Another Disappointment for Gerry (and Me)

Gerry called Thursday as I was on my way to the airport. He was in TX for his third treatment of the clinical trial he had been on since Sept. He had his scans the day before. The scans showed that the tumor in the lymph node in his left armpit had shrunk about 5%...but the others in his abdomen and chest grew overall 35%. They decided to stop the treatment. The doctor had another plan of action. He wants Gerry to start treatment with Interleukin-2. So we will go to TX in two weeks. First he will have to take a breathing test and echo cardiogram, to make sure his heart and lungs can take the treatment. Then he will spend a week in the hospital - 5 of those days in intensive care. After that it's two weeks at home. That's the cycle. He can go through 4 - 6 cycles, but after two they will again do scans to see if it's working and if they should continue the treatment. This will be a tough treatment. He will get 8 hours of treatment 3x day for 10 - 14 treatments. This is done through a subclavian catheter. So - I have decided to take a 60 day leave of absence from work...which with weekends and holidays works out to 3 1/2 weeks. My principal is wonderful. When I told her she had no problem with my leaving, and when I told her that I was upset about leaving my class, her answer was that I needed to "go hold your husband's hand." I did promise to leave 5 weeks of lesson plans and to come in on one of the days I am home to check on my class and write another few weeks of plans. I won't get paid while on leave as I have used up all my sick days, but Gerry is my priority now. My principal is even more wonderful because she is going to pay my sub to come in and work with me during my last week so she can learn my routines and the curriculum.



I picked up Gerry at Newark airport and took him to the hotel to nap. The wedding was that night at a place called The Atrium Country Club. It was beautiful. Gerry has such a great family. They are always fun to be with. And...almost every one of them...his brothers, their wives, the nieces and nephews - came up to me at various times of the night to thank me for "taking care of" Gerry. While we were having a good time, even danced a few dances, Gerry got really tired and so we left after the entre. But we were just happy to have been there at all.