Life, Interrupted: Diary of a Cancer Patient: Round 2

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I can’t believe that it’s already almost the end of 2014. Time really does go by quickly. Next June my sweet little baby will be 2 years old…. So crazy! Anyway, things are going pretty well with me. I started another round of chemo this past Monday. I received 2 doses on Monday (each 12 hours apart), and the same on Wednesday, and today (Friday). They were able to do the chemo outpatient, so I didn’t have to be admitted to the hospital. The days I had chemo I went in to the clinic for about 4 hours, got my blood checked, my premeds, and the chemo then went home. Each time they sent me home with a pump that would automatically administer my chemo for my second dose while sleeping. On my off days (just Tues and Thurs), I had to go in to get the pump removed. I will also have to go in tomorrow morning to get it removed. The pump is small and I wear it like a fanny pack, but it’s still annoying, especially to sleep with. But no matter how annoying, it beats being in the hospital! I have been doing well with the chemo so far. I got nauseous on Monday night after my second dose, which has never happened before, but I had some medicine on hand that helped pretty quickly. I have been really tired this week, a typical side effect of the chemo, and it will only get worse as my counts start dropping. I have also been battling a sore throat and small cough the past few days. They did a test on Wednesday to see if I have a virus but it came back clear. It is not the best timing since my white blood cells will drop in the next week or so. My appetite seems to be dwindling a bit, but my taste buds are still holding on! My counts at today’s visit were holding steady. My platelets are on the low end of normal, WBC’s are low (but not too low) and my RBC and hematocrit are low, but not enough for a transfusion. Basically everything is low and going to continue going down. I did so well the last round and am praying I do the same this time and stay out of the hospital!

I have been enjoying spending time with my sister and dad this week. They have been a great help! Rebekah does so well with Londynn. Londynn loves her auntie so much! We spent Thanksgiving with some of my mom’s family that also live here in Atlanta. They made us feel right at home. Braxton, Londynn and I were actually supposed to go to Colorado to celebrate Thanksgiving, so I was a little bummed, especially when I had to cancel the plane tickets, but we had a great time and very much enjoyed ourselves! The food was so good, and for not having much of an appetite, I ate a lot.

I don’t have anything else really exciting to update you with. I am doing well, and now we just wait for my counts to drop and recover again. Then once they do it will be time to get ready for the transplant. Things are progressing well, and I am hopeful it will continue that way. God has been doing wonderful things for me and my family and is continuing to keep me strong and comforted through all of this. I have a sense of peace in my heart that this is going to be my cure. Most people will relapse within the first 2 years and are considered cured after 5 years have passed. The fact I relapsed after 3 gives me hope that once I have this transplant that will be the end of it.

I am still so overwhelmed by all of the support, continuous prayers and thoughts. It brings me so much joy knowing there are such loving, caring and GENEROUS people on my side. Many have told me that I have been an inspiration to them, but many of you have been an inspiration to me. All of the love and generosity we have received has inspired me to do better and so much more. I can only hope that after I have defeated this for a second time, I am in a position to give back to those who have been so willing to give to us, as well as to those who fall on hard times as we have. Braxton and I are forever grateful to you.