Well chemo last week went well…….it was uneventful and I had no complications afterwards…….Praise God! I had told Dawn (the PA) on Wednesday that I had a sore throat and felt like I was trying to catch a cold. Well, no matter how hard I tried to avoid it, “the cold” kept chasing me and finally kicked me in the rear by Friday evening. I was coughing, congested, just plain felt like crap and went to bed with the chickens Friday night. I had recently purchased some DoTerra Oils and I was diffusing oils in my bedroom to try to help me breathe and sleep. I was pulling out all the stops to try to outrun this mess. No such luck. I woke up Saturday morning feeling like I’d been run over by a truck…….and coughing like someone with tuberculosis! Goodness……I got out of bed, made some coffee and settled in for a a day of rest, rest, rest. I nestled into the couch with my coffee, tissues, cough drops, thermometer, blanket and TV remote. I was all set for the day. Thankfully – I never ran a fever! I finally felt up to getting a shower late Saturday afternoon.
Still not feeling great today. I skipped church this morning and just stayed home and rested some more. I didn’t want to share my germs with anyone else……and I sure didn’t want to risk feeling any worse. Thank goodness there’s a new lineup of Fall movies on The Hallmark Channel! And it’s been some wonderful, crisp days to sit out on the screened porch for awhile. No matter how bad you feel – I think fresh air always helps! Hopefully these two days of rest will help me recover pretty quickly. Of course, my biggest fear is that something like this might cause me to have chemo postponed. We surely don’t want that.
This Wednesday is shaping up to be a very busy one much like last Wednesday. I’m scheduled for labs, doctors visit, echocardiogram and chemo……hopefully in that order. Because of my low O2 saturation levels last week, I had to have a CT scan. Thankfully, Dawn called me last Thursday afternoon to tell me that the CT scan was normal and showed no indication of any blood clots in my lungs. After getting my results and talking with my medical oncologist, they agreed that since the CT did not give any explanation of the low oxygen sat issue, that another echocardiogram was needed. I had a baseline echocardiogram done before my first round of chemo…….and I’m scheduled to have another one done this Wednesday BEFORE my next treatment. While I don’t want anything to be wrong – I pray that if there is something crazy going on, that the echo will give us some answers. I’m still very short of breath at times – and it’s difficult to try to increase your stamina when you plain out feel like crap!
So that’s my weekend in a nutshell. It’s been a quiet and restful one so I can’t complain. I pray that this cold tries to go catch someone else – I surely don’t have time for this. I am anxious to check off Taxol #3 on Wednesday – and really don’t want anything interfering with me getting my treatment as planned. Here’s the a swift recovery!
Oh, and today is a pretty important day. It’s my dad’s birthday. He turns 80 years young today. Those of you that know him, know that a)he doesn’t look 80 and b)he sure as heck doesn’t ACT 80! He’s a hot mess……but I wouldn’t trade him for 10 more just like him.
He’s one of the most selfless people I know. He’s a people person and if he’s your friend – you’ve got a friend for life. He likes to pick and poke fun…..an eternal “instigator” – but it’s all in good fun. My dad has been a fighter – he’s shown me time and time again what it takes to look sickness in the face and say “game on” and come out a winner. He’s suffered from Coronary Artery Disease since 1989…..had triple by-pass surgery, a pacemaker, numerous stents and more heart catheterizations than I can remember (although I’m sure if he were here, I could ask him and he would spit out the number in an instant). He’s had some setbacks here and there……but his comebacks have far surpassed any of those setbacks. While we don’t always like the cards that life deals us (sometimes we just get a crappy hand, ya know) – he’s shown me how to take the hand you were dealt and make the absolute best of it. Doesn’t matter if you were dealt heart disease, diabetes, cancer or asthma…….whatever the illness…….just remember that it doesn’t DEFINE you as a person! He never let his heart disease stop him from living. He may have had to do things a little differently – but he has packed a lotta living in the past 28 years! And I intend to do the same. This stinking cancer is not going to keep me from living and doing the things that I love! If you see this guy around – make sure to wish him a Happy 80th Birthday! Pa, I hope you have a fantastic birthday today! Celebrate BIG!
**side note** if you don’t know who Randy Pausch is or know anything about him, I strongly urge you to view his “last lecture”. I’m supplying the link below! It’s long but oh, so worth it!
Oh…….and one more thing……I can’t close out this post without mentioning that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Please please……if you (or someone you know) have NEVER had a mammogram, I cannot stress enough just how important it is! Do me a favor – schedule yours this week! Don’t put it off. Early detection saves lives!
Have a great week!
Sonja
Psalm 147:3-6 The Message (MSG)
2-6 God’s the one who rebuilds Jerusalem,
who regathers Israel’s scattered exiles.
He heals the heartbroken
and bandages their wounds.
He counts the stars
and assigns each a name.
Our Lord is great, with limitless strength;
we’ll never comprehend what he knows and does.
God puts the fallen on their feet again
and pushes the wicked into the ditch.
Temporary Lumps 
Keeping you in my prayers!
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Thanks Virginia!!
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