Justin spent much of his summer helping us. Justin and Rachelle fixed the insulation in our attic and were rewarded with head to foot bruises from the rafters. There were many other projects to help get our home in order.

Kara and her kids came to visit, as did Aimee and family and Mike and family.

Dennis continued to get sicker on chemo. His.last IV chemo, he took twenty minutes deciding if he was going to take it. He said that since he was at the oncologist's office, he would do the chemo. He had nearly every side effect listed for the chemo. He felt like he was dieing. His blood pressure was getting very low. One day he decided he couldn't take it any longer. He asked me if he could quit chemo. I told him it was up to him, I would support him. They can't cure the cancer. The chemo could only slow it down. The one tumor that can be seen on CT was larger. The doctor said if the chemo was going to do any good, it would have done it by now, by shrinking the tumor. Dennis told him that his stomach symptoms were better, at which the doctor said that perhaps it did some good.

We grew fond of one of the chemo nurses. Marylyn helped us in so many ways. We will miss her, but we won't miss the chemo.

The  Oncologist told us it was now a waiting game for the next crisis. It could be a blockage at the stomach. For that, they can insert a stent to allow food to empty out of the stomach. It could be bowel blockage from the tumor at the cecum. Depending on specifics, they can do a stent, do surgery, do radiation or a combination of treatments to help. It could invade the liver causing it to fail and causing ascites that could be drained periodically. It could invade the pericardium causing pericardial effusion and tamponade. If that happens, patients don't make it past a month. It can cross the blood-brain barrier and affect the brain. If it does, it will manifest as a major stroke. Patients live less than a week when that happens. It can also invade other organs and cause various problems. There is a small lesion in the right kidney that has enlarged slightly.

Last April Dennis was told end of October or early November. We have made plans through the end of December. I pray we can keep those plans.

It took over a month for the first hint that hair might grow back. His gray hair is doubled (two dozen gray hairs) and the hair is half as thick. It came in baby soft and grows very slowly. The first places it fell out is where it is the thinnest.

Dennis is getting stronger and feeling better except for new abdominal pains and a few new problems with the bowel and urinary tract.  Every new pain and problem makes us nervous. Is it the cancer? He is trying to do things around the house to leave it in good shape for me.

We are amazed at the number of people who have us in their prayers and the many kindnesses shown to us.