I love to laugh and without doubt the funniest story so far in this journey through cancer is when our eldest son went to talk with his children about my illness. He told them he needed them to turn off the Wii game they were playing and then proceeded to tell them very calmly but seriously that Grandpa Thayer was in the hospital and very ill. Being very careful to make sure they understood the gravity of the situation he then asked, “Do you have ANY questions?” After a long pause, one of my granddaughters who adores me asked…
“Can we turn our game back on now?” 🙂

The first 7 day round of chemo went exceedingly well. Other than being tired and the stomach (etc) problems caused by the chemo and high powered antibiotics, I have little complaint. I have an excellent TEAM of nurses and technicians, housekeepers, dietary staff, etc who pay close attention to my every need. And of course, I simply cannot imagine going through this without the undying love and support of my absolutely AMAZING wife.

To answer some questions:
1. There are no restrictions on visitors other than they must be COMPLETELY healthy (no sniffles or anything) because my immune system will be at zero by weekend. Yes, visits tire me out but they also pump me up. Just like the animals at the zoo, I am generally most active in the morning.
2. My appetite is good though I continue to struggle to maintain weight. I cannot eat fresh fruit or vegetables and cannot have live plants.
3. I take four 1/4 mile walks a day for exercise. This is also part of my new volunteer job as “Mercy Hospital Smile Checker.”
4. I expect to enjoy my beautiful hospital suite (rm 817) into the first part of January unless God chooses to do a miracle in my body sooner.
5. God has quickly turned any disappointment into joy of HIS appointment. (See earlier blog)