Its been awhile...

Since we've been in touch! First we want to take a moment and wish everyone a joyous and happy holiday season. We especially thank you for all your care and concern for our family this year. You don't know what you need until you need it....and having so many good friends to carry us through has been such a blessing.

Now for the health update. Things have mostly been status quo for awhile now. The swelling of my Dad's eye is an ongoing issue that remains bothersome. So much, that a trip back to see Dr. Kersh, the Oncology Radiologist, was made to determine if there was something wrong. My Mom and Dad have a great rapport with their medical team and the visit to see Dr. Kersh was well worth it as he was very reassuring about my Dad's progress. He thought that my Dad looked good overall and was pleased to see that the left temple area had decreased in size, which he sees as a further sign that the radiation is working and shrinking the tumor. The swelling around the eye is most likely caused by a lymph node damaged during the radiation process, and could continue on for awhile. So, the dreaded prednisone is still a must for the time being to help with the swelling. However, my parents left the Doctor's office feeling very encouraged and relieved that the swelling is not indicative of something far worse than a damaged lymph node.
The next scheduled tests are on January 8th. They are for a PET scan to check if the cancer has returned anywhere, and a MRI to determine the shrinking progress of the tumor. Then, in February my parents will finally get to go on the Hawaii trip that had to be cancelled when my Dad was first diagnosed. They are pleased to have been able to reschedule the trip and are very much looking forward to it.
Lastly, if anyone saw the Budweiser horse commercial that was posted to the blog - that was a homework project gone awry. It was supposed to have downloaded to another place on the computer.... but as Jacquie said, I could have just been trying to symbolize my Dad's perseverance! Anyway, just a funny little oops....
Merry Christmas! Love, the Daniel family