Birthday Fun

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Tonight we celebrated Mom's birthday with the family. If my count is correct (and why wouldn't it be?) this would be Mom's 4th bash in 7 days. Mom has 1 more shindig to go, as she celebrates tomorrow with Mary and Carol, dear friends from the building.

Your Faithful Correspondent is, well faithful yes, but that's not where YFC was going was this. Hmm...perhaps it's easier to say what YFC is not. A brilliant photographer. This is mentioned because today's update is not intended to be so much a textual update, but rather a visual one.

To the left is a picture of Mom on her 65th. As always, Mom was looking quite radiant. Standing behind her (and looking quite radiant herself) is the incomparable Bubby. It was quite a nice little affair and aside from YFC suffering from a mild case of heartburn, no injuries were reported.

The Chemo Chronicles

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Thanks to all of you who wrote me this past week. My spidey sense was tingling...methinks that Mom may have had something to do with the onslaught of mail that I received. I sincerely appreciate your words of support. To be clear, Mom should be the focus of your love and admiration for I am but Your Faithful Correspondent, a humble scribe who lives to serve and serves to live...

Now that we've straightened that out, on with the news...as you know, this is Mom's off-week but it's also a big week. Thursday is Mom's birthday and Friday is Mom's CT Scan. It's a lot to digest, so why don't we just take these one at a time?

Well, birthday week has already started. It kicked off last Saturday when Mom's neighbor Mark (who shamelessly begged to mentioned in the Chronicle -- hey Mark, how do you like your mention now?) took Mom to Greektown for an early celebration on Saturday. Thursday, we're likely heading to Roy's with Russell (hmm...Roy's with Russell...try saying that 3 times fast) for a little Hawaiian fusion cuisine. Saturday we'll be doing the family thing at Francesca's on Taylor. And on Sunday, Mom's neighbors Mary and Carol will be making Mom a party. 4 parties over 8 days = 1 busy Mom!

The CT scan is this Friday the 12th. YFC requests that you say an extra-special prayer for Mom on Friday. Last time Mom had this test, the results showed that her tumors had shrunk by nearly 40%. We are hoping for similar results -- or better -- this time around too.

Sadly, the news comes to an end here. Your Faithful Correspondent has a bit of a cold, so he is going to drink some more tea (peppermint if you're interested) and then it's off to bed. I look forward to bringing you good results next week.

Faithfully,
Corey

P.S.
If any of you have any questions for YFC, feel free to drop me a line and you may see your query in a future edition of the Chronicle.

The Chemo Chronicles

Greetings and salutations to all. Today Mom experienced another bump on the road to recovery. Mom was unable to have her treatment today because her white blood cell and platelet counts were low.

Cancer is a bully.

Of course the only way to deal with a bully is to stand-up to him and Mom shall continue to fight. We saw Cotton Troll (if you've been paying attention, you know by now that's Mom's doctor) today and she reported that Mom was still doing pretty well. Mom received a shot to boost her white blood cells and chemotherapy will resume in two weeks (October 16th).

(Incidentally, Mom told ol' Troll that YFC was writing these updates and that there was an anagram of her name...thank goodness she didn't ask what it was)

On Friday, October 12th -- that'd be the day after Mom officially becomes a senior citizen (shh...don't tell her I told you that) -- Mom goes in for a CT scan. As you recall, Mom did very well 2 months ago when she first had this test. The results showed that the tumor in Mom's liver shrunk by approximately 40% and there was progress in the other areas too. So we're hoping/praying for a similar outcome, if not better.

So what next? Well, you sure are a curious lot aren't you? Mom will have a maximum of 2 more cycles with the Cisplatin. Since Mom has now had 2 cycles in a row where she couldn't go for treatment on the 3rd week, it looks like Mom will go to a 21-day cycle. In other words:

Day 1: Cisplatin. Gemzar
Day 8: Gemzar
Day 15: Off week

Day 22 would be the first day of the new cycle.

