Hi all, this is Beth. As you may have noticed, the blog hasn't been updated in quite some time, so I wanted to post an update.

James has hit a rough patch in his battle and is currently back in the hospital, dealing with a few issues going on in his liver, pancreas and gall bladder. He's also had a very hard time eating and has lost more weight so he has started a program of interveneous nutrition to give his body what it needs to fight. He continues to build up fluid, this time in various pockets in his abdomen. All of this does cause pain, but I think we've finally found some good solutions to pain management that still leave him alert. There is a bit of a silver lining in the fact that his heart and lungs appear to be doing okay.

So like I said, it's tough going right now. In fact, one of the doctors at Swedish who is following James' care takes every opportunity to tell James how serious this all is. Today after this doc had left the room, James looks over at me and says "I hate that guy."

Dealing with this doctor is just like dealing with the countless statistics and medical reports we read. Yes, we see the numbers & statistics and we understand what they mean, and no, they're not the best news. But those numbers and this doctor know nothing of James, they know nothing of his fight, his determination and his will, all of which remain strong even if his body is weak. I look at him and even at his weakest moments I still see a fighter.

So the fight continues. We ask that you refrain from calling at this time (no cell phones allowed in the hospital) but please please please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Emails will probably go unanswered until he has access to a computer again. If you put something in the mail, I'll make sure he gets it.