Survivor Files: Chemo #3 (With a Little Birthday Fun Too!)

Had to wear my triplet birthday shirt!
I heard at least one "Oh MOM!"

Fourteen years ago today at 9:46, 9:47, and 9:49 a.m. I got to hear the cries of my babies for the first time. After all of the months of doing everything the doctor said to do, one emergency trip to the hospital and one week hospitalized at 30 weeks, I was more than ready to hold them in my arms. What a great day that was! I wrote in their baby books "it sounded like a big party in the delivery room." We had the best doctors and nurses with us and it still today is one of my favorite memories. What a day.

Today, fourteen years later, the morning started with a celebration of three 14-year-olds. (I included some of my favorite pictures from their morning below). It was a great way to start the day! They were in the van on the way to school wondering if any of them would be able to pass the DMV test to get their driving permits. The jury was still out by the time I dropped them off. 

Dad is keeping up with his work emails

My dad joined me during chemo treatment #3 once I got the kids off to school. Like I told my mom this afternoon, it is different having Dad with me, but we certainly did have a nice morning even if it was getting chemo. I have thought a lot about these two days fourteen years apart. When you trust God, both days are equally important in my walk with Him. Before I get a little too "hearty" on a Tuesday, I will just say that I will go a little more into that on Friday and stick to the details of the day today. Still doing everything the doctor tells me to do, I am working my way through the worst of it.

It was a rougher time this past round having a couple days where I was pretty much down in my bed/recliner. We are going to ease off of the steroids instead of going from four pills Friday down to none on Saturday. Seems my low times are when the steroids are done. I hope that gives me a little more energy. We will see.

I got to talk with my nutritionist today. I had met with her back three years ago to talk about meals and how to make positive changes in our eating habits. Today she came with a cookbook with easy and healthy recipes. I am excited that we are heading into soup season soon. There are some very yummy options and all of them are quick and easy recipes.

The time went quickly. I have to suck on cold popsicles while the one drug goes in because it helps divert the drug away from my mouth and cuts down on mouth sores later in the cycle. That keeps me busy talking to the nurse (who has to administer that drug through a series of syringes to make sure it doesn't go in too fast) and dad and I were recalling all of the '73 Chevy accidents that me and my brother got into in the car we called "The Hoot" when we were teenagers. Like I said, the conversations are different with Dad but still very fun and we laughed a lot too! 

And she hugs him!

Dawn opens her gift from Ryan

Stacey likes her gift too.

The second drug hangs in a bag and takes about 45 minutes to get in. I think I managed to get about 15-20 crochet stitches in my project I brought along. I love my dad. He shared some of the things that his dad went through with his health at the end when he had multiple myleoma. We lived in Georgia at that time and so hearing more of the story was nice. Dad took a few emails from work and I got a hand massage from one of the massage therapists who was making the rounds today.

All in all it was a great morning. We met Mom for lunch after she was done working and it was a great end to chemo morning. I remember as a kid wanting to get Mom and Dad alone and having their undivided attention. In a house of five kids that was a luxury back in the day. It still feels a little like a luxury even though this is not any way that we would pick to spend time together. I have done better lately at picking out the best parts of my days and forgetting all of the rest. Then, if those bad things linger, making sure that I have given that worry and care to God for good. He has been blessing those efforts because what you see is what He does!

So can I say it's been a great day? Yes...I really can.