I must apologize for not keeping the blog up to date. Too much fun and preparation for the Holidays and then recovery after the Holidays. Amid all the treatment, it was a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, and THANK YOU for all the prayers, thoughts, well wishes, donations, gifts, and love. This was truly a miraculous Christmas time for our family.
I completed twenty session of radiation to the abdomen and had a week of recovery. I have had 4 platelet transfusions because my count keeps dropping below "30" (the normal is over "100"). All of the nurses and staff have been amazing and wonderful. I have felt very well taken are of .
Radiation to the abdomen stimulated the bowel and I ended up taking five different medications to keep the symptoms under control. The trick this week has been to taper off of the medications as the symptoms have lessened.
I start tomorrow on Phase II. They are going to radiate the upper part of the chest area: sternum, armpit, and neck. They say the side effects with not be as bad. I will likely get a sore throat and discomfort when swallowing. I hope I do not have to take nausea medication. However, there is a nausea medication that also treats heartburn. Maybe I will end up with that one.
We did find our that a low platelet count has been occurring with patients that did the "study". The doctor in New York recommends that I get my stem cells infused. That will not be fun but will have to be done. Apparently, it is much more pleasant to harvest the stem cells than for your body to assimilate them back in.
I try not to look too far into the future - it gets my hopes up for a day when they will leave me alone and not "treat" me anymore. I know that many miracles have occurred during this treatment. I am so grateful for a merciful Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. As was spoken today at church, I try to pray for a strong enough back to bear the burden and not for the burden to be removed. I pray we will all remain faithful during all the trials that we will go through in this life.
Thanks again to everyone for their love and support. I know that you will be blessed as you serve and help those around you. God is LOVE! God is REAL!
I like good new. But the sound of those treatments----I don't know. Just so there is no more surgery. You have gone through so much the last 2 or 3 years. Lets hope that 2015 is the end of all this and you can get back to the normal life as you use to know it. I love your attitude through all of this time though. Thanks for keeping us posted May Heavens Blessings continue spread to you and your family. You have been an inspiration to me and I'm sure everybody else as well.
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