Who Is That Guy?

"Who is that guy?" That's the question I asked today when Nate stepped off the scale and only weighed in at 162 pounds!!! Although he's a little bit on the thin side, he's still easily recognizable. All you have to do is ask, "How are you feeling?". True to Nate's character, the answer you'll get every time is, "I'm feeling great!" Dr. Lambert and I chuckle about it every time. He remains upbeat and is always ready with a smile to calm my nerves.

We had our Post Op visit (#3) today with Dr. Lambert. She paid Nate a very nice compliment when she told him that the nurses on the Oncology Floor told her how they loved being assigned to her two Utah patients (Nate and Tami), because they're both so kind and have such positive attitudes. Understanding that nurses care for all kinds of people, I consider this a huge compliment. It makes me feel so lucky to have such a positive influence in my life.

Our appointment went well. Nate's lab values all looked pretty good. White blood cell count is stable at 17. His red blood cell count in steadily rising. His kidney function is almost back to normal. While we wished that we could have received the green light to go home, we're thankful for Dr. Lambert's conservative nature. We know that Nate has a long recovery ahead of him, and respect the fact that she wants to see a little more improvement in the recovery.

Mornings have been pretty tough for Nate, so we need to figure out how to better regulate everything. There's a lot to balance with his meds, his diet, his activity level, and his calorie requirements. He needs so many calories for wound healing, red blood cell production, fighting infection, and gaining weight, but his stomach is still tiny and he doesn't have his appetite back yet so it's a tough balance. We have another appointment on Wednesday afternoon, and are just hoping for the best.

We have amazing friends and family out there, and know we couldn't make it through this crazy time without you. Thank you, we love you!