Well, the first post of the new year will sound a lot like the last couple of posts of the old year. There will be at least one more week before any treatments.
i have a different doctors appointment tomorrow morning (Tuesday, Jan 8), and will post in the evening when i have more information. Thanx for your patience, and continued prayers.
Happy New Year! Well, it probably is by the time you read this. đŸ™‚ God has been so good in so many ways this past year, there is not enough room to write it all. But i will tell you about what He did for me today. But first, a little catch up from the past week.
When last i posted, i had gotten home from the ER visit, with the diagnosis of RSV. This entire past week, i spent at home, resting, and trying not to cough. Near the end of the week, my voice went away, and now it is back somewhat, but not very clear at all. So i’m still resting as much as i can.
But with all the coughing, i have pulled a couple of muscles, and i still don’t have much of an appetite. So i was not looking forward to getting chemo this morning, knowing i was also going to add side effects to the list later on this week. i really wanted to skip this week and wait until next week but that will put me 4 weeks between treatments again. Also, i do not have a background in oncology, so i don’t want to mess up anything just because i’m getting tired. So my prayer was, God, if it is Your will that i get chemo today, so be it. Just please be merciful.
i won’t go through the whole list of coincidences that had to happen for these next two things, but after being there a couple of hours, a woman came in and told me she was a massage therapist for oncology patients. (What!?! i had heard about them, but had not seen one in two years, so i wasn’t sure they really existed!) So while i was waiting for my blood tests to come back, AND getting some fluids, i was also able to get a back and shoulder massage! Then, just as the massage was ending, they came in and told me my ANC was too low, so i would have to wait until next week to get chemo! yes!
i know i’m not supposed to get that excited about missing a treatment, especially when it is for a medical reason. But i have to be honest, i was dancing my way out of the office! i am hoping that in the next few days my cough will go away, and i will have a few days to strengthen physically before i get chemo next week. (This respiratory thing really knocked me for a loop.)
i have also heard from a couple of my friends today, and they have had praises too! God has really been moving today.
So it looks like 2018 is ending on a good note. Which i hope means 2019 will start on a good note too! It’s been a long couple of years. Yes, i do still have chemo infusions to get, an outpatient surgery, and possibly followup treatments still to come. But God is in control of this experience, and i trust Him. He has been there for everything so far, and i know He will be here for the rest. And if i’m being completely honest, you may need to remind me of those last couple of lines in a few weeks when i get tired of feeling sick again!
So i’m going to finish up 2018 praising Jesus for all He has done!! And starting 2019 tomorrow morning praising Him for all He has yet to do. Not only in my life, but in the lives of many friends and family that need Him to move in their lives. i have a list of people, but i don’t want to put out any limits – so i agree with you in your prayers as we close out 2018 and open up 2019.
To God be the glory!
What would a holiday season be without at least one trip to the hospital, am i right? Yep! You guessed it. i was able to spend some quality time at one of our local area hospitals this weekend.
About a week and a half ago, dad came down with a respiratory infection, and i took care of him. He actually bounced back pretty quick and i was feeling a little overconfident that i wouldn’t catch it. Famous last words.
It started with coughing, and then i got the fever. It would spike, i would take meds and it would come down. But eventually, it shot up to 101.4 and after 2 days i was unable to bring it down. In fact it got as high as 102.4 before i went to the ER. Long story short – i have rsv. And the doctors said i was still contagious. So i am spending Christmas Eve and Christmas at home wearing a mask, and washing or purell-ing my hands every 10 minutes it seems!
This has also moved my chemo back one week. Yay! Blessing.
So here is where we are: My ribs are sore from coughing, and i am on self imposed voice rest. Every time i talk, i start coughing. Texting and emails are my mode of conversation. We also don’t want anyone to be infected by me, so we’re not letting anyone in the house. i have not done any cooking or baking in over a week. That’s right, no cookies. At least not for now. Dad is taking care of anything that has to do with food or talking to people.
My youngest niece Sara took a picture of us that we were going to include in the Christmas cards this year. That isn’t happening now. So we posted the picture on our facebook pages.
So if you haven’t heard from me lately, now you know why. Praying that you are all having a great Christmas! And remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.
Thanx be to God for His indescribable gift!
