February Update

 At 8 weeks post surgery, I am finally feeling less sore and am able to do more of my normal activities. 

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40

I am in weekly physical therapy for my arms, and both are progressing well, though the one they took the lymph node from still cannot reach very high or wide. I am super thankful that I was able to get physical therapy started as I was struggling to push, pull, lift, or stretch to just do normal things like get dressed or get something out of a kitchen cabinet. 

My fingernails are struggling to stay alive after the chemo last fall and cause my fingers to hurt making it pretty challenging at times to do easy things like grabbing something out of a purse or typing or picking up objects.

I do have more energy and have been going for (almost) daily walks of 2-4 miles. Yay! This is something I've missed so much for the last months. I can't do hills yet, but I can keep a pretty good pace going on a flat path.

My hair is starting to grow back. For several weeks, I did not drive, but I am back to feeling comfortable behind the wheel (and my arms can both reach the steering wheel and move it safely now!)

It has been a time of slow but steady progress. I am so thankful that I have the time to work on recovering and I am even to the point that I am starting to look for ways to fill my time.

A couple weeks ago, my health insurance got a bit messed up and that was cause for some stress, but it looks like it is resolved. 

Thankfully that didn't keep me from getting restarted with my infusions. Last fall, every 3 weeks I went for chemotherapy infusions and received 4 drugs each time. Two of the drugs are chemotherapies which are completely done after 6 sessions. The other two drugs are "targeted therapies" which I have to do for 12 more sessions. I took a break for surgery and now we have restarted those. Thankfully, these two drugs do not have the horrible chemotherapy side effects. We shall see in the coming weeks what difficulties, if any, I experience from these infusions. Since my first infusion on 2/13, I have not experienced any new side effects. Woohoo!

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  - Hebrews 4

Please pray for healing (and especially for my fingernails), for better range of motion with my arms, for insurance to work like it's supposed to, for me to get infusions and surgery scheduled (as those had to be put off because of a nurse strike), for continued lack of side effects with the infusions (next on 3/5) and for me to be a light in dark places. Praise the Lord with me for having more energy, getting to go for walks, the progress already made through physical therapy, for the lack of side effects, and for the insurance resolve so far.

"Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe."  - Psalm 61