As I said in my last post I began chemotherapy this week and today was my final day. The only associations that I had with chemo were very violently ill patients. It was terrifying for me. I was really concerned because I HATE throwing up!
On Tuesday morning we went to a chemo class and all the talk on all the side effects made me so nervous/anxious that I finished the class by throwing up in the garbage can. It was lovely! We got home from the class and within in few hours the nurse, Jean, that conducted the class called me to let me know that she had spoken with Dr. Cen, my oncologist and that they thought it best that I begin chemo right away - the next morning in fact. I figured that it was okay and that waiting was torture and just delaying the inevitable.
I went to be a little nervous, okay A LOT nervous, but woke up peaceful and ready for the challenge. It helped to know that the nurses and doctors had determined that they were going to prescribe for me EVERY possible anti-nausea medicine that they could. I got to the office and Jean was there with her smiling face and got me right in. I must say that I felt way out of place. I was the youngest in the room by at least 40 years. They started my chemo and it was nothing big. Just a poke followed by drugs being administered by IV. David and I played a game of Scrabble and I got to take a nap. My Dad and Mom were able to come in and visit as well. The nurses pretended not to notice us breaking the one visitor per patient rule and I was certainly glad.
I went home after 4 hours and spent the rest of the day trying to relax. The next day I went back and had another treatment - same type of thing only this one only lasted 90 minutes. After my treatment on Thursday I got to go with my family to Leatherby's for my niece, Mia's 7th birthday. We had a great time visiting and enjoying being together. I was sure ready to go to bed after that. It was a busy night for me!
Today I went to my last treatment in my first set of chemo. David took me and I was able to just visit with him and then he stepped out to run an errand and I visited with the Social Worker and then got to talk on the phone with my good friend Allison. I had a different nurse, Mary, and I will admit it, I was a little nervous. The whole stick-me-with-a-needle thing is something that I get nervous about. Mary was good and I am so glad that the nurses there know what they are doing. After the treatment the kids got out of school and I got to walk in to pick them up. Following picking them up we went to the annual 4th grade swim party at some friend's house and had a nice visit. I then came home and took a 2 hour nap, that was MUCH NEEDED!!!!
Now I am just hanging with the kids. We are watching Swiss Family Robinson (the original - of course) and loving it! As scary as this whole thing has been, I am grateful for prayer and for the calm and comforting spirit that has attended me. I am a little nervous about the upcoming week, kids out of school, late-onset nausea, and just the unknown of a week immune system.
The good news is that my Heavenly Father loves me and he will give me the strength that I need to make it through this. I cannot thank you all enough for your prayers and thoughts. I know that they are making all the difference. Also your generosity and offers of help are a blessing to us. We will be taking you up on those offers, I promise! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Quick update
The last few days I felt like life is going in Fast Forward and I am stuck in Slow Motion. Things are happening at record speed and I am having a hard time keeping up. We are leaving right now to head over to the hospital for my first chemo treatment. Last night I was terrified, but today I feel peace. Please keep praying for me, but pray in faith. Pray for hope, pray for faith, pray for peace - all of these things for me and for you. Pray for healing because I know that the Lord hears all of our prayers and I know that He can heal anything regardless of what the doctors say or think. I'm not sure of my reaction to the chemo treatments, so don't hold your breath for a post today, tomorrow or even Friday - it's a 3 day out patient treatment. I will try to update when I can, but there are so many kids around that I need to hug and kiss and I do have a wonderful husband that needs occassional attention as well! I am very blessed to have friends and so many people that love me and care about our family. I thank you for your support. Enjoy your life! I know that I am doing all that I can to enjoy mine!!!!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
A Good Day
I think over this summer there are going to be good days and not so good days - please notice that I didn't say bad days! I want all days to be good, but some will be harder than others.
Yesterday was one of the good ones. My wonderful Mother-in-Law arrived yesterday. What a blessing to me to have her here. I truly love her and admire her example of service. She will be here for about a week and will be returning here and there over the summer. My kids are sooo excited to have Grandma Cox here! It really is a treat for them.
