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Lorinda has been in El Salvador for the past week. This picture was taken of her and Thomas just before she left. She is scheduled to return on Feb 14th but that could change. The doctors there are very pleased with her progress. A recent CAT scan and ultrasound show that the tumors have stopped any further growth and seem to be “under control”. Her blood is now completely normal.

Normal liver enzymes are between 20 and 38. When she went to Tijuana, hers were 68. They dropped to 50 something and then to 43 and now are at 22! This is really good news and reflects her consistency in sticking with the treatment she is doing. Dr. Bertachinni is holding off on direct injections of Enercel for now because of her progress. He will continue to monitor her and make this decision in the next few days.

She says that she is still nauseous a lot. Dr. Bertachinni says that is because her immune system is kicking in and bad cells are dying off at a rapid pace. Also, since her tumors are in a digestive organ, nausea is to be expected. He is constantly adjusting the level of Enercel she is on. Right now she takes drops every hour in water for 8 hours per day. She inhales Enercel 3 times per day and 1 bottle per day on an I.V. drip through the port by her collarbone.

She says the conditions are very good. Everything is clean. There is running water and really nice accommodations. The doctors there are very kind and confident.

Meanwhile, Thomas is doing quite well. He was born 3.1 lbs and now is a “hefty” 3 lbs 13 ounces. Lorinda thinks he’ll be over 4 lbs by the time she returns. Tom says his cheeks are getting chubby! Also, he drank from a bottle for the first time and is regulating his own temperature. They are thinking of taking him out of the incubator in the next couple of days to let him try an open crib. Lorinda feels very proud, blessed and thankful to hear how he is coming along while she is gone.

She says, “I am keeping the faith and know that God is in complete control. If He weren’t, I wouldn’t be handling this very well on my own.”

The bottom line right now is that the treatment seems to be working. Our biggest concern is becoming more and more financial. Her and Tom are funding this themselves and with the gracious donations you have made. If anyone reading this has any ideas on fund raising, your input would be greatly appreciated. We will post again as information becomes available.