Thus begins Week #2

Monday: Quick day at the clinic today, which was a pleasant surprise.  We have a new patient this week, who is also from the same ND that I see in Bellevue.  That makes three of us!  They also have horses, so...we're definitely set on topics to talk about.  

My treatment continues to be pretty straight forward without any surprises.  *knocks on wood*  Leannda and I have been talking about bloodwork for her for quite awhile now, and she took advantage of the opportunity to have tests done today, too.  How it works for me in the US is that my ND orders bloodwork from LabCorp, then I stop in anytime after a 12 hour fast and have blood drawn.  He gets the results and LabCorp deals with my insurance.  My insurance then bills me--usually $200-$300 from about $3000-$3500 of bloodwork.  It can be A LOT of tests though, so don't be too shocked at that number.  Leannda has a different insurance system that doesn't make it quite as easy to request tests, so if she decided to go the ND route, it would all be out of pocket.  Not to say it won't be out of pocket here in Mexico because it will, but I can guarantee it's more affordable than $3500.  What I really appreciate both from my ND and the doctors here is that they sit down with the pages of labs and go over each item, what it does in the body, what the normal range is, what the ideal range is, and even ratios of one test to another.  It's a full education.

After I was done with IVs, we had lunch (and dessert!), and then we were free for the afternoon.  I've been VERY hungry.  I tend to eat quite a bit as it is, but this is next level.  I was not, however, even a little hungry after this lunch.  Yum!

We checked out a nursery in the afternoon and got a tour from a girl named Leah--maybe about 12-13 years old.  It was very cute, as she darted us around the nursery to see all of her favorite plants.  Cool to see regionally what they have here in common with us, and unique to us.  Obviously two very different climates, but there is a bit of overlap.  

Mural inside the nursery

She was never seen again...

Tuesday...I think?  

I had topical laser treatment today over my liver and over the small tumor on my back.  It's a weird feeling.  When it was over my liver, I could feel the tumor on my back more, and when it was on my back, I could feel my liver.  I don't have a great description for the feeling, but the closest I can come so far is the feeling when your stomach twinges like it's about to growl--that sensation, without the growl.  Yeah...I'll keeping working on it.  

Topical laser treatment--the pillow is holding the laser where it's supposed to be so that I don't have to.  Marinate for 20 mins (at each site) and done!

Immunopeptides, as well, today.  Any one of the therapies alone would've been fine, but the combination definitely has my body feeling busy as work with it all.  That all culminates in a siesta, which is perfectly fine with me!  

Tomorrow is the interstitial treatment direct into the tumors, so NO JOKES UNTIL THURSDAY! 

How much of the laser treatment they decide to do depends on how my body responds.  The week between the two interstitial treatments seemed appropriate, but whether we do another before I leave next week is TBD.  Even the topical treatment today brought back some heat and swelling that had resolved, so more isn't more in this case.  Educating the immune system can only happen so quickly, so...patience.