[chrisy]

Hi Skip,

Sorry to hear your wife is having such a hard time with treatment. You're right, cancer sucks and not only that, sometimes cancer treatment sucks. I think with liver involvement they like to hit it hard with the "tried and true" therapies (at least that was the case for me), because they are proven - although they are also more toxic.

You are not doing anything wrong - you are doing your best, you just need to keep working with the doctors to get control over the side effects. I hope you can get past the drugs for the side effects of the drug side effects roller coaster soon.

You might pick up the book "beating cancer with nutrition" by Patrick Quillen. It is a pretty good resource for nutritional approaches to symptom management for cancer and treatment side effects.

As for the rest of the questions, here's the thing. You just don't know! I'd venture a guess that once your wife completes chemo, life will be VERY different, and that she, and you, will have times where life is normal - where she will feel well physically and you will be able to get back into your lives. You will learn to live with the uncertainty and realities of living with cancer - it's hard to believe, but it is true. And note, I said LIVING with cancer.

We (dealing with Stage IV cancer) carry the extra burden of facing our mortality. "Normal" people have the luxury of just not thinking about it. That said, I think we also have a greater appreciation for the miracle of life, and living.

For now, focus on what you DO know - the chemo seems to be working! That is good news indeed, and I hope this is clearly seen on her upcoming scans.

Take care, do not lose heart.
chris