Eight down .... Four to Go ... (It almost didn't happen)

On Friday, April 29th my dear friend Nancy accompanied me to chemo.  We were excited to do a lot of catching up and connecting again.  What a good day it was to be!!  Then the nurse did my vitals and my blood pressure was very high, so she did my blood pressure standing up ... down a little ... then took it again sitting down and it went down a bunch, so I thought I was in the clear.  She took my temp and it was 100.  She says I was probably dehydrated and may need to be admitted to the hospital.  At first I thought she was joking, but she wasn't.  She went and found my dr. and he reviewed all my blood work and "numbers" and came in to my chemo room.  When he came in he said he didn't need to duck (because he thought I hit him ...lol) because he WASN'T going to admit me, but give me fluids in the chemo room before my chemo treatment after I had an EKG.  So, we were relieved of that.  My blood work looked good and I then started the long process.  I have to start drinking a lot more and they said to quit worrying about the not eating, that would come back, but concentrate on fluids for sure.  I'm going to try and build myself up a little bit and I'm going to start a yoga tape on Monday ... I'm hoping I can do things to build me up and hopefully at the same time try to avoid hitting rock bottom after every treatment.  Last week was bad again, but all I do is sleep.  I have to start moving around or something.  I'm so happy that we are nearing the end and my hair can start growing back, my eyelashes start growing back and my eyebrows start growing back, but the leg and arm hair can take their time ... lol.  Well, anyway, Nancy and I did have a wonderful visit and the rest of the treatment went like clockwork.  Thank you to my friend for sharing the day with me and making the time pass so quickly.  It's support like this that gets me through ... you get me through ... because there are days I could easily throw in the towel and I know I can't because of all of you supporters out there ... thank you again and again and again for thoughts and prayers!!!

Seven Down ...... Five to Go!

I'm down to one hand of counting!!!!!  This week seemed like a week of total weakness ... you could say a weak week.  It seemed like the only thing I wanted to do was sleep.  Eating has turned into a dirty word, but I know I have to eat even if food has a terrible taste and/or different than it should.  I eat a lot of noodles.  "Noonies and Mato Mato", what my kids called noodles and tomato soup.  Tom is also getting good at making Macaroni and Cheese ... nope, no nickname for that although I suppose I could call it noonies and cheesie weezie, but that sounds dumb.  I'm going to really deviate this week and have Buttered Noodles!! 

My numbers were up this week so chemo was a go.  I just want to get this done.  I will be so happy to have it behind me.  Just the fact that I can count on one hand how many I have left is wonderful.  I will probably hit my low on Monday-Tuesday, which are days I come to dread.  I can literally sleep around the clock, but I'm just going to go with the flow and do what my body dictates.  There is stuff that needs to be done around the house (men aren't the best of housekeepers).  Tom does stuff that really shows, but cleaning the bathrooms don't seem to be on his agenda or dusting the furniture.  LOL    Bless him though .... he dotes on me and that's all that counts.  One good cleaning will take care of the other stuff, but I can't replace how well he takes care of me.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.  It makes me feel all the support I have from you, all those well wishes and prayers and God as my pilot, there is nothing I can't accomplish ... and right now getting through this chemo will be a great accomplishment.

Whoooo Hooooo ----- Half way there!!!!

I have 6 down and 6 to go!  Finally hit the half-way point.  I was on the fence AGAIN.  So again, pray that I can continue these.  This week was a really tough week.  I had 3 1/2 real down days.  Aching so badly that I had to take pain killers that I had left over from my surgery.  My doctor renewed the pain killers so this week I will have enough so when the pain in my bones gets so bad, I can at least alleviate that pain.  Tom was not happy I opted for the chemo.  He felt I should take a week off, but my numbers weren't any different than last week and I made it through that, but my dr., nurses and I all felt I should forge ahead.  I just want this over with and it definately makes me feel good that I'm half way.  My down days are spent sleeping mostly.  It's nothing that I sleep 12 hours a night and then nap away half the afternoon.  I just let my body dictate what I should do.  So, please continue to keep me in your prayers that I will weather this week and be ready for another chemo treatment on Friday.  Thank you and love you all!!!!

5 down with 7 to go.

Well, today I finished #5 .... #6 looks "iffy".  My numbers are down and I may have to build up a couple of weeks before I have the next one.  I'll come down next week, but I don't know if I'll have a treatment.  Yesterday I drove down to the cities all by myself (first time Tom's let me drive since September when I was diagnosed) and it was great.  I turned up the tunes and opened the sun roof and voila ..... instant happy and instant summer!  I met some special high school friends for lunch at Red Lobster and what fun we had.  Talk ... talk .... talk as only a bunch of women can.  :)  So, your assignment (if you choose to accept it) is to please pray that I'll be able to continue treatments.  I don't want to postpone any of these any longer.  I need this phase of treatment done.  So, thank you (in advance) for the prayers.  Happy spring!!!!!  Don't you just LOVE it?  Thank you God!!!!

One-Third of the Way Done - 4 down .... 8 to go!!

God is good!!!!  I've had another uneventful week.  I now see a pattern in this chemo.  Monday and Tuesdays are my DOWN days.  I feel really awful on those days, but on Wednesday mornings I feel like a totally different person.  But, I will take a couple of down days versus a hospital stay every other week!!  I am a third of the way done and that makes me excited.  I can see a light at the end of the tunnel!!  God has brought me through this ordeal and He's giving me such hope and expectation that I can hardly contain my joy!  It's been a hard journey to get to this point, but building my relationship with God along the way has made this journey well worth it.  Would my relationship have come this far if I hadn't gotten sick?   Hmmmm.......