This is my “off” week. That means i don’t get a chemo treatment, and i only go to the doctor if i get dehydrated, or any other issues. So far, it’s all good in that respect. Even though this chemo is different, and it is supposed to be a little easier, there are still some physical issues. Most of them i won’t list here, but the one that frustrates me the most is the weakness and fatigue. When i am sitting or laying down, i feel good! Like i can jump up and do anything. But when i get up, or even walk across the room, my legs and arms feel like i just finished a marathon! Ok, i have never been in a marathon, but i do know people that have, and the way they describe it, sounds a lot like how i feel at times. Should make for an interesting week leading up to my next appointment.
i am scheduled to get my next chemo infusion at 8:45 am next Monday. yes, on Christmas Eve. For the first 5 infusions, the SE didn’t really kick in until Thursday. But this past week, SE seemed to start a bit on Tuesday, more on Wednesday, and so on. And i’m still dealing with more nausea than usual. Praying this is not the beginning of the a new trend.
The good news is that today i am better than i was yesterday. i was even able to take dad to his doctor’s appointment. Which brings me to my selfish request for prayers. Not for me this time, but for a few others.
-Pray for the family that in the last ten days has buried a child that was under two years old, and at the same time, the child’s grandfather was admitted to the hospital. He is still in the hospital, but is doing better.
-Another family buried a teenager a couple of days ago. He had been fighting leukemia for the last nine months.
-And last but certainly not least, my dad. He has somehow acquired a respiratory infection-bronchitis. He is on meds and we are hoping they will help so he doesn’t go into something more serious. (also, since i am starting the time when my WBC is at it’s lowest, so the quicker he heals, the better. )
i am very thankful to have you all praying for those families mentioned. And for my dad. Soli Deo Gloria!
Today my platelets were a little low, but not too low, so i was able to get my infusions! That is good news, because it keeps me on the every other week rotation. As much as i can keep my body on the same schedule, the easier it is for all! Since the platelets were already low, i asked what i needed to look for or to do. i was told my job was “to make sure i did not fall!” No pressure there! ha ha
This week the tumor was “harder to find” than before! Yay! We are still taking things one week at a time, but hopefully this means we will be done with the chemo sooner than later. My oncologist would like to see me go through at least a full 6 cycles. (each cycle includes 2 infusions). If that is the course, i will be at the halfway point with my next infusion. Again, things can change in a day, so i’m just following my body, and my doctors, and taking it one step at a time!
Getting my infusion today also means my next scheduled chemo treatment is very early on Christmas Eve morning. The past few times, i have felt my best on the two days after the infusion. That means i will be able to eat, and enjoy what i’m eating on Christmas Day! There is my gift right there!
My celebration of good news is tempered with the realization that there are others who are not all getting good news. i am blessed with getting to know many others who are fighting various forms of the big C, and we are all in different places of our journey. Tonight though, i am particularly sensitive to the family of a brave young man, the nephew of a good friend of mine, who just met Jesus face to face this past Saturday. He is in the best place he can ever be. But his family and many friends are grieving a huge loss. Please keep them all in your prayers. God has truly shown Himself mighty and merciful by keeping them in His loving and protective hands. And He will continue to be glorified in Clay’s life. A life that we as humans, in our limited sight, see as being over here on earth. But God, who is not limited, sees an ongoing love story on this earth and in heaven. A story that He wrote at the beginning. And that we are now able to read.
Praying God’s Bubble Wrap for his loved ones.
Whew! This is an off week for any chemo, thankfully! This past week was very much like two weeks ago – Monday – Wednesday i felt “ok.” i was only a little nauseous so i could eat some regular meals. Thursday morning started the same, a few SE started in the morning, getting a little worse around 11-12’sh. They really kicked in Thursday night through Friday night. i was not able to stray far from my bed. i wanted so to sleep Thursday night, but couldn’t which made Friday worse.
Unfortunately one of my babies had some stomach troubles of his own, and we had quite a mess in my room. i did as much as i could, but nausea and weakness limited what i could do. Thankfully we have a great friend, (Thank you Vickie!!) who was already coming over on Friday. She was able to help with what i couldn’t, and the three of us (me, cuddles and casper) were able to sleep most of Friday away. What a blessing. You never realize how precious some things are, until you don’t have them. Even a simple thing, like sleeping in your own warm, comfy bed!
Saturday and Sunday were the two days when i would get out of breath just walking across the family room, so i was still on track! Usually my biggest issue on Mondays is the weakness, but i am usually able to eat and move about easier. For some reason i woke up this morning with a few SE that really messed me up. i also feel weaker than yesterday! Hmm. i hope this is not going to be a trend. We are having rehearsals and setup for “Celebrate Christmas Together” this week. i hope this doesn’t continue for the rest of the week.
Today is day 7. Days are counted from the date of infusion, and certain things usually happen on certain days. Day 7 through about Day 10 is supposed to be the time frame when your WBC are at their lowest. Those are the days when i avoid large crowds, being enclosed in a room with someone who is sick, etc. It is also a time when i get very tired very easy. i am determined to do what i can, until i can’t. There are a lot of people who do a lot more, when they feel a lot worse, so i can “suck it up buttercup!” So if you see me for the next few days and i am off to the side more than usual, don’t take it personally.
