Papa and Annie all pooped out after all of the Thanksgiving activities while Abbie tries to figure out what's going on!

Well you can tell who tuckered out after all of the Thanksgiving activities. We had a wonderful holiday with Steve, Julie, Annie and Abbie; unfortunately Brayden was visiting his Dad so he wasn't here. Steve even helped get all the outside Christmas decorations up, so it looks like Christmas at the Budges'.

Unfortunately, we just thought that Marc would be starting the chemotherapy and radiation therapy this week. The radiation oncologist decided that it would be better to wait another week to be sure that everything had healed from the second surgery before starting the radiation therapy. The chemotherapy is taken orally every day that Marc has the radiation.
We are tentatively scheduled to start on Monday next week. It is probably just as well. Marc is healing fine but the high doses of steroids they are having him take are giving him some unfortunate side effects. He has only been sleeping 3 or 4 hours a night so, needless to say, he is exhausted. The steroids are also causing him some anxiety. We went back to the Dr. yesterday and he gave Marc a prescription for Xanax to help counteract the side effects of the steroids. He actually slept about 8 hours last night and was only up two or three times, so it definitely helped. So after a few nights of good rest he should be ready to begin the daily therapy. I know that we both just want to get this started, the waiting is terrible. We are not bored by any means as Marc is still going to speech therapy, ophthalmology appointments and other Dr. appointments.

I am just thankful that my work has been so gracious to let me be off with him when he needs it. I am hoping (and needing) to get back to work, at least 6 hours a day, starting the week after next. That way I will be sure that he is tolerating the therapy well before I start back. I hope to be able to work until about 2pm every day and then come home to take him to his therapy. That way if he has any problems immediately after therapy, I will be home with him when they occur.

Well, that's all for now. I'll write more next week after the treatments get started.