Chemo #2

As I update this time, I'm sitting here hooked up to some part of my chemo regimen. (Don't know what, just early in the process!! :)

As I saw the Doctor this morning; she reports that all looks good. Blood counts have been great for the three weeks between treatments, so THANK THE LORD for the shot that I did for that!!

Keri (for those of you who don't know, is my AWESOME sister) is with me today. We have lots to keep us entertained!! (magazines; the computer; and each other!!)

The other hurdle that I face today is the hair issue~ It has started to 'thin' more and more each day that goes by. So; not sure what will come of the rest of the day!! As this is happening, it has become more difficult than I thought it would be. I am a tough girl; and hair is not going to 'get me down' however, the initial adjustment period is going to be the hardest part, I fear.

It isn't the fact that my hair is coming out. And, those of you who see me all the time know that it isn't because I'm really particular about my hair. BUT, I THINK it is the fact that it is such a prominent part of me. It doesn't define who I am; nor does it take away from who I am.

I also dread the 'looks' from people. And, the comments for those well meaning people who try to make me feel better. ("It's JUST hair"~which is very true; however, these kinds of statements aren't always the most comforting!!)

I do have 'back up hair'' and a couple of hats, and doo rags~ so I'm ready. Just see the hurdle in front of me and know that the form is being taken to jump....

I am feeling much better about Chemo #2 today. I have knowledge to be able to ask questions; therefore the nurses/doctor are able to better help and direct me! So; I feel confident that (while it won't be fun) it will be more tolerable this time. We'll see.....

Thank you, friends, for your prayers. Please feel free to leave comments and thoughts!! They really mean a lot to me!!

Don't waste opportunities today!! God has you in places for His Divine appointments~ so; don't be wasteful!!!

Lovin' you~

In Between...

There hasn't been much to update lately; but I thought I"d give you what there is.....

Chemo #1 went fine. It was a learning time and I think we figured out/asked enough questions to help #2 go a little smoother. Having said that, it wasn't nearly as rough as it could have been and we are very thankful for those things!!

Last week when I went to the Plastic Surgeon; she did a procedure to try to help my leaky incision to heal better and to stop the fluid leakage. That was on Monday and it was doing really good; until Sunday morning! It is not leaking to the extent it was before, but still has not completely stopped. I am not sure what the next step will be in this process and will see her again tomorrow (Thursday).

I really have wanted to try to go back to school. However, the way the Sick Leave Bank is set up, if I do go back I will be docked each day I have to miss from now to the end of the year. So, we are in the process of deciding what to do!!

Many of you know that I am not a good 'stay at home' person... Physically I am doing great; but still cannot do a lot (I would love to clean out some things in the basement, but cannot lift and pull on boxes, etc). So, this staying at home thing is getting old. I miss my students and friends that I work with terribly and I am having a hard time being content!!

So, friends.... that is the update! Not much to report; but that is what is going on. Chemo #2 is next Tuesday.. and I am thankful to kind of know what to expect!!

Is there something going on with you that you are finding it hard to be content with? Do you find yourself questioning God and asking Him why? Can you see that perhaps He may be using this time to grow you?

Chemo #1; Day 4

Well. I haven't updated here because there really has been nothing to report. I have been thankful for a roof over my head these last 4 days, because I'm sure buzzards would have been circling had I not been inside!!

I have been on the couch, in the recliner or in the bed since Wednesday afternoon; and understand that is quite normal. I have learned to take my nausea meds even if I think I don't need to. That helped a lot once I realized to do that.

The shot I got to boost my White Blood Cells; and it was a booger. It 'can' give you flu-like symptoms; but the thing for me was soreness in my legs (just achy). SO.... thank goodness it wasn't all over!

So~ IF I am on the downhill side of this; then I have much to be thankful for!!
~No huge side effects
~return of energy
~rest
~no sickness :)

I am still not back to 'normal' but this evening, I've done more than I have in the last few days put together (and that still isn't saying much!!)

I will have an appointment for more Herceptin on Monday morning, then an appointment with Plastic Surgeon on Monday afternoon. So, obviously, Monday will be busy.

I was hoping to return to work this coming week. Please pray that I make a wise decision about the return!!

Please also pray for the following items:
~energy to return to normal
~good rest at night
~good reports on MOnday (Still battling the leaky incision but it is much better!!)
~whatever else you can think of!!