And as a personal note, Southeast’s “Celebrate Christmas Together” starts this coming Friday evening! We have service on Saturday evening, and then it runs from Sunday through Friday next week! (December 7, 9-14). It is a great family time, with things for kids of all ages!! i hope to see you there, or at least see lots of pictures on facebook. ha ha.
And remember, Jesus is the Reason for the Season!
A short post full of good news!
-Thanksgiving – was Amazing! The food tasted really good, spent some time with some family members i hadn’t seen for a while, and got to bring home leftovers!!
-At today’s appointment my numbers were good, so i was able to get chemo! (never thought i’d say yay for that, but “yay!”)
-Since my insurance company won’t pay for the meds to help build WBC, my doctor is continuing to adjust my chemo dosage as needed so that my body has more of a fighting chance. That is helping my blood test levels stay closer to normal, and keeping the SE manageable. (“yay #2”)
-When the lump was originally found, it was measured at approximately 2 centimeters. Today it is estimated to be around 1 1/2 centimeters. So the size is going down! (Praise the Lord! Yay!!!)
God is good!
Good news! It took four weeks, but my numbers were back up today! i thought they might be, there were a few people said i looked good and healthy this week! One person even said i looked better than i have in the 20+ years that i have known them (which was kind of hard to believe, because i was so much thinner when we first met!! ) My medical team has told me to eat whatever i could, and as much as i wanted. That it would help my body when i had chemo. i was a little concerned that i would gain too much weight, but took them at their word, and ate whatever my body thought looked good. And i lost 4 pounds! God is GOOD!
It is really good the numbers are in the normal range, since my insurance has denied meds that would help me with the low Neutrophils (aka: Neutropenia, which also includes low white blood cells.). So the frequency and amounts of infusions will be constantly adjusted going forward. As my body has a history of responding in unique ways, i know that my team will be on top of the treatment and my reactions. And that it will still be enough to completely get rid of the tumor, without the WBC dropping too low. There is not a way to tell if my ANC is too low, except for blood tests, so i will make sure my temperature stays below 100.4, and continue to eat as much as i can.
The fact that i had an extra week without chemo was also a blessing at work. We had the Global Missions Health Conference at the 920 campus this past Thursday-Saturday, and i was able to work the full schedule! It was a great conference, and i was glad to be there!
At this time, my next appointment will be the Monday after Thanksgiving. We will know around Thursday-Friday this week how much, if any, SE i will still have. i am loving the timing of that too, since that means during Thanksgiving i should have my appetite back. A wonderful thing to look forward to, because my brother and niece Sara are great cooks, (even when they cook mine without onions!). YUM!!
This year i am thankful for family, friends, co-workers, and the support network God has brought into my life. i am thankful for my medical team, many that i also count as friends, and the passion they have for helping those with cancer, to live a life without cancer. And for those who only know my name, and still regularly lift me and my family up in prayer. Thank you Jesus!! i (we) are truly blessed!!
The good news is i have another full week to rest up!
When they ran my labs this morning, almost all my numbers were good. Except one – my ANC (Absolute Neutrophil Count) dropped more, so i couldn’t do chemo today. It has been pushed back, a week and the overall schedule has changed. ANC has to do with white blood cells, so i am supposed to be careful when going out, keep the hand sanitizer, and wearing a mask in areas where there are large crowds. So if i use sanitizer after shaking your hand, don’t take it personally!
This week i got fluids and meds. i will get chemo next week, along with a possible additional meds. The schedule is changed to this: instead of getting chemo 2 weeks in a row, and one week off, it will now be every other week. Between doses, if needed, i will be given fluids and meds. i don’t know how this will affect the overall timing of the treatment, but that part is all flexible.
Right now i’m feeling really good, and glad to have another week to continue building back up. Everything else looked good, and there is a chance that the tumor is already responding to the chemo. All Praise to God!
It has been a good week. After i got fluids and meds on monday, i felt a lot better. That has increased as the week went on. It was a busy week at work, and i was able to work without dealing with SE. The fact that this rotation will be two weeks of chemo and one week of labs is great. Having a week off to rebuild my body and my energy has been great. And i know that it helps mentally!. am eating quite well and even got what little hair i have trimmed. Thank you Hailey (gorgeous you salon)!
My next appointment is early monday morning, i meet with my oncologist, and get chemo. Let’s see how this next cycle unfolds.
Thank you for your prayers!
