Chemo #6 & Brenda's Visit

Howdy Partners!
 It had been pretty quiet around here since Thanksgiving...until Ken's sister, Brenda and her husband Jon arrived from Connecticut!  They may have only been here for 48 hours, but we made sure to make the most of it!

  When we asked them where they wanted to go to eat, their response was that they wanted steak and something "Denver."  Well...where else did we take them, but The Buckhorn Exchange!  It is regarded as Colorado's most historic eating and drinking emporium.  This famous steakhouse opened it's doors in 1893 and was the first restaurant in Colorado to hold a liquor license.   Since opening nearly 120 years ago, it has seen such visitors as former presidents, famous actors, astronauts, Great Britian's Princess Anne, AND now us!!

See those antlered friends behind us?  They're just a few of the hundreds of heads that adorn the walls of The Buckhorn.  I'm sure we'll never forget the deer, moose, giant buffalo and mountain sheep, as well as the indigenous fowl and fabulous gun collection hanging on the walls around us as we dined! 

Speaking of dining...The Buckhorn's menu is rather eclectic.  Not only is it written in five different languages, but the selection isn't what you'd see at your run of the mill steakhouse.  If you're feeling adventurous, you can order rattlesnake, fried alligator tail, Rock Mountain oysters (it's not really seafood, you know!), smoked buffalo, sausage, elk, Colorado lamb, Cornish game hen or quail.  Or if you're Brenda you can order a NY strip steak! :) 

Much of the next day was spent shopping and chatting.  We visited The Bass Pro Shop...apparently we couldn't get enough wildlife that weekend!  Here are Nicole and Brenda at the "Shooting Range".  Needless to say, Nicole was the low scorer of this little game...look at her, she doesn't even know how to hold a gun!


Sadly, though, their trip had to come to an end.  It was so wonderful having them here, despite the fact that it snowed most of the time.  But hopefully we'll see them again soon!

Back to reality...On Tuesday, December 6th, Ken had his sixth chemo treatment.  This marks the halfway point of this concoction of drugs.  When we met with the doctor she informed us that at the end of these 12 rounds Ken will be taken off whichever medicine he's taking that causes the numbness in his hands.  This is because they do not want to cause permanent nerve damage.  Whether he will eventually have to go back on this specific drug, we are unsure.  But, she did say that once these 12 weeks are up, Ken will need to continue chemo...indefinitely.  What this means for him, we're not sure.  We have a lot of questions...will he be able to go back to work once he's off the numbness causing chemo, will he be able to go back to work ever, what kind of work will he be able to do if he continues on a bi-weekly chemo schedule....the list goes on.  As for now, we can only take it one day at a time.  This last chemo treatment has caused a greater deal of fatigue, a greater sensitivity to cold and vomiting for the first time.  So, needless to say, the days are very quiet in hopes that Ken can get as much rest as  possible. 

BUT...as to not leave on a sour note...a BIG thanks to Maureen and Mark for the package of goodies they sent our way!  Nicole can't wait to kick Ken's bootie in Scrabble Slam!  And how did you know Lemon-Heads are Ken's all time favorite candy?  (Nicole didn't even know that!)  It was very thoughtful of you and the timing was perfect! 









 And a Happy early birthday to Nicole's God daughter's baby mama, Tara!  May all your birthday wishes come true! 
  And to all of you out there reading this, we hope you're finishing up your holiday shopping early so that you are able to have a few relaxing weekends ahead!
  Love to you all, Ken and Nicole