College Dropoff and blood tests

My side effects are mild right now. I can mostly taste again. My mouth sore continues to heal. I do have a cold - runny nose, sore throat, sneezing - and sometimes bloody noses. But...

I am SO THANKFUL to have had the opportunity to drop our youngest off at college in Arizona. I wasn't sure if my body would cooperate, but it did. Thank you for praying for that! My hair even cooperated... it just started falling out in the last 24 hours. Yay? Although I am ok with losing my hair (because I don't really have a choice), it is still hard and makes me sad.

Sunday on the drive to AZ, I got a phone call to go submit more blood to be cultured as it seems like something showed up on the blood they took Tuesday night at the ER. Monday, my oncologist called with the same request plus more. So, this morning upon return to CA, I went to the lab. Please pray that they figure out whatever they are trying to figure out and are able to diagnose and treat, preferably quickly and easily. It takes a few days to get the results, so I just won't worry about it in the meantime.

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hands; - Psalm 31

I heart Day 11

 Feeling like I've turned a corner today. Thank you for praying!

There are still side effects happening, BUT I feel pretty normal (just tired) today. Went to Ikea with the boys (knowing they have wheelchairs) and did some college dorm shopping for Silas's big move next Monday!

Mouthsore is still super painful but feels like it's on the mend. Eating a soft diet still, but sense of taste is also coming back.

Rejoice with me!

Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. - Psalm 100

ER visit

Yesterday, the nurse hotline sent me to the ER to make sure that my side effects were actually side effects of chemo and not evidence of other infection. By the end of the visit, I understood that the first 2 weeks of the first chemo are a testing of how MY body will respond and what remedies MY body will accept for MY side effects. I got home just after 1am and woke up feeling much better and much more normal this morning. Yay!

Pray for: the new meds I received to work and the side effects of the new meds to be tolerable.

Details: 

I was pretty lethargic from lack of nutrition and dehydration. Turns out, I have a single mouth sore that's placed perfectly so it is super painful to swallow. The "magic mouthwash" for mouthsores did nothing to improve my symptoms. I was also having some elimination issues.

They took some blood and other samples to run all my numbers. Good news: no infections, all my symptoms are just side effects of the chemo. While waiting for the results, they treated my mouthsore and I was rehydrated with 2 bags of fluid. As my numbers came in, I was given a few other vitamins and minerals to get everything within normal range. I accepted the morphine to alleviate pain. I ate more calories (in jello, applesauce, and pudding cups - so not a lot) than I'd been able to get down in the previous couple days. Scott and I agree that my nurse, Keith, was amazing! I am sure he is in high demand and the Lord wanted me to have the best, so that must have been what the 4-hr wait was all about. (:

I came home with 2 new meds to attempt to control side effects that have run amuck. We shall see.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. - Psalm 91

Lots of sleep

Thank you all for praying. Back pain is back to normal management. Nausea is being treated and I feel like I have a handle on it. New prayer request: Food... Please pray that I can eat. 

(stop here if you're not medical or super-intrigued by the design of the human body!)

TMI...

I haven't been eating much because there is a sore on the roof of my mouth making it extremely painful to swallow anything (even water) because the tongue naturally pushes against the roof of the mouth with every swallow. Please pray for this sore to resolve. (I also have lost 90% of my sense of taste, only some "salty" is left) so nothing is even tempting. So interesting because I feel all the texture and no flavor.) Praying that I can eat more normally soon. In desparation for calories I had Scott liquify my chicken and rice last night and then tried to bypass chewing which helped because nothing rubbed against the sore but I still had to swallow. ):

Treatment Plan

 Thanks for asking.

The plan is for chemo every 3 weeks until just after thanksgiving. I go 9/5, 9/25, 10/16, 11/6, and 11/28 (woohoo! my black friday find will be my last chemo infusion!)

I also go in 7 days after each chemo for a hydration. Yesterday was my first and in light of the difficulty swallowing, 1L of fluids was welcome.

I hear that I should feel better-ish next week because it's "bad for 2 weeks" then tolerable for 1 before heading back. I'm looking forward to tolerable.