I got to go to Hyrum's baseball game yesterday. He pitched the second inning. He has a great windup and pitch. It's funny because you can tell a good pitcher at this age when another kid hits off it and sure enough at least one kid did. It was so cool! The weather was perfect and I got to enjoy being outside with my friends.
After taking a nap we went to the Ward Talent Show. There were quite a few performances. A few girls did a Hawaiian-type of dance, there were ukelele performances and the cutest 4 year old got up and did a rocking version of The Itsy-Bitsy-Spider. Faith sang the song, "This is Me" from Disney's Camp Rock and Vilate followed with reading 2 stories, one that she and Faith worked on together and one that she wrote and illustrated herself. Finishing up the night was my request. David and his band performed 5 Beatles numbers. They had been planning to perform and then I got sick. They had called it off. I was so sad. I had been looking forward to it for months. So, on Friday when David told me I could have anything that I wanted or needed - he would find a way to get whatever for me - I told him all I wanted was to be able to hear his band. He immediately got on the phone and called all the guys. He told them my request and they were in! The 4 big kids were away for the night on Friday at various friend's homes and so once the little ones were in bed Dave went to practice. On Saturday after the baseball games Dave put me to bed and headed over to set up and do a sound check. After the sound check Dave came home and picked all of us up. It was great that my family was able to come also. There was a great turn out at the ward activity and we had a great night. I was really tired, but I am so grateful that I got to go.
Yesterday was a good day and I am so glad that I was able to do all that I wanted to.
***Side note here for the Cox fam...I AM going to Yosemite. We have been able to schedule my chemo treatments around it and the oncology nurse said that she thought it will be a great idea for me to get away at that point in my treatments. She said I will need relaxation and there is no better place than Yosemite!!! YAY!!!!
Yesterday was one of the good ones. My wonderful Mother-in-Law arrived yesterday. What a blessing to me to have her here. I truly love her and admire her example of service. She will be here for about a week and will be returning here and there over the summer. My kids are sooo excited to have Grandma Cox here! It really is a treat for them.
I got to go to Hyrum's baseball game yesterday. He pitched the second inning. He has a great windup and pitch. It's funny because you can tell a good pitcher at this age when another kid hits off it and sure enough at least one kid did. It was so cool! The weather was perfect and I got to enjoy being outside with my friends.
After taking a nap we went to the Ward Talent Show. There were quite a few performances. A few girls did a Hawaiian-type of dance, there were ukelele performances and the cutest 4 year old got up and did a rocking version of The Itsy-Bitsy-Spider. Faith sang the song, "This is Me" from Disney's Camp Rock and Vilate followed with reading 2 stories, one that she and Faith worked on together and one that she wrote and illustrated herself. Finishing up the night was my request. David and his band performed 5 Beatles numbers. They had been planning to perform and then I got sick. They had called it off. I was so sad. I had been looking forward to it for months. So, on Friday when David told me I could have anything that I wanted or needed - he would find a way to get whatever for me - I told him all I wanted was to be able to hear his band. He immediately got on the phone and called all the guys. He told them my request and they were in! The 4 big kids were away for the night on Friday at various friend's homes and so once the little ones were in bed Dave went to practice. On Saturday after the baseball games Dave put me to bed and headed over to set up and do a sound check. After the sound check Dave came home and picked all of us up. It was great that my family was able to come also. There was a great turn out at the ward activity and we had a great night. I was really tired, but I am so grateful that I got to go.
Yesterday was a good day and I am so glad that I was able to do all that I wanted to.
***Side note here for the Cox fam...I AM going to Yosemite. We have been able to schedule my chemo treatments around it and the oncology nurse said that she thought it will be a great idea for me to get away at that point in my treatments. She said I will need relaxation and there is no better place than Yosemite!!! YAY!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
