With Paul's transplant underway, we'll be holing up in our Stanford apartment at least for the next few weeks. Every day, we go off to the Stanford Cancer Center to have Paul's labs checked, replace his hydration bag and re-visit whatever meds he might need to combat nausea, pain or infections. Depending on his lab results, they may also have to do a blood or platelet transfusion. Our time at the Cancer Center usually takes 2-3 hours, then back to the apartment. Paul has been pretty nauseated and fatigued most of the time, and unfortunately they project things will get worse before they get better. But, it's all part of the plan to get Paul's new stem cells engrafting. After he's been released to go home to Berkeley in January or February, Paul may be able to get out and about by early March and even have a few visitors.

Tim is holding his own, but also fairly fatigued. Besides driving Paul back and forth to Stanford, he's trying to mix it up by getting out of the apartment once in a while to do a short jog or even buy a few groceries. Because Paul is so vulnerable to infections, Tim also has to be vigilant whenever he goes outside the apartment. Tim's PET scan in early January is looming, and that will help determine what his next course of treatment will be.

Unless there are dramatic developments, we may not post to the blog as often and just huddle in our nest for a while. Thanks again for all your continued love and support.

Hummingbird nesting in a Smoke Tree (Psorothamnus spinosus)
Calcite Mine Slot Canyon, Anza Borrego State Park