We have been in Lubbock today -- I'm not kidding. Helen has had an appointment with Dr. Beceiro on schedule for a year for her thyroid stuff, so we felt we needed to make it for that. We were not excited about going, but we have decided that we do what we gotta do. The crazy thing is that she has to be back on Thursday morning for a sonagram, not because he thought there is a problem, but because it's been two years since the last one. We tried to get them to do it today, but no cigar. Oh well, we enjoyed being with each other.

We made it back from San Antonio yesterday (Praise the LORD!) and were able to get the car unpacked before flopping down in our recliners in our house. Nancy and Duffy brought us supper, which was such a delicious blessing. I slept well for the first night in the last five. We are truly blessed with unbeatable accommodations in San Antonio, but there really is no place like home. Janis and Don, we could never repay you! God Bless You!

Monday was another long day, beginning with the dreaded barium smoothies at 6:00 AM. After leaving the house at 7:00, we were able to avoid a mile-long traffic jam on the way in to the clinic because we heard the report of it on our San Antonio traffic radio station, 1200 AM. CT scans were at 8:00. A couple of hours later, after the scan reports were in and Dr. (Monica) Mita had herself read the scans, we met with her. She said that, while the scans looked good to her, there was some new stuff in the right lung that probably was scar tissue and other things left over from the surgery, making the scans inconclusive. She did not think anything looked to her like cancer.

We talked with Dr. Mita at length about what to do next, deciding to start back on LDE225 for another two months, if the drug company will allow it. CT scans would be done again in two months, when the remnants of surgery should be more or less out of the picture, and the scans should be more easily interpreted. We were not able to get approval before we left, so we are waiting to get word from the doctor. If approval is granted, they will send us the drug in the mail; if not, we will officially be "off-study" and will have to go back in a few days for post-study testing (labs, MUGA scans, skin biopsy, X-rays, hair follicle samples, ECG, etc.). We hope to hear by sometime tomorrow.

I am feeling pretty well. I have no endurance at all, tiring out very quickly, which is normal following this type of surgery. We are both extremely tired, but feel that a few days at home will cure a lot of our problems.

There are not enough ways to express our thanks to all of you who have done anything to encourage us or help us. We love you all!