Too busy or too gross feeling to blog yesterday.
Started my day with my neighbor, Bonnie Thompson, driving me to Cincinnati for my chemo round #2. I love it how God can use unwanted situations in our lives to provide opportunity for people to get to know each other better.
The chemo went pretty much the same as the first time. Two bags of IV anti-nausea meds, followed by the Adriamycin aka Red Warrior, followed by Cytoxan. My blood work came back good, in fact, excellent (WBC 13! due to the Neulasta), I wasn't looking forward to the Cytoxan as that is the drug that really gave me immediate unwanted side effects like a headache and odd sensations in my nose and eyes that made me just want to hold my face and squeeze my eyes closed until it passed. The 2-3 hour appointment lasted 5 hours, mostly due to things at this facility seeming less efficient and the nurse slowed the Cytoxan down as she administered it, hoping it would be received better.
Afterward, I began feeling better, so I wanted to celebrate and offered to take Bonnie to one of my favorite restaurants, Asian Paradise, to eat one of my favorite meals, a temptation roll and seaweed salad, despite the fact that none of it is on my acceptable diet. We oohed and aaahhed with each bite. Then, God blessed me again as she refused to allow me to pay. (Remembering my friend, Deb Slanaker's sage words of advice to allow people to give and be better at receiving.)
Then upon arriving home, I started slowly getting the headache and flu-like symptoms throughout the evening and they just got worse until I went to bed. Again, I kept questioning whether my stomach was nauseous or hungry. Thankfully, every time I had that sensation, I ate, and indeed felt better. So lots of little meals is the ticket for my chemo recovery days. Sadly, not much sounds good so I find myself eating what sounds good, even if it's not on my strict self-imposed diet.
My first Springboro friend, Susan Muterspaw, came to stay with me in the afternoon and was such a trooper. I had to ask her to do somethings I would never ask of anyone, but I knew I shouldn't. My little 3 year old friend, Zoe Pieniasek, slept over the night before and unfortunately got the tummy flu and vomited while here. So I asked Susan to wash ALL the bedding, scrub the bathroom and wipe the surfaces in the bedroom where she slept. She is one of those friends who will do anything and did not hesitate. Thank you, Jesus, for Susan's servant heart!
Since it's Tuesday, and would normally be my day to coach Special Olympics with John at the Lebanon YMCA, I couldn't go, but Graham and Monica Binder have joined in on the coaching, followed by a sleep over at the Wonderly's! So they came home with John and we all enjoyed fellowship and love of such dear friends that are so willing to serve me. Thank you, again, Jesus, for the pouring out of love that I so badly need right now!
Despite the fact that we had the Red Warrior Head Shaving party the night before, I realized that the length of my hair, while short, was still long enough to poke me as it continued to fall out of my head and get stuck in my clothes, so I asked Graham to take it down more, not ALL the way to the scalp, but as close as possible. So now I look more like an Auschwicz survivor and less like a GI Jane Demi Moore BA. Oh well, it's so temporary until I go bald, it does not matter. The funniest dew rag I have accumulated was last night. I have all these cute turbans and scarves to wear, but when sleeping, I need something satin like that all the little hairs will get in vs on my pillow case and in my bedding. When Monica was helping me fold laundry, I saw a new pair of John's silky, black and gray, camouflage, underwear boxer briefs! The leg hole fit perfectly over my prickly scalp and the other leg and waist band hung behind my head like a nun's habit, so for sleeping, I am Huntress Mother Te-ricia.
Since I got worse and worse feeling, I went straight to bed and had the sweet Monica and Graham tuck me in, pray with and on me, literally, and slept decently. I did wake up with a bit of a headache and starving, so I jumped up and ate breakfast. Now for Day two after chemo. Much rest and nausea management planned for the day and that's about it.
Oh, one of my highlights of last night was when I took a shower after my second shaving. The hot water felt divine so I stood in the shower until all the hot water ran out, raised my arms in the air and sang worship songs of praise to my Lord and Savior, then knelt on the shower floor to pray for all the people God is 'showering' me with through this trial. God is Good, Good, Oh-woah. I love to praise, You, Lord, in the midst of trials as it turns my heart and mind and body to pure worship and off myself.
"I will seek You in the morning, and learn to walk in Your ways, and step by step, You'll lead me, and I will follow You all of my days."
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