Cycle #1 - Update 3-8-11

"How do you eat an elephant?"  
"One bite at a time!!!"

I looked for the Scripture reference for the above proverb, but couldn't find it! :-)  Anyway, I'm eating my elephant!  That's about all the news I have!

The first three-week cycle has gone so very well as far as how I feel!  I thank the Lord for every good day!  It's miraculous!  With my little nausea pills and extra rest, I have been amazingly comfortable.  I actually am able to carry on with my regular daily schedule most of the time.

"Doing chemo"

My treatment plan calls for weekly one-drug infusions during the two weeks between the "big" two-drug  infusions (which are every three weeks).  So I'm to go in every week for some kind of treatment and Tuesday is my day.

I went in today for my second one-drug infusion in this cycle, but they decided against doing the treatment because my blood levels are too low.  I was disappointed.  Who would have thought - disappointed because I didn't "get to have" chemo??!!  But, here's what the Dr. told us.   The blood counts depend on the sensitivity of the patient's bone marrow.  They don't know how sensitive a person's is until they give the drugs.  So, during the first cycle, it isn't uncommon to have to make adjustments in the dosage to fit the person.  They lowered my dosage last week, but my counts went down more.  He thinks they will go back up on their own, but if they don't he said they can give me some medicine over the weekend that will boost them.  The plan is to go ahead and start cycle #2 (with the second big two-drug infusion) on Tuesday, the 15th of March.

So, I guess I now know that I have sensitive bone marrow.  Steve would call it another indication of "high maintenance"!  The main concern is to not get some kind of infection while the counts are so low.  So, please help us pray that I will stay well and not catch any bugs.

I just passed the 6 week anniversary of my surgery so, many of my restrictions have been lifted.  I can now put my own groceries in the car instead of having someone help me out like a little old lady!  I can work out a little and lift some light weights.  So, maybe my body won't go completely to "jell-o" during these next few months if I can muster the energy to stay in shape!

God continues to give me strength for each day.  If I think about how many days until I'm finished with this, I start to get discouraged.  Then I remember the reading that I quoted earlier from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young:

"Trust Me enough to face problems as they come, rather than trying to anticipate them.  Fix your eyes on  Me, the Author and Perfecter of your faith, and many difficulties on the road ahead will vanish before you reach them." (based on Hebrews 12:2) 

Very slowly I'm learning not to try to anticipate.  I have to trust God one day at a time and not worry about the future.

I'm reading a book by Ray Pritchard, The God We Can Trust.  A couple of quotes have been especially meaningful to me.

"We begin with God and we end with God, and He is our only hope between the beginning and the end."

"God cares about the tiniest details of life.....He knows when a sparrow falls and He numbers the hairs on your head......He uses everything and wastes nothing.  There are no accidents with God, only incidents."

I depend on prayer to get me through each day.  Thank you for your prayers and support.  I will add updates as things of interest occur.  In the meantime, keep praying and I'll keep "eating this elephant"!!