Let the Treatment Begin

We just got back from an assessment with Dr. Imus. He has decided that Jon is well enough to go through with the treatment. He was running very late -- over an hour -- so we didn't have a super long appointment but we asked a lot of questions about what to expect, if nothing else. Basically, he says he is confident that Hopkins can get him through this and then we will have to wait to see how he does after that. He is likely to feel pretty sick while his body adjusts to this. He will have even less immunity than he does now and he will be isolated from most people unless outdoors.

One of the big issues, as we already know, is that he is losing weight daily because of the thrush and  nausea. He will redouble his efforts to do the medicine every 6 hours. Dr. Imus says one thing we know for sure, it doesn't work it if isn't done right. We don't know if it will ever really work, but it won't work if you use it erratically. Alissa already said that, of course.

Tomorrow morning he is expected in the IPOP at 8 AM for his first treatment, which will be a very small dose.  Before that, we have to get a little bit organized but there will be plenty of trips back and forth, with Rebecca and me swapping out, so we don't ever have to be truly organized.

This feels like good news for now.  Obviously, waiting longer only lets Jon lose more weight and possibly get another infection or some other dreaded health issue. At the moment, he is as good as he is likely to be. Clear lungs, strong voice, clear head.  There will be no easy way for them to tell whether it is working (in a long time, they will do another PET scan) but that is a question for the future.

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