Checking in with an overdue update......

Please excuse the delay in updating. There are a myriad of reasons, but to go into them would mean writing a fair amount of drivel. I try to avoid drivel....hence the lapse in blog posts!

I was able to start the month of June off on a better note than I ended May, after an adjustment to medication that enabled me to distance myself from the bathroom. Last week was a breath of fresh air; I felt quite blessed to feel normal again. The week also brought with it a reason for a quick trip up to Illinois. I could feel God's hand in the timing of it all, as I never would have been able to make the trip just one week earlier. Kathryn and I were able to travel quite well. We saw family, friends, and had an exhausting day tromping through downtown Chicago. However, if you are interested in more details of that trip, you have to read the family blog.

This week, I was slated to start my second of four cycles in this second half of my treatment schedule. However, Friday, while in IL, I received a call from the nurse who told me not to expect chemo on Monday (my normal chemo day), as there was a supply problem and she probably would not have one of the drugs I needed. She still wanted me to come for my scheduled doctor exam, though. So, Monday, Michael and I drove in, and I had my exam (things look good and my MUGA results were good, too). After my exam, the nurse came in to tell me that they had FedExed the drugs in, so I could have chemo that day! Wow, what a surprise - I wasn't sure whether to be happy or sad. I hadn't planned on staying for another 2 hours, so I had no snacks, water, reading material, etc. On the other hand, having the drugs then would eliminate the need to come in the next day and cause less disruption to the schedule. So, I decided that this was a good thing and happily went to await having my blood drawn. Michael even went to Subway to get me a sandwich.

After having my blood drawn and while awaiting the results, I began to hear the nurses talking about my chart....hmmmm......not a good thing, I thought. I really couldn't figure out the problem, but I didn't need to wait long because the nurse came out to talk to me. The office has a policy that in order to dispense chemo, there must be one doctor on site. That day, there was only one doctor in the office, and he had received an emergency call that was going to take him away for the rest tof the day. They could finish up with the patients who were already in the chairs, but since I had not started my treatment yet, they need to have me come back the next day (now I was back on Tuesday, like I had originally anticipated)! Talk about confusing!!! So, I walked out of the office, only to meet Michael coming out of the parking garage with my sandwich in hand. We headed home, making a few errand stops on the way.

Tuesday dawned, and we headed back down to the doctor's office. This time, I didn't need bloodwork done, as it had been drawn the day before. I wouldn't be seeing the doctor, either. I was only there for chemo, so things progressed fairly quickly. I even slept soundly in the chair for about an hour. After my treatment was over, a friend picked me up to bring me home. We stopped at Panera Bread for lunch, which was fun, since we hadn't had lunch together in ages.

So, this week was a bit out of the ordinary in the sequence of things, but the important thing is that I did get to have my regular chemo treatment. An additional blessing is that the nurse was able to arrange the schedule so that I can go back to Mondays. I had been concerned that this would throw off my Mondays, but it won't! The only glitch was that I had to miss the Cubs game last night as I was too tired after treatment (even counting the nap in the chair and the hour nap I took at home) to make it through a 6 hour baseball adventure with the family. Anyone who knows me well knows that I had to be feeling p-r-e-t-t-y badly to give up a trip to see the Cubs. Twas true....sad, but true.

It will be interesting to see how the adjustment in drug dosage affects me. I am certainly hoping for better results than last time and would covet your prayers that I tolerate this reduced dosage more easily. I need to again say how much I appreciate the prayers that you send my way. I had 3 cards waiting for me when I returned from Chicago, each telling me how the sender was praying for me and our family. It is so encouraging to know that there are prayer partners out there, petitioning for me before the Father's throne. Thank you very much.

"Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah." ~Psalm 61: 1-4

posted by Kim @ 10:54 AM