TREATMENT #3 - Under One Condition

Oh boy have I been selfishly spending most of my time praying for myself in the last 48 hours! Whatever has been going on in my lungs, I wanted a way to keep the treatment schedule. I had been feeling some pain in my liver area and our minds get messed up sometimes making up dumb things based on no facts at all.

So, not knowing what the blood test would show but being VERY hopeful, I went off at 9:30 leaving my "snow day" house and a few chores instructions. Ryan had already blew the snow out of the driveway and the other two boy were out cleaning up the sidewalk and the mailman's path.

Bloodwork still showed elevated white counts but they weren't as high as last week. After my examination showed all of my symptoms were gone I was approved for treatment under one condition. I would have to take Neulasta to help keep my white cells building while my body still fights the pneumonitis. Not my favorite news of the day but it followed the best news of the day so maybe it balanced it out. Hopefully the Claritin will help the bone pain.

We are again moving forward. I like moving forward. It is interesting to find out how much deeper a deep breath can be. I am feeling that I can take a deeper breath when I didn't even know last week that my deep breaths weren't as deep as they could be. I am sad that I won't be able to make the trip to Lincoln, NE this weekend to watch my show choir kids. There are plenty who will video so I am sure I will see them but it still isn't quite the same.

I have been working since Saturday to up my water intake and trying to be up and around more and not always laying in bed. It is nice to feel like I can sit up and move around more. I have a very low step goal at this point but I have also been trying to make that goal. It isn't too hard to do if I have to get out and go somewhere but it does take an effort if I am home all day. But, I have been putting forth the effort. I happen to be able to report today that I have FINALLY reached my water goal intake as you can see.

Obviously I need to keep working on it. It was a great day in the infusion room. I got to do chemo across from a longtime friend Beth Dunkel. Unfortunately, in recent years we have been reunited in the oncology office. I am thankful for good conversation. A little while into treatment another friend Shari came by to hang out and chat. It was nice to just chat. We have school business to take care of tomorrow so it was nice to just laugh and talk today. Beth got done a little before me so she popped over so we could take a picture together. We talked about how we have known each other since I was in third grade! Time sure does fly!!

So, not long after that I was also done and I got my Zolodex shot that I get every month and the Neulasta installed and ready for tomorrow around 6-6:30 p.m. I have been home now for about an hour and a half and I have already caught it on a doorway three times. And we have wide doorways! We will see. In my past experience with Neulasta about Monday the bone pain in my neck and skull starts. Which is weird because they say that the pain usually hits in the larger bones. I have already had pain in my thigh bones and hips with the immunotherapy drugs they have white blood cell boosters too.

Now my job is to spend time each day up and around. Rest when I need to, drink my water and stay away from germs! So I will try my best to do that and hope this round goes better than the last two and that my lung heals. I do have a PET scan planned the week before the fourth treatment to see how my liver is responding and I am looking forward to see how that is looking.

Prayer requests specifically for us:

1. Good health and safety for Dawn and Ryan who are heading to Nebraska for show choir competition this weekend.
2. Tolerating the Neulasta with very little to no bone pain.
3. The chemo attacks that cancer in my liver!
4. No bugs or germs of any kind to attack me when I am down next week.
5. Good news on the PET scan that all this we are doing is moving us in the right direction.
6. Continued healing for Stacey's foot. She is still in pain and PT is trying to help remove the swelling. She is back to the doctor for a check next week.

Thank you all!

Oh taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who trusts in Him.

Psalm 34:8