Today was chemo #4 of 6 currently prescribed. I meet with the oncologist each time prior to being released for the chemo. He reviews any lab results, test results, checks out the girls (I call it man-handling and woman-handling since he typically has a med student, a female, at his side), and tells me how happy he is with how treatment is going. This has been the repeated pattern the last 3 times. It's an encouragement, the him being happy part, not the other parts so much.
Sitting in the chemo room for 4-5 hours can be hard. There are many different kinds of folks I see, young, old, small, large, healthy looking, very unhealthy looking. Cancer is no respecter of persons. (like my Jesus is too, He LOVES every single one of us). Cancer does NOT. There are all kinds of prescriptions for chemo, some daily, some every 3 weeks like me, and other variations, I'm sure. MaryAnn and I have met before. And elderly gal dealing with her own different flavor of cancer, from what I can tell she takes a little chemo each day. They haven't given her a great prognosis. She lives in the familiar-to-me fear of the number of her days. She was going home today to wrap some final Christmas gifts as she hopes to go home to Ohio to "say goodbye". And my heart grieves for her, for the hugs, glances and heartfelt words I'm sure she'll experience. But who knows, maybe they won't have her prognosis quite right, because we do have to remember, they, those dr's we appreciate so much, at the end of the day don't get to truly, fully know the number of our days. Only God. And so I'll pray for MaryAnn, thx to a reminder alarm on my phone our pastor asked us to do during this weeks sermon. In the meantime, she offered to leave my mom a pumpkin bread recipe that sounded good to her. So sweet.
And for Jan, I'd seen her at chemo the last 2 times, but not today, she's quite frail. Asked about her today, but of course, they couldn't tell me anything. I pray I see her next time, perhaps doing better than last time.
Thurs of this week, I'll go in to get an IV infusion of saline, which I'm told can really help me feel better. Up until now I told myself it was for those feeling worse than me, then I decided they made it sound so good that maybe it IS for me. Worth a try. We shall see.
And along the lines of trying different things to feel better, trying some essential oil blends to see if it makes an impact. Sniffing some peppermint oil now. And back to acupuncture tomorrow, that did help some last time with some effects.
So, that's the full update. Our family is handling things okay, kids are well loved, hubs seems good, so we press on. While I wasn't thoroughly excited at being at the halfway point last time, I was more encouraged to know there are only 2 more, thank you God! Thank you again for the many different ways you all are loving on us, we really can't thank you all enough. It is good to be so well loved.
Colossians 3:12-14 NIV
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