Mike saw his oncologist this morning. He would like to have a better idea of what is going on inside Mike. So, Mike will have a CT scan of his chest, abdomen and pelvis, tomorrow morning in LR. We will not receive any of those results until next week, when we return to his oncologists office.

A chest xray was done on Mike this morning and it showed there is fluid in Mike's lungs, but we're holding off doing anything until we get the scan results next week. The doctor would like to know "why" there is fluid there.

An ammonia test was ran on Mike's blood work today and it indicated ammonia levels are building back up again in Mike's abdomen. Mike will need to resume one of the drugs he had stopped taking that helps get rid of this. Ammonia building up quickly, can turn into the Hepatic Encephalopathy, which is definitely NOT what we want to happen. It not only landed Mike in the hospital the last time, but it also can cause permanent damage. Instead of Mike needing to take this medicine 3 times a day, like initially prescribed,....or once a day, as Mike and his oncologist had come to an agreement about....Mike will only need to take this twice a week. Mike was relieved to hear that. Mike doesn't like the taste of this medicine and had stopped taking it altogether. So, he'll be getting back on that.

The doctor is also very concerned about Mike's loss of weight. Mike knows what he needs to do, but his body isn't wanting to cooperate. He feels constantly full, when he's hardly eaten anything. If he forces food down, his body tries to vomit it back up. We're just in a more precarious position than we would like to be right now, with his weight. Mike needs strength to fight his cancer, and a strong body to hold up, when undergoing treatment. So somehow, someway, we need to pray for Mike's appetite to be stimulated and increased.

Mike had a very low moment today after the doctor visit. I think he misunderstood something the doctor said, and he battled with that conversation most of the afternoon. As hard as you try to shake it off... Some days can just be harder than other days, and things can quickly get upside down, without effort. We would appreciate your prayers as we continue to deal with all of this....the physical symptoms, the political nonsense with insurance companies, doctor bills, etc., and just the delicate walk of keeping the right attitude and perspective.

Mike can react to something the doctor says....I will react to whatever Mike is feeling, and the downward spiral can just get out of hand fast. We desperately need God's strength and peace, to weather everything we're going through. We're only human, and we're not going to stay on top of things all the time. There is so much pressure, it can get a little heavy at times, just trying to live life as "normal" as possible...when everything is far from normal. Everything can look a little different from our perspective. We need lots of grace, mercy, and patience.

So, that's where we're at, right now. We would appreciate your prayers so much. Thank you for your sweet cards, comforting words and encouragement. We need all of you so much, and want you to know how much your friendship and love mean to us.