Subject: Chemo started today.

Wednesday 2/25

Brian's Web Site:  http://www.d0.fnal.gov/~hanlet/Brian/brian.html
The web site was temporarily unreachable for the last few days. It will be up
and running later this week.

Dear Friends and Family,

Tuesday was a wonderful day for Brian.  His fevers did not return and he felt
great!  He was in a good mood and spent the day exhibiting his usual sweet
personality.  He and Sara had fun together.  

He had the methaltrexate (chemo) through the spinal tap this afternoon.  It
was done in the OR so he did not have to experience pain.   This was the final
part of his last phase of chemo.  He has been vomiting ever since the chemo.
Prior to the chemo, Brian had a good day.

The mucousitis is gone.  He still has esophagitis (inflammation of the
esopagus) and C.dif (infection in his stomach).  These two conditions give him
a lot of pain.  Consequently, he is still on morphine which keeps him
comfortable.  Accidently his morphine line was shut done for about 4 hours
last night and he woke up in a lot of pain this morning.  It took a long time
for them to get him comfortable again.

Brian has 5 months remaining in his treatment program.  He is in a research
program that started in 1996.  He is number 139 to participate in this
research protocol.  The low number indicates the rarity of his type of cancer.
Harrison was number 31.

His next phase of chemo starts March 5th.  Between now and then, the doctors
would love to see him go home, but he still needs morphine and now is vomiting
again.  He is unable to keep down any oral pain medicines.

Stan is back at work and Steven is back in school.  They come to visit in the
evenings and then go home.

Praise God for Brian's 1 1/2 days of feeling good.  Thanks to God for the
disappearance of his fevers.  Pray that his vomiting can be brought under
control.  Pray that Sara's flu symptoms soon go away.

God bless you all.
Love, 
Susan