Ten Days After Chemo

It is now a full week since I wrote and since I was disconnected.  Next Wednesday starts another round.  So how did it go?

I have experienced some side effects but they have been relatively minor.  If every round was like this it certainly would be fine with me.  However, we are reminded by the nurses that there is an accumulative effect so we need to be practical.

For those of you praying, here are some of the short list of common side effects to pray would be kept in check:

·         Nausea

·         Neuropathy in extremities

·         Sensitivity to cold (bringing on neuropathy)

·         Fatigue

·         Dry mouth and mouth sores

·         Dry eyes

·         Immune deficiency (this is the most serious risk of complications, of course)

So, for you detail people here is my two week routine:

• ·         Wednesday:  10 am at Block Center, begin infusion of various drugs; chemo starts at 1 pm or later for 2 hours.  After that I am hooked up to a portable pump.  This gets to be my snuggly for the next 48 hours.
• ·         Friday: 10 am back at the BC to remove the I.V. and disconnect from pump
• ·         Weekend: Lay low and recoup.  Immune system is now compromised so be careful with contact
• ·         Week later, days before chemo: get new blood work to inform medical staff as to blood count and acceptability for next chemo round

This past Wednesday I went for CT and MRI scans.  This may show any development of the cancer over the two months since surgery.   Kind of a base line, if you will.  However, they did not detect the large original tumor, that was found by the surgeon.   I’ll report back on the results.

A final pray concern is for our little one, Cy.   Cy is seven and in the last three years he has lost 5 family members.  He is, of course, worried I will soon follow.  Recently he has said some disturbing things about his own life (I want to go and be with Nate and Auntie Joy) and things like, “when you and Daddy die who will take care of me?”  We have found some great resources, including a terrific child psychologist who has begun to see us.  We have been counseled to take these concerns very seriously.

Thanks so much for caring and praying.