If all goes according to plan -- and it will, Mom even has an energy healer working on her recovery (early reports are very positive) -- Mom may be a candidate for Radiofrequency Ablation. Now of course you're probably saying to yourself "radiofrequency ablation, what's that?". Well, dear reader, I'm oh so glad you asked! In a nutshell, it's a minimally invasive procedure where a needle is inserted into the tumor. Electrical energy is is delivered through the needle, which then heats and destroys the tumor. If your unquenchable thirst for knowledge has not been sated, try drinking this in: http://www.mayoclinic.org/ radiofrequency-ablation/

Anyhow, since I let the cat out of the bag on the big Six-Five (just to be clear, I'm referring to Mom's upcoming birthday now, not my darling sister's IQ) here's the skinny...rumor has it that there will be multiple events planned to celebrate the historic occasion. Our beloved Uncle Rusty ( umm, that's be Russell to most folks) is planning a bash at a not-yet-decided restaurant. Now Your Faithful Correspondent doesn't like to dabble in idle speculation (rumor and innuendo, yes; idle speculation, no) but a little birdie told me that the choices might well come down to Gibson's ( http://www.gibsonssteakhouse.com/) or RL (http://rlrestaurant.polo.com/). A soirée with la familia is also in the planning stages (note: YFC offered to host a shindig at chez moi, but was rebuffed in a most brusque and gratuitous manner). Your Faithful Correspondent is not one to take a gratuitous rebuffing lying down, so I have alerted my contacts in Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul and Pyongyang ( hmm...notice a pattern here?)...and they will be coordinating festivities to commence concurrently with our celebrations here in the Windy City. Now I don't mean to quibble but YFC is trying to plan multiple affairs in cities across the globe...is there anyway that someone charge can make decisions about the Chicago galas anytime soon?

This just in...got a text message (YFC hates text messaging...more on that in a future Chronicle). Apparently London, New York and, yes, Paris (France, not Hilton) will also host simultaneous parties.

Just got an update from the Guest of Honor...looks like the bash w/ UR (Uncle Rusty) will be on Thursday, October 11th (the actual day of Mum's birth) and the family bash will be held on Friday @ Francesca's on Taylor.

Well, things are flying fast and furious around here, another text received...Paris (Hilton, not Texas) will also host an event in Mom's honor. She's proposing a masquerade ball... tres swanky!

Another edition of the Chronicle is coming to an end. Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow (for extra credit: name the play from which this line is taken).

Sweet dreams.

Faithfully,
Corey

P.S.
Anagrams for Faithfully Corey: Your Iffy Hellcat and Erotically Huffy (Your Faithful Correspondent is pre-emptively striking the use of the latter anagram...for goodness sakes, this is a family update!).

P.P.S.
The answer to our quiz: Romeo and Juliet. Act 2, Scene 2 ...but you knew that already.

P.P.P.S.
Took a trip to Berba's house on Sunday and prepared dinner for Mom, Melvin (the Sis), Bubby (the G-Mom) and Berba (the Aunt). New motto for Your Iffy Hellcat: have meat, will travel. On the evening's menu: Simple Salad (hearts of palm, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, and romaine topped with a homemade Dijon vinaigrette), sauteed garlic spinach, spelt and bell peppers (surprisingly good and high in fiber...spelt has an appearance and texture similar to Israeli couscous and a slight nutty taste) and the main course was a crusted rack of lamb.

P.P.P.P.S.
I just received a fax and a singing telegram from Moscow and Reykjavik, respectively....they'll also be celebrating in solidarity on the 11th.

P.P.P.P.P.S.
And finally I leave you with a quote from the well-known American/Scottish writer and suffragist Florida Scott-Macwell: No matter how old a mother is she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement.

Note to Michelle: I'm pretty sure she was talking about you.

