We wanted to offer an update before things get hectic and we scatter for a day –

Maggie’s liver continues to respond well. Her total Bilirubin is 4.9 – the direct part of that is 2.1. Her doctors are pleased with this marked improvement. Her normal color is returning. (I have to share some more of Maggie’s humor. At the height of the bilirubin number, she changed her bitmoji to reflect this temporary look.

(It is not that far off the mark – take my word for it.)

She was scheduled to receive an antibody infusion yesterday, but it took insurance a little longer to get on the same page. (Just a note: I know we all have had insurance related frustrations. But, when we look at the big picture, we have no major complaints and have not been denied treatment. We have been beyond blessed in this area.) Maggie should receive her infusion late this afternoon. (Note: we have clarified with her docs regarding what she is receiving. Confusion arises because the meds are known by multiple names and are slightly different versions of the same thing. She’ll be receiving panitumumab – one she has received before.) Her attending oncologist indicated she could leave after that. Dr. Saleh would like to keep her overnight for close observation. We like this – most of all Maggie wants another night to rest before taking on the drive home. She makes that final call. We are thrilled at the prospect of being home together tomorrow night. Under one roof. As it should be. The picture I’ve attached below was sent by Molly yesterday. It perfectly depicts the collective psyche of the Hanberry family when the pack has been separated. Our little aussies are anxious to nose-nudge us and close the circle. We hear you, Max! Molly has done an incredible job keeping these two calm and reassured. Shepherds instinctively want to find lost sheep. One way to occupy their restlessness is a game of hide and seek. Molly goes somewhere in the house and hides. She then calls out, “Come find me.” And off they go without stopping until one of them spots her. They have played countless rounds this week. I think it gives them some measure of control over the situation.

The forecast:

1) We have an appointment next Wednesday to return to UAB for an outpatient procedure to internalize the drain, placing a stent into the duct. As we understand, that will be a two step process with two disciplines involved – IR and GI. It will be outpatient, but you can bet we’ll stay close for a night to rule out complications.

2) We continue panitumumab (the antibody) each week – location to be determined.

3) Most importantly, we discuss our next step. We will be talking with Saleh and MDA to determine this all important direction. Obviously, we would choose UAB – it’s closer to home, we have grown QUITE attached to the people (we love our PHASE ONE family), and we feel confident in the level of care from every aspect – we saw much of that this past week. BUT, we all know we need to choose the best clinical trial option – the one that appears most promising to alleviate the current tenuous situation in the liver area and offers the most hope for long term tumor control. (Dare we say – remission?) The trial will need to be colon cancer specific and we’re not sure when the next one will open at UAB. We do know MDA has one with open enrollment – right now. We appreciate the need for haste. We are looking for crystal clear divine direction.

For this weekend: I’m going to Jackson today. I’ll meet up with Molly and the Over the Edge team. I’ll then either return to Birmingham to pick up Phil and Maggie or return to Hattiesburg and meet them there. (We are still sorting out the plans). If the Lord allows, we’ll all be home tomorrow evening.

Thank you for allowing us to bombard you with updates and information this past week. I cannot adequately verbalize the comfort we feel in having our friends and family pray and cheer Maggie on. We’ll let you know tomorrow where we are (or will be). After that, it may get quiet for a few days – that’s the plan. We’ll update any time we have a significant development in plans or condition. God bless you with a peaceful weekend.