Chemo Day 3

Yesterday I promised more than one post, and I lied. I got stuck on a crossword puzzle instead. But I do have one more story from yesterday. There are volunteers here who wear a green scrub vest and walk around to check on the patients, see if they need something to drink or need a blanket. Mr. Fred was our volunteer Monday and yesterday. He came over to mom to talk to her a little bit. He had colon cancer about 4 or 5 years ago. It hasn't come back since, but he has to have colonoscopies every year and every year they find precancerous stuff and have to remove it. Crazy. He and mom shared their stories. He was a cute old man, and we were both sad to hear he was married.

Today is the last day of chemo. Mom took home a pump yesterday. It looks like a weird purse she carries that holds a bag of chemo that gets pumped throughout a 24 hour period. She handled it well last night. We went to Target, shopped some, made our own mozzarella breadsticks! SO GOOD. 2/3 c milk, 2 1/4 c of bisquick, mix em together, knead it, roll it thin about 1/4 inch. and cut 6 x 2 1/2 inch rectangles out of the dough. about 8 rectangles. unwrap 8 string cheeses, and wrap each one with the dough. bake & YUMMMMMM. We caved in for dinner and had Marie Calendar's chicken pot pie. SO Good. It has magical healing powers, I'm convinced, especially with this stupid cold that will not go away. So if you need comfort foods, we've learned in the past 48 hours that MC's Chicken pot pie, homemade cheese sticks, and poached eggs are just what the doc ordered.

This morning we're back in our normal circle. Though we were scheduled a little later than the last two days, so someone got mom's "seat". We're just one over, but still in view of the GYN circle so she can see her friend that comes the same days as her. She's a cute little black lady we'll name Gretta because she looks sweet n southern. Gretta has had nurses poking her for the past 45 minutes to get the IV in her vein. I guess she doesn't have an easy access port in her chest like mom. Each time it looks like they got the vein, mom gives Gretta the thumbs up sign or holds her hands in prayer like she's praying for it to go in. So cute.

Today is a hard day for mom. She woke up feeling nauseous. I dropped whatever I was doing to help her out. But the moment she asked me to look for a shirt for her to wear I knew she was fine because she kept saying no to whatever I picked out. And I noticed she had her make up on. And when I was ushering her downstairs to get in the car, she threw her hands up and said, "I can't forget my earrings like yesterday!" So, she is feeling sick, but she is fine and functioning well. She did cry in the waiting room and when she saw Nurse Tess. She's just scared, and really didn't want to feel bad. But she got nausea meds and is fine now. PTL. She really wanted to be able to do this on her own this time. I said if she's sad because she has to depend on other people, then she needed to put on her big girl panties and get over it. Of course I said it with love and in hopes of making her laugh. I was successful. I think and pray she'll be ok the next couple of days. But the drug she got in the pump yesterday is the kicker.

She's asleep now. Nurse Tess assured her she's going to be fine and a little crying was good for the soul. She never cries, so I'm glad to see she is. I will admit, it is really tough to see your parent in emotional and physical pain. But, this is what I've read over and over lately and gives me great hope:

" and my soul is downcast within me.

²¹ Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

²² Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

²³ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

²⁴ I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."

²⁵ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;

²⁶ it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

²⁷ It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young." Lamentations 3:20-27

and...this response from Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego when they're about to be thrown into a furnace because they won't bow down to the king and his statues:

"O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Daniel 3:16-18

KAMJ The Threequel part 2

Day 2 of Chemo #1 of 4.

We just had a great 10 minute talk with our nurse Tess. She said she grew up Catholic, but she never understood the Bible until after she accepted Christ not long ago. How exciting for mom. And to hear Tess's story was encouraging, too. It gives peace to know she is praying over mom and treatment.

Today is a long day for mom. I'm sure I'll post more than once. Right now it's quiet. Lots of similar faces from yesterday, and not just the staff. One lady is across from mom and was there yesterday. I'll keep you posted.