The Chemo Chronicles: Special Late Night Edition

Greetings Loyal Readers,

A special final call edition of the Chemo Chronicles today. As always there are spills and chills galore, but why don't we just jump right into the action and you can see for yourself?

This past week was a bit of a rough week for Mom. As you know, chemo tends to build-up in the system and unfortunately, Mom experienced a good deal of nauseousness this past week. Mom takes a medication called Emend for nauseousness Tuesday -Thursday. However, she can only take that medication 3 days a week. Mom has 2 other drugs that help with the nausea, Zofran and Decadron but they are not as powerful as the Emend. It's pretty difficult to see Mom not feeling well. Still, she's a trooper and Mom rarely lets on that she's not at her best.

Well, as you know today is chemo day (and Chemo Chronicle day too, but you knew that already) and it was a one medicine (Gemzar) kind of day. We followed the usual ritual: pick a seat (preferably one where Mom can't see too many people that really look sick), get blood drawn and then wait for the results. Well I won't keep you...the results were good, Mom passed. So Mom had her chemo and it went very smoothly. We spent much of the time looking at a cookbook that I brought ( How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, highly recommended by YFC), but more on that later. The time flew by and we were in and out in about an hour and a half.

Post-chemo we picked-up Bubby and took her to a bridge game at the Drake (tres chic Bubby...Your Faithful Correspondent considers himself lucky when he gets invited to play checkers at the "Y") and then Me and Mum were off to lunch at the Niu Japanese Fusion Lounge. Yes, the name is a bit pretentious, but the food was good and after a quick trip to Walgreens, Mom was happy to settle in for a nice nap.

And speaking of food...YFC was lucky enough to host Mom and my little sis Melvin (err...Michelle...she'd hate it if I let everyone know that I call her Melvin, so let this be our little secret, k?) for dinner. We were lucky enough to be joined by a surprise guest, Russell. When I say it was a surprise guest, I don't just mean that it was a surprise for you. I mean it was a surprise to me, Mom and Melvin too. So I understand it (YFC always aims to be understanding...perhaps a new acronym is needed -- YSC: Your Sympathetic Correspondent. You're right, we'll continue to work on it) Russell offered to drive the girls here and decided to pay YFC a visit (he wanted to talk about publishing rights or some such nonsense). Well, luckily YFC's Momma taught him well. Her first rule of cooking: Serve stew if you must, but never scrimp on the salad. No wait...I think that was the rule of Bernstein's dressings. Mom's first rule of cooking: always make 50% more food than could be reasonably devoured by the invited guests. Anyhow, it was a lovely affair. Your Faithful Correspondent made braised short ribs (aggressively seasoned with fresh rosemary and fennel) with a side of butternut squash orzo. All in all good food, good company, quite a success!

Fair disclosure: my little sis was actually a big help wen it came to clean-up time. She's gotten a fair bit of stick in these e-mails (though not nearly as much as she deserves) and sometimes ya gotta give credit where credit is due...thanks Melv!

Anyhow, in a roundabout way, this takes us back to today's chemo session, where me and Mum were reading our cookbook. Your Faithful Correspondent has decided that for the forseeable future, every Sunday will be family dinner night at Chez YFC. YFC was thinking about prime rib for next Sunday's feast, but Mom seems to be leaning to rack of lamb. I suppose we all know who's likely to win that gastronomical battle (just to be clear, it's Mom...Mom is going to win).

And why will Mom win? Well, because she's got one of these:



Ah yes, the ol' Get out of Jail Free Card (and just to be clear, she really does have the card).

And that brings us to the close of our e-mail. But before sign-off Your Faithful Correspondent has an announcement of sorts. It's kind of scary (for yours truly) but I figure that by putting it out there YFC will be forced to have some level of accountability (for those of you doing the math at home -- that'd probably include the Dad -- accountability = scary). Here goes: for many years now, Mom has been telling YFC that he/I/me ought to write. Needless to say, Your Faithful Correspondent has pooh-poohed this idea in the past but the time has come to embrace change and YFC heed Mom's words. Just to be clear, the fact that Mom has threatened to beat YFC with a wire hanger had absolutely no bearing on the decision-making process.

