It seems a little funny to be saying “our,” but that is my new reality. First and foremost, what is going on with my daughter and then what God is teaching me through my own issues as well. I’ll be completely honest. It has been very difficult and almost overwhelming! But the God who made me, knows exactly what I need, when I need it! I finally have very caring doctors and nurse practitioners who are able to help me because they listen! How unusual that has been in my life until I moved here. So I am very thankful for them all.
That said, let me tell you about my daughter and how she is doing. Her PET scan showed that the cancer had not metastasized beyond the breast and two lymph nodes. Apparently there had been a good chance that it had gone to her brain, but again, it has not. She started chemo the middle of November and we had a “Shave the Head party” the night before Thanksgiving at my other daughter’s house with all the family gathered around. How brave she is!! There were no tears, except for mine, when I escaped to the bathroom for a few minutes. That was a hard thing to watch, but she didn’t want to go through the hair falling out and they had promised her that by that weekend it would start.
The hardest thing about the chemo is the bone pain. This was totally unexpected, at least on my part. I’m not sure about her’s. They usually tell her what to expect, when. Still, she said this is the worst pain she has ever experienced in her life. Whatever bones it is hurting, if it’s her knees, as an example. She says it’s like she has been beaten with a baseball bat and her knees have exploded! She asked for specific prayer on those days when she was expecting the bone pain. I put out the word to my Bible study class, Sunday School class and whomever I spoke with. And believe or not, the pain is much easier and she is better able to handle it! Only God could make this happen! She has one more of this particular kind of chemo treatment the day after Christmas, then they start adding other chemo meds in too. Again, we are asking for prayer that she can get through these treatments.
I have known so many women who have gone through breast cancer chemo, but none shared the details of what they have actually gone through. It’s ugly awful. The other prayer we are asking for is that the tumor will greatly shrink through these treatments.
As for me, I will start neuromuscular physical therapy in January. I have no idea how it will be different from regular PT that I have had before and didn’t help. I am still riding my recumbent bike and doing the stretching exercises with the big elastic band. But none of that has helped with the balance or kept me from falls. I fell twice over Thanksgiving and injured my left hand and wrist and am now wearing a brace, grateful I didn’t break it! But oh my, it hurts!
I have discovered a new research program which believes they have discovered the “why” of Parkinson’s, Parkinsonism, MSA, ALS, etc. I did sign up to hopefully be a part of their drugl next year. It is not supposed to have any placebos with any patients, or side effects. What they have done so far is remarkable and really could represent a “cure.” That would be pretty awesome for so very many people!
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year! Happy Birthday Jesus!
Cindy