Thank you, my blog friends. You are precious to me!!!

Chemo 1; the day after....

Hey everyone!!
HOpe you have enjoyed the beautiful sunshine today!!
Just wanted to give you an update on my day.

I actually slept well last night!! Along with the steroids, I took some Tylenol PM and that helped me to sleep! Thank the LORD!!

I woke up this morning with a little nausea, and took one of the medications they gave me and it eased off. Never completely went away, but did ease up.

I had to get a shot today to help my White Blood cell count to stay up; this will help my immune system not be so compromised.

I have mainly been VERY tired today, and that is alright. I am not complaining. I have not be 'sick'; I have not had any other 'complications'... mostly just tired.

Thank you for your prayers and your kind words. Please keep praying that these side effects will remain mild!!!

1 down, 5 to go!!

Well.  Nothing really new to report.... except that we actually got home alright!!  The roads were much easier to travel on the way home than on the way this morning!!
The ladies continued to take good care of us!!  Chris got some meds for his sinus fun he is having.  Had supper in the fridge waiting for us when we got home!!  The kids had a good, relaxing day at home.  (Even did some chores!!)

As we understand it, I can begin to 'reap' the effects anywhere from a few hours to a few days, and there really is no way to tell when 'they' will hit.... So~  again we wait!!

I have to go back tomorrow for a shot to help keep my white blood count up.  I have a follow up and another dose of Herceptin on Monday of next week; then off to the Plastic Surgeon that afternoon (I sure hope there is time to stop at Target in there somewhere.  The trip would not be complete without that!!)  THe appt with the PS is to make sure the leakage issue is doing alright and there are no signs of infection.  Long drive, but thankful for a doctor/staff that cares enough to want to keep that close of an eye on me.

In my post late last night, I asked if any of you had any suggestions for a 'catchy' name (The doctor was trying to come up with one yesterday.... )  And, the winner is my precious friend Channy~ She thinks that "FLO" would be GREAT, and I have to chuckle and agree wholeheartedly!!!!!

So, friends.... as we end this day, end it thanking our FAther that you (again) have been a huge part of the smoothness of our day today!!! Thank you for the prayers; comments (I LOVE reading the comments); emails; texts, etc.....

I will update as there are items of newsworthiness..... right now we just kind of wait to see if I"m going to be sick, or tired, or feverish, or whatever else they told us to watch for.

During.... Chemo #1

Well. Thank you blog friends..those who know me, and those who don't, but your are willing to give of yourself and lift my measly needs before the Creator..... quite the humbling experience.... have no words to describe....

Have you read about the 'peace that passes understanding'??? Well. That would be the closest I can come to describing.

As I write this, I am sitting in my comfy recliner, wrapped up in my Ga Bulldog snuggie, watching TV, listening to my ipod in one ear, and writing... Multi-tasking at its best.

As I wrote last night, my appt was changed to later in the morning... just incase the weather happened as predicted. Well, we had a BEAUTIFUL snow again this morning. And, if we'd come at the original 8:30 time, we'd been fine!! We didn't.

Getting to the four lane road to go to Blue Ridge was the worst of the travel. The 4lane had been scraped and salted, so it was 'passable'... but what mess we'd been in if it hadn't been. When we left home, we had a good 3 inches of snow!!

We made it with no problems; and got in, saw the dr. and got started pretty quickly.

As I write this, I am on my last 'drug' of the day... so, about another hour or so, we'll be counting down to chemo #2!!!!

We have gotten an overwhelming amount of information.... One of the nurses has JUST finished a round of treatment for ovarian cancer. She was the one who sat with us and overwhelmed us with the info.... precious lady.

Already, I have fallen in love with the staff here. The doctor an all the nurses/front office people are WONDERFUL, GODLY women.

After Ms. Nurse (don't know her name) spoke with us and answered our questions, she called the other staff in the room over and had prayer with us. What an incredible time!!!

Thank you friend for your prayers.... So often I have prayed for God to do things that we can only look around to figure out what happened and the only answer be that HE has been in the midst. This, today, and been a very real thing that has happened.

Overnight when I had a LOT of time to think/toss/turn/watch V.....Ephesians 3:20 came to mind....
"My God can do MORE than I can ASK or even IMAGINE".... (not directly quoted).... So... in your (or my) wildest dreams, God can go far beyond that!!!!!! THAT has happened today!!!!