[YFC feels compelled to clarify for the my loyal readers who move their lips when perusing these e-mails -- no not YOU, but it's 2 names from yours on the e-mail list...shhh -- YFC was not actually threatened with a wire hanger. Mom stopped threatening me with physical violence almost 3 1/2 weeks ago.]

[Yes, that last line was a joke too. It was only 2 weeks ago.]

[Yes, that last line, also a joke.]

[By the way, does anybody know what these nifty little things on the end of these sentences are called?]

Ok, that's all for now.

Faithfully,
Corey

The Chemo Chronicles: Special Live Update

Greetings Loyal Readers!

It's been far too long, hasn't it? Well, I have a special treat for you today. I'm coming to you LIVE from Mom's chemo treatment. Undoubtedly this will be an update filled with spills, chills and surprises galore. I can hardly wait to see what's in store! Come and join me and let's discover how the day unfolds together...

Well as always, we'll start at the beginning, or at least somewhere nearby...Mom was particularly busy last week. We celebrated Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) at her sister Roberta's (a/k/a Auntie Berba) house. Then on Friday, we sprung Bubby (Mom's mom) free from the nursing home/rehab facilty where she was incarcera...umm recuperating...from her broken clavicle. We were all delighted to have Bubby home again (at least until she started ordering me around. I started to drive Bubby back to the rehab facility, but Mom said that wasn't nice so I turned back around). Also, Mom received word that Stephen, one of her dear friends, was 99% recovered from stage 4 Non-Hogkins lymphoma. It was great news to hear and made Mom even more resolute (if that's possible) to beat this cancer.

And that brings us to today's events. Michelle and I joined Mom at her appointment with Doctor Ann Mellot (a/k/a Troll Named Cotton). Well, I'm not going to keep you in suspense...things went splendidly . All of Mom's numbers were good and she was able to have treatment today (don't fret, more on that in just a moment). The good news just kept coming. Ol' Cotton Troll told Mom that she was unlikely to lose her hair at this point. Now I know what you're thinking..."whew, what a relief." Bzzzz...wrong answer! If you had been paying attention to previous e-mails (and given that I craft each e-mail so lovingly, with only you my loyal reader in mind, you really ought to have the decency to read more carefully) you'd know that the correct response would have been to a) give thanks to the Big Guy Upstairs (possible anagrams include: Big Gay Pursuits, Busy Guitar Pigs, A Rugby Pigs Suit, Sir Tubas Pig Guy -- seems like an awful lot of pork there) and b) remind the Big Guy Upstairs (I'm certainly not going to start with name-calling...use anagrams at your own peril) that we'd still like to see a full and complete recovery.

And speaking of, the Big Guy Upstairs...this is the holiest time of the year for Jews. As I previously mentioned, we just celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. We will soon be celebrating Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), which begins at sundown Sepember 21 (Friday), and lasts until sundown September 22 (Saturday). Yom Kippur is the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. It is said that on Yom Kippur G-d seals the Book of Life is sealed and the fate of everyone will be finalized (i.e., who shall live and who shall die). I'd like to ask you to say a special get-well prayer for my mother on Yom Kippur. Even if you are not Jewish, I know that G-d will be most receptive. And let's be clear...our track record is pretty good so far. The last time I asked for a group prayer was right before Mom's CT scan (foreshadowing: Mom will have another CT scan in about 3 weeks...hint!) and her tumor shrunk by 40%, so maybe if we all pray extra hard, Mom can join Steven and be well on the road to remission.*

* - note that this is in no way to be confused with the 2002 film "Road to Perdition" starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman and Jude Law. If you haven't seen the movie I won't spoil it for you, but suffice it to say that I saw it in the theatre and it was L-O-N-G and S-L-O-W. What made it even worse was that I saw it in a very crowded theatre and I was wedged in the middle of an unusally long row. The opening credits had scarecely begun when I had to...well, let's just say that I almost resorted to waterworks atduring the movie (and by that I don't mean I was about to cry).

