A good week

Energy good

Weight good

Appetite good - thirst just fair

Needle out! Port healed well - but it is sensitive

I am thankful to say that this round has gone more easily than the last one!  Blessed this week with a friend's son visiting, causing fun distraction, music and great conversation!  

This round has not been perfect tho! I did pretty well up until last Thursday evening. Then I started to feel uncomfortable, nauseated but not unmanageably so. I also got much more tired than I had been. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were mostly about trying to keep eating and drinking even though things did not taste good.    Monday and Tuesday were bursts of energy interspersed with naps. This round, the drugs impact progressed to the point that the metallic taste in them comes through and just about everything does not taste good!
My sweet chef is ever so patient with my finicky pallet! At this point I'm trying to just eat anything that will go down and that tastes remotely good since I need the calories.  This has resulted in things like a baked potato, chicken soup, eggs, some pizza (go figure!)  and turkey sandwiches. Sometimes I just have to force myself to eat - which makes it more difficult...but this has kept my weight around 105-which I am extremely thankful for!  With this additional weight, I have more energy to walk or putter in the garden...a favorite thing to do!
Last week, I had my garden blessed 2 times! My friend and I used to swap plants and garden together often.  Since I spent much more time sleeping than she did--she blessed my garden for me!! Things got tidied, relocated, pruned, swept and in general freshened!  What a great gift!!
This followed hard on the heels of a first and amazing gift from Todd!  Over Memorial Day, he went with me to Home Depot and shopped with me(miraculous enough) but then also said that he wanted to plant some plants out where I rest on the outdoor couch!  We spent a lot of time picking out what would do well there and came home. That afternoon, he and I worked together in the garden!!!!'
He dug, amended, toted and watered as I planted and puttered-what an amazing gift!! In 35 years, we've never done this!! I was so excited!! He did say it would cost me several rounds if golf to even the score-but I was just so excited that he would garden with me at all!  What an amazing gift!!!

This week my energy seems to be back a bit for which I am so very thankful!  It comes in bursts, and sometimes fizzles out very fast – other times it is just a slow down hill slide.   It is not uncommon tho for me to fall asleep really quickly no matter where I am - which can be kinda awkward.  (I just fell asleep sitting here proofreading!)
Also, not so great, is that my hair is coming out a lot.  They had told me I would not lose my hair, it would just thin – but it is hard not to be shocked by the large, multiple handsfull each time I comb or brush my hair.

My fingers are getting a bit numb and clumsier.   The tips are numb which makes necklace clasps and earring backs rough.  I also drop things more easily which means more clean up – ugh. 

Probably the hardest thing is the food and water.   I need to eat more than usual and drink steadily, but things taste metallic and icky so neither one is easy.  Liquid is the hardest because it tastes the worst – I did discover chocolate coconut water which tastes like good chocolate pudding.  That has been a great blessing.  Taking the “Naked” juices and using 1/3 of a glass with water to the brim has helped me to get more liquid in...

Thankful to have the needle, all the access tubes and especially the tape(!) removed from my port - it hurt to hug -- and as you can see, there is not much padding to ease the pain of it getting bumped!  The tape was a constant irritation - I even would scratch while asleep!  yuck! Thank you God it is gone for a few days!  

All in all, I really cannot complain – so many have so much greater challenges to deal with than these small issues!  It's all part of the game, just not much fun—and I like to win the game! 

The sense of peace and joy that I have had, continues – and that has to be a special blessing from God because there is no other logical reason for it.   This has been such a season of trusting God for everything.  2 Cor 12:9  keeps coming to me – My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.   Often, I feel so weak – defeated, discouraged and helpless.  Yet His power carries me on each day – giving me the words to encourage others, the strength to keep living life even in the mundane – and to find joy in it!  

Deut 31:8 says the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you, Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.   It is so hard for me to grasp that God himself – himself – goes ahead of me into every situation and will be with me no matter what.  The God of the universe that keeps the world revolving on its axis, changes the seasons, makes unique snowflakes, rainbows and knits babies together and hears and answers ALL our prayers – all at the same time – that God – the busy one –the great God -- that he notices and cares about my situations and goes into each one ahead of me….. wow… that is a brain bender for me!!!  I am so thankful that He loves and cares about us enough to answer our prayers, to do miracles, to provide healing and righteousness and love. 

I am so thankful for the many gifts of friendship among all the other gifts.  Each of you, as you lift us up, provide a healing balm for our souls and the strength to carry on - even when we face the tough questions with tears...

Thank you for loving us - for caring - for praying...We are honored by it and you strengthen us!  

Thanks for checkin' in!