After chemo is done, my body gets a 6 week rest before surgery (Jan/Feb). Then possible radiation, depending on which surgery. Then targeted treatments for 9 months (through 2026).

The doctors are very optimistic. The cancer I have is stage 2 and the "common" type (70-80% of breast cancer diagnoses). (specifically, IDC 2a - - + for those who know the grammar of cancer which I am now learning) So we shall see.

I am optimistic, not because of the stats they can quote, but because I am a child of God. He loves me and cares for me. Though I am in a dark valley, He is with me. My life is in His hands and that is a great place to be.

The Lord is my shepherd...He restores my soul. -Psalm 23

I am normal.

Normally, there are side effects. I now have them. Woke up with some nausea this morning. Spent most of the day sleeping. Not too bad so far. I hear days 3-4 are the peak and things may stay bad for a week or so or wane. We shall see. 

Please pray for my back pain. I normally deal with it by walking regularly. I cannot go walk today, so I am in a significant amount of pain from something not even cancer related. ): Right now the back pain is worse than the chemo side effects. Go figure.

Thankful for all the encouragement from friends and family. I am still hope-filled and blessed.

Chemo #1 Done... Bucket list, check?

Thankful to report that my first chemotherapy treatment went well. The hospital called at 7:30am and said they had a bed available, and because it's the hospital, my first infusion started shortly after 1pm. But I was so well taken care of by my lovely nurse Diana and all the Kaiser staff and more or less enjoyed the day.

Scott took me in and we watched an intro to chemo video. Carrie and Bella Schultz then relieved Scott and enjoyed learning the grammar of cancer and chemo as well as playing games and chatting. Kaden & his fiancee Harli were next. We enjoyed stories of other hospital memories and contemplated things I can do when extremely fatigued - like Harli tutoring me in calculus, because, why not? Silas got to feed me dinner while my hands were occupied in the cold therapy gloves. My nurse, who had to be watching me for any allergic reactions, was thoroughly entertained. Scott came back and drove me home.

We were home about 8pm. We enjoyed a delicious dinner delivered by dear friends from church. We prepped a little for not sharing a bathroom and splitting laundry baskets, etc because the poison (chemo) will be leaking out of me for the next few days. I followed up on some communications I'd missed including letting people know who didn't know yet. Sleep came easily.

I woke this morning feeling fine, so I dragged Silas out of bed to go for my morning walk/run. I keep thinking the symptoms will hit any moment and I didn't want to be alone. Also, I'm not supposed to drive for 48 hours and I wanted to walk in the pretty park nearby so I needed a driver. So, I ran 5 miles this morning. I figure the extra blood flow is good for distributing the meds? My cancer treatment instructions do say to walk every day, so I am following orders.

It hasn't been 24 hours yet. The chemo parts of the infusions started at 3pm, so we shall see what hits. My nurse did say that 0.000001% of patients skip some side effects, so that could be me, but I'm not holding my breath. However, for those of you who prayed for no side effects - you are awesome!!!

Even so, God is good

 I planned to post an update on 8/31 - the 2 year anniversary of the accident (adventure #2). (Adventure #1 being the 2016-2017 trip around the USA.)

Well, early update: Kaden is doing awesome. His injuries are not holding him back. He is and we are thankful to God for His faithfulness seeing Kaden through this challenging time and we are so blessed that in His providence, though there will always be lasting effects, most people who meet Kaden today have no idea what he's been through because he walks and moves and uses all of his arms and legs like normal. Woohoo! and Praise the Lord!

Why did this update come early? Because I am going to hijack the family blog sharing our adventures for another medical drama unfolding before us - "adventure #3" (???) we didn't plan for...

I have cancer.

After a routine mammogram, I needed a follow-up ultrasound (which, for me, is also routine), but the day of the ultrasound, they asked if I could stay a bit for an immediate biopsy. The results were not good, but God is. So, on 7/28, I received the news - cancer. I have been to the doctor everyday since for scans and bloodwork and tests and meeting specialists and the result is that I will be starting chemotherapy this Monday, 8/11.

I've been meaning to get my hair trimmed. Guess I'll be taking off more than I ever planned for.

But - God is good. He is with me. "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him" - Nahum 1:7 

Trusting Him yesterday, today and always!