Well so much for that brief digression. Mom wants to again thank everyone who contributed to the cancer walk...approximately $1,000 was raised. And you know what? With all this talk of praying and movies and money-raising, Your Faithful Correspondent almost lost sight of the real reason for these updates -- Mom (of course, I couldn't ever lose sight of her really). Luckily the beeping of the chemo machines jarred me back on course. Today was Mom's "heavy" day (2 medicines) and she came through it like a champ. We'll be leaving here in just a little bit.

(You're about to eavesdrop on a genuine post-chemo interaction -- literally right after Momwas unhooked from the chemo dispenser -- between Your Faithful Correspondent and the real star of this show...YFC is typing this in real-time!)
Corey: Mom, do you want to say anything to My Loyal Readers?
Mom: Huh? What baby?
Corey: Mom, do you want to say anything to My Loyal Readers?
Mom: Just sending my love and blessings and thanking them for their love and support.

Well, I suppose that pretty much says it all, really. I'll throw in a quick reminder to say a Yom Kippur prayer and I promise to have more for you soon.

Faithfully,Corey

A Bump In the Road

Loyal Readers,

I'm afraid that today's news wasn't great. Nothing tragic mind you (no need to go running for the window ledge), but all the same, I think we'll have to save anagrams and details about FoMmie merchandise for another day.

Today Mom went in for her usual Tuesday chemo appointment. As you know, for each cycle of treatment, Mom has the following schedule:
1st Tuesday: Gemzar, Cisplatin (in case you weren't paying attention, these are chemo drugs)
2nd Tuesday: Gemzar
3rd Tuesday: Gemzar
4th Tuesday: Off

Today was scheduled to the the 3rd Tuesday of her 3rd cycle. As usual, Mom had her blood drawn prior to the chemotherapy. The purpose of this is to check Mom's levels of hemoglobin, platelets and white blood cells prior to the chemo. In theory, if any of these counts were to drop below a certain level, Mom would not be able to go through with her scheduled chemotherapy appointment. Unfortunately, today was one of those days when theory and reality met head-on. Mom's white blood count levels were low and, as a result, she could not continue have treatment today.

What does this mean (even in moments of crisis my loyal readers are asking probing questions, that's very good!)? Well, as my very loyal and very intelligent readers remember from 8th grade science class, white blood cells help the body fight infection. Mom received a shot to boost her white blood cell count today and she'll receive another shot tomorrow. But she will skip chemotherapy treatment this week and since next week is Mom's scheduled off-week, that means she won't resume treatment until September 18th, which is smack dab in the middle of the Jewish holy days, i.e. the period between Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). I think the timing of this incident is a sign. Since, Mom's news has been generally good so far (notwithstanding some nausea), I think that perhaps we've become a tad complacent about her recovery. I believe that we are expected to return to prayer during the coming weeks, to place our faith in G-d and to ask for Mom to have a full and complete recovery from her cancer.

It's important that you avoid Mom if you're sick (or think that you might be sick) and that you wash your hands if you are going to come into contact with her (this means you G.E.) to remove any bacteria. Also, kissing should really be avoided so if you receive an "air kiss" next time you see Mom don't think she's gone all Hollywood on you, she's just trying to avoid your nasty germs.

Again, thanks to those who donated to my Sister's walk. Aunt Roberta will also be walking this weekend. We're hoping that their FoMmie t-shirts arrive in time for the walk, but I was just informed that there might be a small issue...something about a child labor shortage in Malaysia (of course I'm kidding...in actuality we sourced the shirts from Bangladesh...kids work cheaper there).

Hopefully, next week will see a return to positive news.

Faithfully,Corey

P.S.
Mom's had a hard day, so won't you please make her evening a little better by sending a few words of encouragement?

