dea is still moving forward! today he had oxaliplatin and avastin. in two weeks if he is still doing well, he'll get 5-FU as well.

it seems he still has a little bit of fluid in his abdomen. so, monday he will have another paracentesis.

we also have a series of upcoming tests to narrow down his digestive problems. just to be sure he can tolerate tube-feeding fine, he is going to have a small bowel study monday. (basically they will put dye in his j-tube and take x-rays over time.) after that he may have another endoscopy to biopsy tissue around the obstruction in his intestine. this will tell us definitively if it is or is not radiation damage.

in general he is doing pretty well. he has started taking 'test drives' to work to test his stamina, and is starting to keep up on his email more. next week my sisters will start coming back home, so things are sure to get busy soon!

i also want to give an update on his surprise birthday party! we are really looking forward to it, and with his strength increasing we kinda wish we went for three or four hours instead of two! (after all, he does fine spending the entire afternoon at his appointments.) we'd love for everyone to stop by for awhile, and wish him a happy birthday. it should really help his morale!

we will be having the party at our house. for our address and directions, email me (removed). i think our address is also in the phone book. no presents are necessary!

what: surprise party for dea's 50th birthday
when: tuesday december 20th 6:00pm - 8:00pm
where: engle family residence