I can report for both of us that things are continuing to go well. David had a check-up visit yesterday in London for his eye surgery and the doctor was pleased - as is David - with the continuing healing and improvement in his vision. Next visit is in 3 months, so all is going well. He is even starting to be able to read again with his right eye - large letters, but he can now see them and is quite encouraged. You value your eyesight but when it is threatened, you learn to value it even more.
I had my second chemo dose a week ago (Monday, Jan. 25) and, once again, it was a non-event. This is a different type of chemical than the first round a year ago and my body seems to tolerate it very well...it's like nothing has actually happened, believe it or not. I have really good anti-nausea meds, including a steroid, that I am to take for the first 3 days after I have my 'dose', morning and evening. This time around, I didn't need to take the evening ones and I felt fine. I was out for lunch, dinner and breakfast during the week, did all my usual jobs around the house and so on. I continue, thankfully, to be able to lead a normal life and wake up in the morning feeling good. I am waiting to see if/when I will lose my lovely new gray hair - not my favourite part of all of this. I have been able to purchase a gray wig (not too many of those around!) and will take it to my excellent hairdresser for her magic touch. There are two family weddings this year, August and October, and I am already calculating whether or not I will have my own hair for them !
This treatment is the one that will decide the future course of action. I will have a CT scan Feb. 12 and, on the basis of those results, we will decide whether or not to continue treatment in Windsor or contact Dallas for screening to be admitted to the clinical trial there. Treatment in Windsor would finish in mid-April; treatment in Dallas would mean going every 3 weeks for a period of time I do not know at this point. Nice to have the options; hard to know what would be the right thing to do. Fortunately, I have confidence that God will make my way plain to me and others. Sometimes it's hard to say things like that - I want to know the whole story, including the ending, right now !! (Those of you who know me well know that I often read the end of a novel to see if I like it before I read the whole thing...it's also a way for me to be able to put the book down and not read the whole thing at once!) But it gives me practice in trusting God and praying the prayer that never fails - "Thy will be done". This is an ongoing lesson for me.
I meet so many friends, neighbours and acquaintances who tell me "I pray for you every day". I thank you for that so much; it's what gives me strength to get up in the morning and live my day and not waste time agonizing over this illness. I have today, like everyone else, and I live it and enjoy it. I like to think that the people who are praying for me are one of the positive results of this disease - some are praying who haven't for a while and it's good for them to get back in the habit !! God does really work in mysterious ways.
Well, that's about all the news from here. I hope that your day goes well and that God will give you His peace and strength to deal with whatever comes your way today.
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2 comments:
Dear Helen,
Just received your lovely note, it was so good to hear from you. I had not idea you had a blog (will have to get after the kids for that). It is such a great idea to keep us all up to date, thanks for sharing. Like you said "we all have today and make the best of it", it will be my new mantra.
Love and Prayers Martha
Dear Aunt Helen,
God is good. He is so good. I'm sorry about your cancer, I'm sorry about the anxiety, sorrow and fear. But I praise God for His presence with you. I am studying the book of Esther for a Bible study at church, and when the Jews found out about the plan to annihilate their people, they wept, fasted, sorrowed and put on sackcloth and ashes. Joel 2:10-17 says to "Return to the Lord:" and "Rend your hearts". The sorrow that befalls us and drops us to our knees and knocks the breath out of us, puts us on our faces before Him, and we groan and whisper and scream "Abba!"--"Daddy!" . And there on my face before Him, I experience His comfort, His peace, His love--it is inexpressible. And with His arms around me, I am brave. The future is still cloudy, the way still dim, but He is with me. I can handle anything through Him. That is the gold nugget that is dug out with scratched fingers, aching limbs, and weary endurance. But it is enough. He loves you so. So do I. Love Janet
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