The Chemo Chronicles

I'm ba-ack.

Loyal Readers, it has been far too long (of course even a moment without your divine presence seems like a lifetime). Well, today I have another update for you, but before we get to today's news, let's do a quick recap.

As you know, Mom's chemo went well last week. However, she did suffer from nausea in the days that followed. We all know that the effects of chemotherapy are cumulative (and on the off chance you didn't know that, you know now), but the nauseousness was far more pronounced than before. In fact, Mom really only felt better today, just in time for more chemo. The good news is that Mom won't be taking that nasty drug (cisplatin) until her next cycle of chemo starts again (in 3 weeks).

So, onto today's news...once again Mom's blood work yielded positive results. Her hemoglobin, which was at 8.4 (if Mom dropped below 8 she was going to require a transfusion) is now 12.6. Now if I do my math correctly (and Your Faithful Correspondent always does do his math correctly...Dad is a CPA, you know) that's a 50% increase in hemoglobin levels. White blood cell and platelet (though Mom uses paper platelets when food isn't kosher) levels were good too.

We had a chance to talk to Mom's oncologist, Doctor Ann Mellott (which is an anagram for "Troll Named Cotton") prior to the chemotherapy and YFC has the skinny...Cotton...err, Doc Mellott, said that Mom would have no more than 6 treatments with the cisplatin. Since she gets that only at the beginning of her cycle that means she will receive no more than 3 more treatments of that no good nausea inducing drug (she can and likely will stay on the gemzar longer). Assuming Mom continues to make good progress (and I'm sure we can all agree that it's a pretty safe assumption), she'll stay on the cisplatin for a total of 6 doses.

Now I know what my loyal readers are thinking, "how do we know whether Mom's continuing to make progress?" Ahh yes, you're always thinking, aren't you? Well, Mom will have another CT scan after 2 full cycles of chemo (figure about 6 more weeks). In the meantime FoMmies, keep up with the prayers and the positive energies so that Mom's test result will be as good - if not better - than her last ones.

The chemo itself was a breeze. Mom takes to gemzar (today's drug of choice) like my sister takes to a sweet table at a Bar Mitzvah. Mom's hair continues to look as lustrous as ever (it's actually the cisplatin that causes the hair thinning/loss), which probably explains the longing glances that she received from the other chemo patients (of course the longing glances might well have been caused by the fact that YFC accompanied Mom to chemo today).

A quick update on My Sis Michelle (anagram: Chisel Me Slimy)...she's all signed up for the cancer walk (mad props go out to Dad for his triple digit donation). If you'd like to sponsor Michelle on her walk you can follow this link: http://www.lustgartencommunity.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=272&srcid=252&frsid=2096

Finally, I must rebuke you. Well perhaps not all of you, just those of you that deserve a good rebuking. As previously explained (*ahem* several times), YFC sends these e-mails out from Mom's e-mail address, so when you respond to these updates, Mom gets to read your replies. And Mom really loves to read replies. However, some of you seem to think that it's great to read these updates, but don't send Mom back words of encouragement, feedback, electronic gift cards, etc. And for those of you who this applies to (don't worry, I'm sure this doesn't apply to you) I can only say "for shame!" So, to get off the naughty list, please do reply to this e-mail, or the next update might just come with a nasty computer virus attached.

Well, I've said my piece. Until the next time loyal readers I bid you a pleasant week.

Faithfully,
Corey

The Chemo Tattler

Greetings Loyal Readers,

Welcome to another chemo update. But before we get started, I have a special announcement. I understand that we have several new subscribers to these e-mails (total circulation: 34,618). I'd like to personally welcome all of you here and remind you that, with your paid subscription, you get a free FoMmie (Friend of Mom) tote bag (please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery).

Now on to the news...

