The Password Is--Phenomenal

Jerry's in for his third round of chemo, and both Annette, and Dr. Siefker seem pleased with Jerry's response so far. Nolie said that they were "amazed," and that Annette said that when she told Dr. Siefker that Jerry is still not taking any pain medication--at all-- Dr. Siefker's face "lit up." I always try to clarify these adjectives that Nolie throws out, and both Nolie and Jerry remember Dr. Siefker and Annette using the words "phenomenal" and "amazing."

Nolie and Jerry had to find an ophthalmologist Wednesday because Dad's left eye was red and runny. It turns out that that's kind of normal, since Dad had his cataracts removed right before starting chemo. They refilled his eye drop prescription, and all is good with los ojos. (I got the Rosetta Stone Latin American Spanish software for Christmas).

On the day of scheduled chemo, Dad goes in to have blood work done, to be sure that he has recovered sufficiently from the last round to undergo another. While it is not expected that Dad's blood work levels will be "normal" for a healthy person, there is a "normal" for someone who has undergone a couple of rounds of chemo. Dad's BUN, which has been a problem in the past, was significantly lower again this week, and Annette remarked that Dad's results were more consistent with a much younger person than Jerry having undergone the same regimen. I'm calling this good. I know in the past many health care professionals involved with my Dad's care seem incredulous that he is not on oxygen. He's pretty tough.

Dad is so tough, that he's shot himself at least twice that I know of, and I overheard a conversation once that leads me to believe that he may have shot himself three times. Those crazy gun totin' Fooses. I think I remember hearing a story once about Grandma shooting a snake that was hanging out in the sandbox with Jerry. Nolie saw a snake in the backyard once while Jerry was in Tel Aviv on business. She did not bust out a pistol and kill it; She called animal control and sounded pathetic enough that some poor guy came to the house on his off time on his way home from work. Nolie and Jerry were having the attic re-insulated at the time and the Animal Guy unrolled a roll of insulation across the patio and told Nolie that snakes won't crawl over anything that is rough on their bellies. I think he made that up to make Nolie feel OK so he could go home. The best part is that Nolie originally thought the snake was dog poop, until it reared its head and started to squiggle across the patio. Don't even get me started about the raccoons coming down the chimney.

Here is a picture of my parents taken on Tuesday January 9, 2007 at their house during Wayne's 40th surprise birthday party. Aren't they cute? Nolie tells me that Jerry's beard is still hanging in there, and the hair on his head is not falling out. His hair is supposed to be all gone by now, but again, Jerry is tough.