
So there you have it - in six weeks we will have to make the decision. I think in my heart i already have, but i am going to be giving the diet and supplements a big 'fine-tune' and see if we can surprise the hell out of them come the next scan. Forgive me if i'm not my usual positive self, but the consequences looking forward are, in human terms, pretty bleak.
We'll continue to live one day at a time, we'll continue to live by faith, we'll continue to pray and seek spiritual guidance and wisdom, we'll continue to share our lives as openly as possible and enjoy the company of friends and family, without whom our lives would be so much poorer. I have to keep reminding myself of the grade 4 diagnosis in Jan last year, where I was told 12 to 18 months was all I should expect. I look back at the journey so far, and its been quite a ride, a huge learning curve in all sorts of areas, (from cancer treaments to childrens book publishing!) as well as a wonderful time of bonding with a growing and supportive family. Not forgetting the opportunities I've had to serve in all sorts of areas at church and the wider community.
So hang in there with me. We're not giving up, we'll continue to fight the good fight, and you're a crucial part of it! Keep praying for a miracle, for wisdom and discernment, for Fay and the family as they process all this new information, and for everyone who is going through tough personal times and life threatening health issues.
Isn't it great to know, and have the assurance that we are not alone?