One Round of Chemo Down, Three To Go

One round of chemo down and three more to go.  I arrived just after 8:00 this morning and met with Dr. McMullen first.  She let me know that my brain MRI came back clean.  Yeah!  I didn't think there would be any cancer.  In fact, when she told me I had forgotten to ask her about it!  She also let me know, yet again, that chances are I will NOT lose my hair this time.  I am happy about that!

It took a total of 6 hours in the chemo chair today to get through 7 bags - a bag of saline, and then two anti-nausea medications (Emend and Aloxi), a small bag of steroids, a large bag of Cisplatin (mixed with saline), another large bag of saline, and then a small bag of my 2nd chemo - Alimpta.  It was long, but it went by pretty fast since I had company.  Kendra, my chemo nurse, gave me a quilt square to draw and write on for a quilt being put together by the American Cancer Society and it will be displayed at the cancer relay events.

I saw a few people I recognized from the last time I was there.  I felt sad for them that they still have to continue their fight with cancer.  One is an older couple that recognized me also.  The husband goes through the chemo.  They are always chipper and friendly and obviously love each other very much.

I am feeling very tired right now and my stomach is hurting.  I am not nauseated, but my stomach has a burning sensation.  I didn't sleep well at all last night.   I was supposed to take my steroid pill before noon yesterday and of course I forgot to take it until 6:00 that evening.  So, I was up until almost 3:00 in the morning and then woke up at 5:30.  I came home from chemo, found a tiny patch of sunshine to put my gravity chair in and fell sound asleep.

My next 3 chemos will be on June 7th, June 28th, and July 19th (provided all goes well of course).  I should start feeling a little better by the time we go camping in August to Wrights Lake.

Yesterday, Deb and I planted some flowers so I have pretty colors to look at while I am laying outside on my deck.  Flowers and especially roses, bring me much joy.    I also got a pedicure and an hour long body massage.  I felt ready to face today, and I do feel strong, positive, and full of faith that I am making the right decision, and that I really do have a chance of being NED (no evidence of disease) for a very very long time!

Susan was texting me with my while I was sitting in the chemo chair, encouraging me, and keeping my spirits up. She sent me this text, "I was just reminded of the battle of Gideon where God whittled down his men to almost nothing. Then they went in for a surprise attack and wiped out the enemy. He still had to fight but he had nothing left. God took care of them. The surprise attack worked!" When I read that those words they gave me goose bumps and made me cry. My own story is so like this right now. What a perfect analalogy!  I can see victory set before me.

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn."
~Psalm 18:32-36



THE CANCER CHANT, I WILL RANT. A poem contributed by a visitor of Healing Cancer Naturally

Cancer I did not give you the right,
To invade my body and take a bite. This is my body and with all my might,
I will prevail with one hell of a fight.
To the cancer inside, I will battle and kill.
For that is my body's God given will.
To my cancer, these words I do send.
Your life is short and near the end.