Mom went in for her usual Tuesday appointment accompanied by Your Faithful Correspondent, Slightly Less Faithful Sister Michelle and Aunt Roberta. Mom did not see her oncologist today (she'll be seeing her next week) so she went straight for her blood test. Mom's blood work numbers were outstanding. Her hemoglobin was 11.5 -- a number which has been steadily rising with each passing week (not quite as importantly, I realized today that "hemoglobin" was an anagram for "goblin home"). Mom's platelets and white blood cells looked very strong too -- all in the normal range.

After the blood work came back, it was on to chemo. As my loyal readers are well aware, today was Mom's "heavy" day, i.e. Mom gets 2 drugs Cisplatin and Gemzar (by the way, if you're a new subscriber, this is where you should start taking notes, or at very least start highlighting your computer screen).


Above: Molecular diagram of Cisplatin.

To learn more about Cisplatin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisplatin


Above: Molecular diagram of Gemzar
To learn more about Gemzar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemzar

Now I think we left off on heavy days, no? Of course we did. Well, heavy days also mean long days -- we arrived at 10:15 and left about 2:45. This meant that chemo was a catered affair today. I had suggested Chateaubriand but then, realizing that it was from the wrong part of the cow (it's a kosher thing) we settled for the next best option: Chipotle for YFC and Sis, Corner Bakery for Mom and Auntie Berba. Believe it or not, the eating was probably the most notable thing about today's chemo session (well, that and Mom complaining that it was too cold in the room, but I told her I wasn't going to mention that). This has become second nature for Mom. First Mom gets a blood test to make sure she can go through with the chemo. Next they take too long to read the results which makes all of us cranky (ok, I'll admit it, it's only Michelle that gets cranky). Then one of the nurses sticks the IV through Mom's port (working like a charm by the way. Per Mom, it doesn't hurt at all -- she's such a brave little trooper!) and Mom gets some fluids in followed by the medicine.

The entire process certainly seems less scary than when Mom first started her chemo. Chemo was a pretty big jolt to all of us, but I think we've gotten somewhat used to the rhythm. We have several factors in our favor, notably:
- Mom's chemo is only 2 blocks from her home. Not only does it reduce travel time, but it reduces anxiety (again, we'll blame this on Michelle).
- Mom isn't suffering any major side effects from the chemo. Still, I know Mom would appreciate it if you say two prayers for her -- the first for her speedy and complete recovery from cancer and the second for her to keep her curly locks.
- Mom has great faith in G-d, which is a source of her amazing strength.
- Mom (and all of us really) has a wonderful support system that is truly remarkable. YFC is rarely at a loss for words, but it is impossible for me to adequately convey how important your prayers, cards, responses to these updates, calls, e-mails and visits have been. You have been an integral part of Mom's recovery process. That said, it's not over yet. Please remember to keep those prayers coming...they have given Mom a tremendous lift.

In other news, Mom had visitors from New York (well technically New Jersey, but New York sounds so much better doesn't it?) in the form of Byron and Jennifer. We've been led to believe that all of Hoboken now has Mom in her thoughts.

Finally, My Little Sister (hmm...MLS?) is participating in the Pancreatic Cancer Walk on September 9th (Your Faithful Correspondent is also likely to attend, but MLS tried to hide the details of the walk in a misguided attempt to curry favor with Mom. For shame Sister, for shame). Details of the walk can be found here: http://www.lustgartencommunity.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=250&srcid=252).

If you would like to walk, we'd love to see you there. If you'd like to sponsor the runner-up (in both the walk and my parents affection) please make donations payable to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. You can send your check to Michelle:

I understand that Gail Zugerman, one of my many loyal readers, helped to establish this walk. I've always said that my readers were the best people on earth and this is just another example of their excellent nature (special preview: in next week's issue, we will discuss the secret of my readers' superior looks).

Until next week, my pretties...

