Is that an echo I hear?

Hello … hello … anyone out there?

Ok, yes, it’s been a minute. I pray you’ve been enjoying life as we have, taking in every single blessing as it rolls in.

Not quite sure where I left off, but on Justin’s health journey, I’m taking no news as good news. A year and a half ago while he was in Houston receiving Proton radiation treatment for the chordoma in his neck, CT imaging found several new lung nodules, the biggest being somewhere around 7 mm. The GI oncologist at MD Anderson (not my favorite dude in the world) was super doom and gloom. He had A LOT of opinions yet not a single patient that has survived appendiceal cancer as Justin has. Buh-bye!

Justin has continued his periodic imaging, now only CT w/o contrast (he developed a wicked allergy to the IV contrast) and MRIs which sometimes take close to two hours since they start at the base of the skull and go all the way down. From October of 2022, only one nodule has grown, of course the 7 mm one, but only to 1 cm. This is the minimum size required for biopsy.

Time went by, a biopsy was scheduled and boom, Justin decided to forego the procedure. I don’t blame him and to be totally honest, I might have talked him temporarily out of it. Thing is, being the minimum size in an organ that’s moving with each breath, chances of a decent sample are slim to none. Where does that leave you? With a false negative OR a more invasive procedure in the not so distant future. And, so what if it is metastasis? There’s still no treatment for his cancer.

It’s been awhile since his last checkup, since August to be exact. Yikes. But let me tell you, he has been thriving. Gaining weight, playing golf, building the casita, and enjoying daily walkies with me and the puppers.

Justin still struggles with anemia, boo. Unfortunately, that will be a lifelong thang since he has such a limited capacity to absorb iron due to all the intestinal resectioning. He found a doctor here in Cruces willing to keep him juiced up with infusions and B12 shots, just needs to be a bit more proactive in maintaining decent levels.

The kids and I are also doing well. Carter is driving, gah!!!! Bergan is enjoying her second year at Texas Tech, and I’m still with Boeing (my mouth hasn’t gotten me canned yet!).

Here are a couple of pictures from the past year.

Much love, Christina