Midweek update

I have found that if I don't update on Mondays, the week gets away from me. This week has been no different. Since the week is half over now, you get a bigger update!

1. Monday - I head to the doctor for Herceptin. The clinic is much more quiet this week than last; I even get a short nap! Upon my arrival home, Kathryn tells me, "I think I am sick." She most definitely is, running a low grade fever, complete with chills and body ache.

2. Tuesday - First thing in the morning we receive a call that a long time family friend has died. While it was expected, it was not expected so soon. Michael and I meet with the surgeon in the afternoon and schedule my surgery for Tuesday, August 15. It is on the hospital calendar, although there are a few factors that are still undecided. We have decisions to make!

3. Wednesday - A 9:15 appointment with the gynecologist takes all morning (we are on time but she isn't). We discuss my cancer treatment so far, and I fill her in on surgery. We discuss a few more issues, and she sends me home with a month's worth of iron supplements! Bonus! Michael leaves for Chicago and the funeral. He will fly from Chicago to Dallas on Sunday for business, so he won't be home until Wednesday of next week. Towards the middle of the evening, I am not feeling well, so I take my temp and discover a fever over 100.5 which means I have to call in to the oncologist's office. The doctor on call tells me to start on an antibiotic even though we both agree that it is probably viral and passed to me from Kathryn (who is still sick, by the way). A restless night of sleep ensues as I am hot and cold all night long.

4. Thursday - Kathryn wakes up feeling better; today is the first day she has been up and dressed since Monday. While she is not back to normal yet, she is well on her way (water is tasting normal again, so she tells me!). My fever is gone. I still feel tired, but I think that is from lack of sleep last night. I call the oncologist's office to speak with the nurses, to fill them in on my evening. They instruct me to continue the antibiotic for a full 5 days and to watch for other symptoms. I get a gold star for calling in, though! Later, I speak with the genetic testing firm about the test they are supposed to be running for me. It turns out that the test which we thought would be back by 7/28 hasn't even been started yet. And it takes 4 weeks for the results! The issue at hand is that the lab is waiting on insurance approval/denial (we knew they would wait). While I was told approval would take about 1 week, it is now 4 full weeks since they drew my blood. The cost of the test is $3000, so we really want to see if insurance will cover it. The results of the test hold the pieces of the puzzle as to whether or not I have a genetic predisposition to breast cancer; the results are also wanted to make definitive decisions about my surgery. Now it is unclear if we might even have the results back in time since my surgery date is only 26 days away. I will talk to the oncologist on Monday and get her perspective on everything.

And so goes life......trying to sort out all of these decisions and waiting for information to help come up with the answers. Most of all, it means resting on the Lord and knowing that even though it all seems confusing and frustrating and overwhelming from my vantage point He sees the big picture from beginning to end. Actually, He even knows what's going to happen, and I can rest in knowing that it will be for my good.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." ~Romans 8:28

posted by Kim @ 3:24 PM