Faithfully,
Corey

Positive News -- Special CT Scan Edition

Loyal Readers,

I'm going to forego the usual pre-report blather and get right to the point. Well my friends, I have GREAT NEWS to report. Mom received a call from her oncologist this morning. She was told:
The cancerous tumor in Mom's liver has shrunk from 5.5 x 7cm ---> 4.4 x 5.5cm. This represents an Approximately a 40% decrease in the size of the tumor
The tumor on Mom's pancreas has definitely gotten smaller (no numbers were given)
There is notably less pressure on the bile ducts
The doctor thought that all this news was very positive. Mom will maintain the same treatment schedule as she has been receiving for the time being. So you can expect more Tuesday reports from Your Faithful Correspondent for the forseeable future (and I think we can all agree that, while not in the same category as Mom's news, this is pretty great as well).

I have no doubt that medical science played but a small part in this. It is my fervent belief that Mom's recovery has been advanced moreso by the many prayers and well wishes that she has received. Friends of Mom (Friend of Mom: abrv -- FoM, pronounced fôm; plural -- FoMmies), on behalf of my entire family I thank you for all of your support. There is no way that any of is could have endured these past few months without you.

In next weeks issue, I hope to give you an update on the FoMmie merchandise (t-shirts, bumper stickers, et al) that many of you have been clamoring for. Sadly, I must inform you that Your Faithful Correspondent will not allow his face to be plastered on coffee cups (a mug on a mug if you will), despite your heartfelt pleas. As you can tell from reading these updates, I am nothing if not the shy and retiring type.

Again, all of us thank you for your continued support.

Your Faithful Correspondent,
Corey

It's an off-week, but an important week...

Loyal Readers,

This e-mail is going to be a little bit different than you're used to because it's not written post-chemo, but rather a pre-test (did you catch that boys and girls? -- two count 'em 2 differences...pre vs. post and chemo vs. test. If you didn't catch that, shame on you! No, I kid, but you should really read more carefully, this is important stuff). Plus, there's going to be an interactive part to this e-mail, but more on that later.

As you know from reading the weekly updates, Mom has already completed 2 full rounds of chemo, which she started approximately 2 months ago. On Wednesday, August 15th, Mom is going in for a CAT scan to see how the treatment has been working. Needless to say we are all cautiously optimistic that Mom will receive a glowing report (if Mom were getting radiation treatment her report might be glowing quite literally, but here the term was used in the figurative sense). We're hoping that the test reveals that the cancerous tumors have shrunk, which would put Mom well on the road to recovery (if Mom were looking over my shoulder now -- she does that you know -- she'd doubtless tell you that she'd also like to be on the road to Miami. So droll that Mother of mine!)...

Here's the nitty-gritty -- Mom will go for her appointment at 10:00 a.m., at which point she gets to drinks loads and loads of yummy barium (now with more fiber!). This is what she'll be drinking (albeit in liquid form):

Where were we? That's right, barium. You stayed with me that time...good! (For those of you who didn't quite catch it, that was a picture of barium.) At approximately 11:30 a.m. Mom will go in for the CAT scan, which should only take about 10 minutes. We'll probably get the results back no later than Friday.

***Here's the interactive portion that you've all been waiting for***

Many of you have asked what you can do to help and I know that you are very sincere in wanting to assist. Well, you can. I'm asking all of my faithful readers to say a special prayer for Mom this Wednesday, August 15th at 11:30 a.m. Now I know that many of you are already keeping Mom in your daily prayers and it has already helped so very much. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Here's the idea for Wednesday: we're trying to concentrate everyone's prayers at one time so that G-d can understand how truly special Mom is. If you can't pray at precisely 11:30 a.m., not to worry (but do try to pray earlier that day, if possible).

See, I told you this would be a different kind of update. Plus, I gave you a pretty picture too. Well, we're at the time now where Mom is going to look over my shoulder to give this a once-over (she just did...I passed!) so I'll take this as my cue to wrap this up.

I thank you so very much for all of your continued prayers and warm wishes. You support means so very much to Mom and all of our family.

Your faithful correspondent,
Corey