Today is one full of emotions as we navigate the next steps in cancer care. We went in for my weekly chemotherapy appointment today and chatted with my fellow pink sisters in the waiting room. It is amazing how connected you become when you are trudging through the same dark valley and realize those sweet shared stories are the light that keeps you going some days. When I was called back, one of my phenomenal nurses, Jenny, accessed my port and shared the good news of her recent engagement and Christmas plans. My other nurse, Lucy, came over to say hi and see how I was doing. These two women are truly some of the most amazing humans I have ever met. They serve in a tough area of care and never make you feel like they have been hardened. Their compassion, expertise, and skill in caring for their patients clearly show the love of Jesus in one of the seemingly most bleak areas of healthcare. No one wants to be there, but I appreciated that each week I would get to see these two beautiful ...
Having an attitude of gratitude has always been in my nature, but a cancer diagnosis has a way of intensifying a thankful heart. As many are preparing for Thanksgiving, shopping for the traditional dish ingredients, and making travel plans, my family and I are focused on living for today. I will soon begin the new chemotherapy regimen, Pacitaxel. The drug is the cousin to the first round of chemotherapy I started in August, which caused a rare and very painful allergic reaction. My oncologist (GOD BLESS THIS WOMAN!) is not confident I will make it through this one without a Trigeminal Nerve response; however, she wants to try it because it gives me the best odds of survival. She wants to complete 12 weekly rounds. Yet, she cannot promise I will not have a neuropathy reaction that could cause permanent painful damage, so she is monitoring me closely and dosing me with a lot of premedications to ensure we take every precaution we can....