We've mostly been lying low over the past few weeks, but we have managed to get out for a few walks in nearby trails along the coast or in the hills. Since his most recent chemo treatments, Tim has been struggling with side-effects -- lack of appetite, abdominal pain and neuropathy. His ascites (fluid buildup in his stomach) also continues to make life pretty uncomfortable. Now, we're waiting to see the results of his CT scan on Monday, and whether or not the chemo has had any impact on his pancreatic cancer. Since Tim's current chemo is the only treatment left to try, we're really hoping that it will have been worth the pain and discomfort.

Now that it's been 6 months after his stem cell transplant at Stanford, Paul continues to make progress . The 6-month mark means that Paul is not as restricted in his activities and can stop most of the meds he has been on since the transplant. Although he still gets fatigued and has some nausea, he's trying to exercise more regularly in order to build up the stamina and strength he lost during the transplant process. His lab results will continue to be monitored to check on the status of his multiple myeloma. Although the transplant greatly reduced the number of cancer cells in his plasma, there are inevitably some cancer cells that remain. Hopefully, the number of cancer cells will remain low for at least a couple years or more.

We did have a little break when Paul's 98 year old dad Mike flew out from Milwaukee to visit us. Despite moving a lot more slowly these days , Mike is doing well and still living independently. He has all of his hair, all of his teeth and all of his mind. And, he doesn't take any meds. Better than most of us!

Although it's been a difficult time, we continue to appreciate the love, support and good wishes from all our friends and relatives. It makes all the difference.

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park