update... and 165.

Thought I would check in with our blue-band riders...  Radiation side effects continue to take their toll.  We replay Dr. Haughey's reassuring words about the absence of anything-cancer in our minds as Mike still struggles to eat and put on weight.  We agreed that he should check in with our local physician again to see if "Dr. Karen's" assessment that Mike is malnourished and possibly anemic is correct.  Mike saw Dr. Tracie Martin on Friday and had blood work done on Saturday. We are still awaiting the results.  But we did find out that Mike weighed one pound less than he did the last time he saw Dr. Martin, which was two weeks after he completed his radiation treatments.  (If you remember, the radiation side effects kicked into high gear 2-3 weeks after the radiation was completed.  This was when Mike had trouble eating anything at all and he started on a "survival mode" diet.  This consisted of 4 Orgain protein drinks per day and 2000 ml of water, and this sustained Mike for about three weeks.)

We are learning that when your weight loss eats into your fat reserves and your muscles, it takes a long time to rebuild and restore your strength and weight.  It is one thing when someone tells you that it will take a while to rebuild... but it really seems like a long time when you are in it waiting for the weight to come back.

We are very thankful to have a trip this weekend to refresh and rejuvenate.  My wonderful company schedules their leadership training in exotic places and I am heading to the Disney Yacht & Beach Club at Walt Disney World in Orlando on Wednesday, and Mike will join me on Friday.  We have met some of our dearest couple friends from around the country at CM events.  We are especially excited to spend time with Nile & Leigh Ernst from Carlsbad, CA this weekend.  Nile weathered an intense cancer battle himself two years before Mike's journey. When I asked Mike what he wanted to do to celebrate the completion of radiation treatments, he said 'spend time with Nile.'  When Leigh and I are soaking up some excellent training on how to help people manage with photo loads, Mike and Nile will be soaking up the sun by the pool!  Then the four of us are spending all day Sunday park-hopping the Disney theme parks like kids.  We are calling it an old-fashion double date! 

It was 3 days before the 2011 CM Leadership training in Cancun last year that we found out about Mike's cancer on February 4th.  I was highly distracted by that sobering news last year.  I am hoping to be distracted by fun this year.  Again, thank you for your continued prayers.