Wednesday, January 6, 2010

It's Here!

We were planning on Lucy receiving the chemo on Thursday morning, me having a wisdom tooth removed on Thursday afternoon and the the stem cell re-infusion on Friday afternoon/evening. But things do change since medicine is still an art and not a science.

Lucy has been receiving medicine to help protect her body against some of the nastier side effects of the chemo. She was to receive three doses, one per day. After two days, she is showing the benefits (plus some less than common side effects) of this treatment. Due to her current condition, the doctor decided against the third preventative treatment and to do the chemo today, Wednesday.

This does have some advantage in that there is a longer delay between the chemo and the re-infusion so there will be less risk to the new stem cells. Once again they will give her some supplemental treatments with the stem cells to help reduce and minimize the time when she will be at the biggest risk due to no active immune system.

So Friday is stem cell day. We will get to know the medical staff even better on that day.

Saturday is the beginning of strict isolation. It means Lucy can no longer leave her room (even to go into the anteroom). It also means more people will be looking at her through the glass walls, more gowns and gloves and a different diet.

So far she is being a trooper even with the discomfort of the preventative treatment. As I write this, the chemo is in and the lines have been flushed. The nurse came in to say it is done.

Lucy is trying to sleep and not deal with the discomfort. This is good for her and for her care giver who is not the best nurse.

God is good. I was going to have to bend the rules REALLY FAR to be here tomorrow morning for the chemo treatment. But God planned it for today so I did not have to bend the rules (this time) and Lucy will get a rest day from treatment before the re-infusion.

Thanks for all who are praying and asking what you can do. For now, prayer is the biggest need we have.

Some have been asking about visits. As soon as we see how she responds to the re-infusion, we will let you know when you can visit. The hospital network blocks the port that the Magic Jack uses so that is not an option for us. We can Skype and Lucy gets email and can make/receive calls on her mobile phone. It will be better to check with us before trying to come. If she is up to it and able, she will be glad to see you and get a call. After all, she is the people person of the pair.

Thanks too for understanding priorities. Our first priority is to maintain our relationship with God. Our second is the relationship God gave Lucy and I that was sealed 14 June 1974. Megan is a part of that priority and responsibility.

After that we are committed to continuing to be a part of what God is doing here. So ministry is never far from our minds. Family, sleeping and eating come in there somewhere next and then there is . . .

Thanks for being a part of the journey. We are just regular people trying to do what God calls all of us to do, trust Him and tell His story where you are planted.

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