So far, I have done great. One of the drugs they gave me, I would have had a reaction to immediately if I was going to, and haven't had one!! YAY.....
Another drug they are giving me generally doesn't show a reaction until the 7th treatment... I won't make it that far... I only have 6!!
The third they are giving me now I've had no initial reaction but perhaps this one takes longer.... (Did I say we had been overhwelmed with info??).... they gave me benadryl.... So... my poor body doesn't know what it wants to do... sleep or have a wide awake time... (steroids)....

Overall, I could not have asked for this to go any smoother!!! The ladies have treated me like a queen; Chris is right by my side, and my friends have allowed me to know just how much they love me....

I will update again when we get home..... but... everything is OK....

I love and appreciate you. You are precious to me~

Chemo #1~Before

Good evening, all.  I am awake.... late, and thought I'd write a little.

Hopefully, you are fast asleep as I write this.  WIth that having been said, I am also hopeful this will make sense in the day light!!

As I've mentioned before, my first chemo will be in just a few short hours.... My appointment is at 10:50 on Tuesday, March 2.  (They called and moved it just in case the snow was really coming.... )

I am not nervous.  Not really anxious.  Not really anything.  Just kind of wondering.....

As for chemo there are a lot of unknowns, and that is what I do NOT like.... Give me an idea of what I am up against, and I can take on the world.  Put me in something 'blind' and I don't do quite so well.  But, if we knew everything, there would be no need for faith, would there??

Chris will be going with me tomorrow.  There will be a 'crash course' in what we need to do/watch for/take care of, then they will hook me up!!  They told us to plan to be there 5-6 hours tomorrow.  So, we'll see.

I will try to update tomorrow evening sometime.

As for today, I had an appointment with the Plastic Surgeon.  I am supposed to go every two weeks to get fluid in my 'tissue expanders' (these are the temporary implants that allow my muscle/skin to stretch as I "grow").....  There have been some drain tube issues; but we thought the fluid issues were resolved.  Early last week, the incision on my left side began to 'weep' a little.  Fluid had built up in a 'pocket' and had found an easy way 'out'.... so that was checked today.

She drained some fluid from that area....apparently, a fair amount.  She told me she was going to start calling me, "Fluid Lady" or something.  (maybe you could suggest some catchy names, and I'll pass them on....)  Anyway.... I will be going back next Monday for her to make sure there is no additional fluid build up in that area, and check for infection.  (THere were NO SIGNS of infection today.  She felt the fluid was 'clear' and didn't even send it to the lab.)  So, next week will be completely precautionary.

I am NOT in ANY pain with this (thank the Lord).  It is just more aggravating than anything.

Those of you who know me well, know I usually find it hard to ask for things for myself.  I am learning it is alright to ask.... so, let me practice.....
Please, over the next few days, pray the following for me and my family:

~(Might be awkward for some of you 'man' friends... hee hee)  Please pray for my left incision to stop leaking!!!  I really am tired of that aggravation; and with chemo, my immune system is compromised, and I dn't want to worry about infection there.  (I worry a little more because I am still quite numb in that area, so I cannot tell if it is tender, or sore.  Therefore, infection might progress before we really realized it, therefore, I might worry a little more!!)

~Please pray (again) for the weather situation.  Please pray IF it is to snow that we will have safe travels (we will only be going to Blue Ridge, Ga... so it isn't a long drive... but in the weather, it becomes quite long enough).

~Please pray for rest for us.  Chris isn't sleeping as well as I'd like for him to, but he informed me that his sinuses have been bothering him.  I have taken steriods today in order to help with side effects. So, I'm a little wired!!!

~Please pray for the days ahead... I know for some people side effects take a few days to 'kick in'.... so... please continue to pray.  I am not going into this with any 'hopes' of dodging the bullet... just not sure what to expect....

~Please pray for my children to know kind of how to handle this whole thing.  I know many of you have prayed for them this whole time, and I appreciate that more than you know.  They want to help so bad, but really aren't quite sure what to do!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, blog friends for letting me be Transparent without  any judgement!!  That is HUGE.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, read my last post!!!

Until tomorrow night..... (I get more steriods tomorrow!! hee hee)