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Sunday, August 8, 2010

Boy Scout trip and a swollen leg.

July flew by. Carl went to Garner Dam Boy Scout camp (in Wisconsin, North of Shawno) with Tom, Anthony and Nathan for 1 week - Leaving Sunday, July 25 and returning Saturday July 31, 2010. They survived mosquitoes and tornado warnings and the food prepared by the Boy Scouts. (Meat sometimes burnt, sometimes raw, always an adventure, I gather.) He had a great time in the great outdoors, sleeping with critters crawling under his tent. Carl returned with fuzzy gray hair and a leg swollen up like a watermelon. (OK, maybe it wasn't swollen up quite that big.)

On Monday, August 2, 2010 Carl went in for lab work and to get some chemotherapy. Because his leg was so swollen, they gave his leg an ultrasound to see if there was a blood clot in his leg. Good News, no blood clot. Bad news (or is this good news?) no chemotherapy, at least this week.

On Wednesday, August 4, 2010, a bunch of Doctors discussed Carl at Froedtert's "tumor board". The consensus after the meeting of the Doctors was to continue with chemotherapy.

[Here is a fun aside. The Doctors have three main options for treating cancer. In some cancer patient's terminology, Doctors can Slash, Burn or Poison the cancer. "Slashing" is surgery, "Burning" is radiation, and "poisoning" is chemotherapy. I believe Doctors rarely refer to these options with the cancer patient's slang.]

On Thursday, August 5, 2010, Carl went to the oncologist's PT (Physical Therapy) lymphatic system lady. (OK, I should find out her real title). She showed us how to wrap up Carl's leg to ease the swelling, and a massage that may help his lymphatic system.

So tomorrow, Monday, August 9, 2010, Carl will be getting chemotheraopy. He will be returning to the five days of inpatient chemotherapy, featuring the drugs Adriomycin & ifosomide.

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