Friday, August 14, 2009

8-14-09 Chemo #1

It's 8:45 pm and I'm feeling great. Still waiting for the other shoe to fall..... but Dr. Brooks assured me that I wouldn't get sick like before, remember? So far he is true to his word. I took one of my nausea/vomiting pills coming home from the hospital because my liver is still making me sick a little, and that helped just calm everything down.

We were to be at the hospital at 1:00 but we actually got there a little early, for lab work (just the finger stick to see how thick my blood is and what my white/red blood counts are. Then we met with Debbie, Dr. Brooks' RN, to do her pony show of what to expect from chemo. We hurried her right along through that. They didn't have the blood test to me before leaving, so I'll get it next time we're in his office.

We spent about 30 minutes just waiting for the infusion lab to get my Herceptin & my Abraxane cocktails brewed. In the meantime, Libbe started my IV of saline, then she fed through 2 kinds of nausea medicine. She said that this has all changed since I had chemo before. Amazing how quickly they are making progress. By the time they got everything pushed through my port and then cleaned out the port, it was 4:50 pm.

David visited with a woman next door to us in the infusion lab while I was taking a little nap. Her husband was getting a chemo push for Hodgkin's lymphoma. He contracted the disease six years ago, while she was pregnant with their fourth child. He's been in remission several times, but it keeps coming back faster each time and the prognisis is, as she put it, "not good." A year ago she discovered she had breast cancer and they had to stop his treatment while she had a partial mastectomy, radiation and chemo. Dr Laidley is her breast surgeon. She went to the same plastic surgeon practice where Dr. Hodges is. So we had that in common. They are very nice people, in their early 30's, and are Christians. Please pray for Eric & Debra. We also saw a mom and her little girl who was 7-8 years old being wheeled around in the red wagons that MCD has for little ones. She has kidney cancer. God seems to have a way of humbling you when you start the pity party at a hospital. I don't suggest it. God will give you reminder after reminder at the hospital.

We got Burger Island cheeseburgers & French fries for supper. Got through eating and took Sandy for the short walk around our neighborhood. We sat at the park in our area for about 10 minutes while I talked to my Daddy. Then we strolled back home. It was really slow. But when I got back to the house, I didn't feel sick, didn't go to my recliner and zombie out like before. If this holds true, this will be wonderful. I thank God for this great Chapter 2 Chemo #1.

And for my final thought for today: Paula Lindloff who works with me at Unitrin, gave me a wonderful gift today. She got me a big pink squishy lap throw and a pink/side & purple/other side pillow. How thoughtful, Paula, for you to do that! It will now go with me to every treatment. I snuggled right up in it and used the pillow during my short nap, but it made a great lap desk to use working my word circle puzzles to pass the time. Here's the card she gave me:

The inside of the card says: This too shall pass

Ain't it the truth, especially if you are holding God's extended hand through "This". Because there is always a "this" in life and God is there holding you as you tramp through the mud or splash through the rain puddles, if you let him carry you. And God is big enough to do the carrying.

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