It's a long story and I'm delinquent in telling it!

We had seen the oncologist at MD Anderson on November 17, Marc was doing well and was started back on the oral chemotherapy. The oncologist said he thought that they had rushed it changing him to the IV chemo and felt that with no new tumor showing on the MRI that it would be best to change Marc back to the oral chemotherapy and on a regimen of 5 days on chemo every 28 days. He started the oral chemo again on November 19th.

The chemo seemed to hit him really hard and he started getting weaker day by day. He was still going to outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy each 3 times a week but even with the therapy he just became pretty much debilitated. By November 30th it was all he could do to get from his recliner to his wheelchair. That night he started sounding congested in his chest and by 5 in the morning his breathing sounded "wet". I checked his oxygen saturation and it was 76%, a normal is 95 to 100%. His blood pressure was elevated and he just didn't look good. I tried to get him up into his wheelchair and was unable to so I called the ambulance. Needless to say, he was admitted to the hospital.

He was hospitalized on Tuesday and diagnosed with diastolic congestive heart failure. With treatment his condition improved but he had become so weak that he could barely stand with the assistance of 3 physical therapists. He was discharged on Friday back into rehabilitation.

The first couple of days in rehab his congestion increased again. A chest X-ray revealed bilateral lower lobe pneumonia and he was started back on antibiotics. Fortunately he has quickly improved but remains dependent on oxygen. If he is off the oxygen for any time at all his oxygen saturation goes down to the 80s.

The last 2 days he has shown significant improvement and today was able to walk from his room to physical therapy, about 150 ft, and only had to stop to rest a couple of times. He stays up all day now and his spirits have improved. I have included a couple of pictures; the first was taken yesterday and the second today. I couldn't get him to smile much for the pictures but if you look close you can see the start of a smile on the right. He is now cutting up with the staff and acting more like his old self. He actually does smile a lot now and it is so good to see.

We are hoping that he will get to come home Friday and if he keeps improving at his present pace, that should not be a problem.

We want to thank all of you for your prayers, support, kind words and actions. We couldn't have made it this far without you! Please continue to keep Marc in your prayers.

Merry Christmas to all from: Marc, Marcia, Steve, Julie, Brayden, Annie and Abbie.