Mom and I playing with my new mac! This is her in chemo, listening to her tunes.

KAMJ The Threequel

currently at the South Carolina Oncology Association center with mom. Getting ready to jump in to yet another cancer treatment. Let's recap her year...

Jan-June: 8 chemo treatments for Lymphoma: B Cell Follicular

July: breast cancer surgery

July/October: br cancer followups/procedures

November: last br cancer surgery/chemo IV port pulled

November: node biopsy & IV port put right back in

December: begins first of 4 new chemo regiment for Lymphoma: Large Diffuse B Cell (apparently it likes to transform from one type to another)

Superwoman?! I THINK SO!!!

This is a little ridiculous...they won't be able to give mom one of her chemo meds (not truly chemo, but a highly used and notable treatment) today because medicaid won't cover more than 8 and she has already had 8 in her previous battle. We almost didn't do chemo at all today because of it. Ridiculous. HOw can health insurance put a cap on that? (Ok don't freak out because I'm not saying public option would help, at all).

So...like last time, I have stories to tell from the chemo lounge! Just to paint the picture... This is a room of lots of windows to bring in the sun light. Lots of lounge chairs for the patients, with their IV poles (the one mom likes to dance with...YIKES!!) next to them. The chairs are all sort of in rows, but more like a really nice lounge with pretty wooden floors-and a soda machine!, not like a hospital waiting room. SO...story time

Right as we sat down, I noticed a group of ladies behind us. One of the ladies looks about fiftyish, short hair like she's already been through one set of treatments and back for another round. Sad. But she is hilarious! She had her whole group of four or five ladies just cracking up! At first glance you can't tell these people aren't sick. I mean, they look normal. They're all smiles unless they're asleep. I tried to encourage mom to pick a lounge chair in her circle. But, she got one behind them.

Busy day, monday after Christmas. All seats are occupied. They even have 2 private treatment rooms and one of them, I kid you not, has purple and orange chairs!! Clemson! Sad to say we did not opt for those. Tess is mom's nurse, usually how it goes. Tess received another patient but the chairs were all taken, so she started joking, saying the lady could come sit in this man's lap, that he wouldn't mind. All of us in the circle were laughing, those of us still awake.

But now, I just checked back at the circle behind mom, the one that wouldn't stop giggling. They're all knocked out on benadryl or atavan. Too funny. Oh, mom just laid her lounge chair back. 5...4...3...2....1....she's out. Actually, I'm lying. But that's how it would be. Today she doesn't get the benadryl. I'll be back with new stories soon. If not today, we're back here tomorrow and wednesday!

Slaccckkker

Sooo, I haven't had anything to write about for training lately. Hence no updates. However, I'll give a short one on my own accord.

Thanksgiving was interesting. Between the chaos of all my family living in South Carolina & trying to see everyone...on top of mourning a horrible clemson football loss, I'd say it didn't go as I had expected. But it was restful after all the birthday celebrations, turkey eating, and tears shed over the tigers. My favorite part was piecing a puzzle together with mom and with the cats in the middle of it.

I do have news on the mom. She's going in for more scans due to some swollen lymph nodes, and it's not looking like good news. Biopsy is next Monday. Please be praying for her.
I spent some time reading the story about Job, a guy in the Bible who keeps asking God, "why me" after lots of crap happens to him. I'm not so much asking the question. I was more interested in how God responded. It was crazy. He talks about the alligator for almost 30 verses. To summarize, if God can create the giraffe to have a long crazy neck and the alligator's scales and teeth and keep the moon in orbit and know every star by name, why should I worry. He has the power to give and take away. That'ssss a lot of power. But His interest is only the best for me. So I think I'll rest and let Him take care of mom...and me.

I'll stick in Texas until mom says she needs me. If it's lymphoma again, she should be able to just do more chemo, hopefully without complication, and I might be able to stay here if she handles it as well as she did last time. We'll see! Thanks for praying :)
Love y'all!