10/18/2012 Treatment #8

 

We are home from Seattle again.  It was a beautiful trip across the mountains; the fall color is really lovely right now.  Chaunda had come via Amtrak on Sunday evening from Portland and spent a couple of days with us, traveling back to Seattle with us on Tuesday.  Of course, spending time with her is always great and she drove all the way there.  Thank you Chaunda! 

She does not like my poor old dollar store mugs, so she gave us 4 of her beautiful handmade mugs with the vibrant colors and leaves on them, which are my all time favorites.  She has a job now which she will begin November 5, so her time will be more limited.

 

Leland is doing well, the sesame oil brought his platelets up enough that he does not need to take it again for a while, until the tests show it declining again.  He is having some trouble with peripheral neuropathy which can cause numbness and tingling in the extremities-in his case being sore and somewhat clumsy finger tips.  This can be caused by diabetes among other things, but in his case is one of the side effects of chemo.  He is already on a high dose of glutamine to forestall the neuropathy, but we were advised to add fish oil to his regimen.  So I have ordered the best I can find, and he will begin that just as soon as we receive it.  He is still on the vitamin cocktail administered before the chemo, and the Iscador, all of which I believe are contributing to his well being and toleration of the chemo.

His weight was stable this last week, no gain or loss.  His blood counts continue to decline gently each week, but so far are still in the acceptable range for the therapy. He had a little more fatigue this last week than he had been having, which they told us to expect, and his hair is thinner than before.  Overall, he is still doing well, and able to participate in life again.  I think a busy life  sometimes forestalls our appreciation of the ability to do the things we want and need to do until suddenly that is removed for a time.  It now seems like such a treat to go to church and stay for dinner, to be able to go out for the evening, or go to town together.  Even the ability to enjoy the trip to Seattle each week is appreciated after the summer we spent mostly unable to do much of anything.

Thank you Rosemarie and Riverside Prayer Shawlers for the beautiful purple “Prayer Shawl”. It is lovely to wrap around my shoulders in the early morning chill, or in the evening. Thank you for the love and prayers knitted into each stitch.

I will close with a thought by Stormie O’Martian in Just Enough Light For the Step I’m On,  page 131 and 132:

“God often allows hard things to happen in our lives in order to bless us in some way.  If we are willing to allow for that possibility in everything that happens, it saves us from being devastated by people and situations that are ultimately going to be used for God’s glory.  If we surrender our disappointment to God and say “Be my Light and lead me through this Lord” His work will be accomplished faster……….

It pleases God when you have faith enough in the midst of your disappointment to put your hope and expectations in Him……If you will maintain a humble submitted, faith filled  expectant heart, you will see God’s goodness manifest in the midst of all that is happening to you”