Fatigue finally lessening; PN still present

Doug has been off Velcade for 22 days and he still has the peripheral neuropathy in his feet. The whole month of January the fatigue has been steadily increasing. He has been sleeping when he can, and has done very little. Occasionally he musters up the energy to walk around the block.  He's glad we have Netflix so he can watch movies. On the days when he has felt up to it, he made me two shelves in his workshop, working a little at a time.

Yesterday was a turning point - the first day he felt a bit less fatigue! We went to Walmart; he went in to pick out a few things then returned to the car to wait while I did the shopping. That doesn't sound like much but it is progress. And he stayed awake most of the day. Today has been even better, and his appetite is picking up. 

The PN in Doug's feet remains. Numb toes and aching pain all over his feet. During the day he can distract himself but at night it really bothers him. He says the blanket is too heavy on his feet. The nurse practitioner at the Denver office started Doug on Lyrica for the PN on January 26, three days ago. It is a gradually escalating dose starting at 50 mg daily, up to a maximum dose of 100 mg TID (three times a day). Too early to say if it is working. 

The medical marijuana has been a disappointment so far. Since there has been no scientific research done, we had to experiment to find a dose that works without making him dizzy. Doug says he thinks the edible helps him get to sleep but only for a couple hours. Does not make him feel any better. His doc does not want him smoking it. I don't want the smell in the house either. Medical marijuana is available in many forms - oils, edibles, salves, etc. Doug tried the salve on his feet but says it did not help. Not sure if he used enough. 

The Colorado Board of Health has approved more than $8 million in grants to fund eight studies on medical marijuana. The research will be done at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical campus and will examine the use of medical marijuana in treating pediatric epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, Parkinson's disease and other conditions. I'm really happy to see some research being done. Some day in the future, maybe not in our lifetime, medical marijuana will evolve into valuable treatments. I'm not in favor of recreational marijuana however. Some of the edibles look just like candy, potentially dangerous to children. 

Tomorrow we go to Denver to see the myeloma specialist. We are hoping he will say Doug is in remission! We trust in the Lord always. 

"One of the main ways we move from abstract knowledge about God to a personal encounter with him as a living reality is through the furnace of affliction."     Tim Keller