On Friday, February 17th Ken had an appointment with a GI doctor to discuss the location and possible treatment of his Crohn's disease. Did you know that Crohn's disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It usually affects the intestines, but may occur anywhere from the mouth to the end of the rectum. Ken has had this disease since he was 15 years old. The exact cause of Crohn's disease is unknown. It is an autoimmune disorder. An autoimmune disorder is a condition that occurs when your body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue. People with Crohn's disease have ongoing (chronic) inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (GI tract). Prior to being diagnosed with cancer, Ken's doctor verified that he had Crohn's disease near his ilium. However, since getting routine CT scans, there has been a discrepancy between where this doctor said his Crohn's was and where his current doctor thinks it may be. The GI specialist will be running test on Monday, March 5, to verify the Crohn's whereabouts, and then she will decide a course of treatment. When we met with her, though, she did say that treating the cancer was the number one priority. We'll keep you guys posted.
On Tuesday, February 21 it was wheels up for us as we headed to to Key Largo, Florida, for 7 days of fun in the sun! Our trip highlights included such things as getting see old friends, boating, seeing dolphins swim off the bow of the boat after sunset, visiting Key West, feeding the manatee, snorkeling the John Pennekamp reef, swimming out to Christ of the Deep, and eating such delicacies as Stone Crab, Snapper and Grouper. Many thanks to James and Jenn Kent for letting us crash in your vacation home and to Mr. and Mrs. Kent for making a special trip down from Coral Gables to see us! We miss you all already and can't wait until we see you again! :)
It was back to reality on Tuesday, Feb. 28th when Ken had the last of his first 12 treatments. He discussed the possibility of radiation with his doctor, and after much careful thought and consideration, has decided NOT to proceed with it. Due to the fact that this disease has already metastasized (moved to other parts of his body) we feel that it is better to just stay the course and continue chemotherapy. Another CT scan will be done in few weeks, and we will know then whether or not the cancer continues to shrink. We will make sure to keep you all posted.
As winter winds down and begins to turn to spring, we hope you all are happy and healthy...wherever you are!
Love, Ken & Nicole
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