My mid-cycle check up is called a nurse check....I meet with one of the oncology nurses that admininster the chemo. They draw blood work and check all my levels. They ask me about side effects - how bad they are and what is happening.
Today was my first blood draw through the port -- it is so weird -- the needle is about 1 1/4 inches long and it gets put straight into the port - at right angles to your body - not how they usually draw, parallel to your vein - and it makes a kind of funny "punch" sound - kind of like when you use a 3 hole punch --- It's really a weird feeling.
Blood levels were where they are anticipated to be - no surprises.
Side effects seem to tie back to the steroids that they give in conjunction with the chemo. They help your body to deal with the chemo, as I understand it. Not getting the steroids is not an option, so I have to figure out how to get around the muscle twitches and the not sleeping. They suggest taking benedryl or tylenol pm --- which I am not excited about because it is just more chemicals!!! Yuck!
Was active today - but by now am really feeling the effects! Tired just comes creeping up as I sit here and type.....
How am I doing?
I am so thankful to be able to do some things -- not just sit. I am learning to be thankful for any time that I feel good- which I should be aware and thankful for anyway! We just don't tend to think to be thankful for simply being able to live our normal life without feeling awful.
A friend send me a quote from James MacDonald's site - Walk in the Word
we don’t have to go through the Christian life alone. The Lord places friends around us, sometimes unexpected friends, who pray for us—who lift up our name before “the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Some people have commented to me that they couldn't be as public as I am being, if they were in my shoes.....When we got this diagnosis, we decided to be public about it for several reasons:
--to encourage people to go get their screenings
--to ask people to pray
--to point to God, the source of our blessings and also the source of strength in the trials.
I am so thankful for all of you that have taken up our cause, and lifted us before the throne of grace!
God's Blessings!
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