Feeling better

Carlene is not quite back to normal but she is getting there. She has developed a couple sores in her mouth. The nausea has been about the same this cycle....it kind of comes and goes. Carlene's taste for food varies daily. Sometimes she surprises me re: what she likes and doesn't like. She is still taking long walks even though she has felt weakness and fatigue. She has been sleeping well though, which is really good. We're looking forward to this weekend. The weather should be great at the same time Carlene is feeling better. Her last infusion will be 6.03. Praise God, it will be over. Thanks again for your prayers, cards and phone calls. Carlene gathers great strength from your support.
God Bless.

Weekend

Carlene is having a few struggles this weekend, but nothing unexpected. She was fighting nausea yesterday and didn't have much of an appetite. She had only part of a bagel for lunch and mac and cheese for dinner last night. I got her through a slow 3-mile walk at the mall yesterday followed by an afternoon of rest. She still feels a little nauseous today but not as bad as yesterday. Her "chemo head" isn't as annoying for her as it was after the first few infusions. The chemo nurse slowed down the drip on one of the drugs by about thirty minutes, which seems to help with that. The weather today is shaping up, finally. We might head to the Broadmoor for a walk around the lake. I think she will really enjoy seeing the trees, flowers, and waterfowl out there. If this cycle follows the usual pattern, Carlene will be feeling much better by Thursday or so. She seems to be up and down the first few days of the week after the infusion, then she suddenly gets past it. We're both disappointed that we have to miss going to church so much. But all the handshaking and coughing is something she has to avoid. And we miss seeing the grand kids. Oh well....only a few more weeks of this. You gotta do what you gotta do. Thanks for your prayers and kind wishes. We're claiming Psalm 91..."He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty...He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge.."

Five Out of Six

Carlene is doing well this evening after infusion number five. I think she is ready to handle whatever uncomfortable side effects are coming her way over the next few days. We followed our usual routine after the treatment - a walk and then dinner. She is relaxing now and feeling fine, considering all the drugs that she just took in. I'm amazed at her courage, faith, and strength. We are both excited about the fact that only one treatment remains. We can now think about getting on with our lives in another month or two. But for now, I have to help Carlene get through this weekend and the next few days after that. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.
God Bless.

One Week to Go

Carlene is getting through her cold well. She is getting better each day. Her next treatment is a week from today. I expect she will be healthy and ready to handle it just fine. She has decided to go ahead and take the third day of steroids, the day after the treatment. The nausea she had last time was just too much. She has trouble sleeping with the steroids, but she has decided to just deal with that rather than feel sick for multiple days. Always trade offs in this process. I'm holding up OK. My job is to just get her though this any way that I can. Springtime is helping us both. We might try to take a little weekend trip before the final treatment, if Carlene feels up to it. Maybe Santa Fe for a few days. We feel so blessed that Carlene is getting through this so well. Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers.
God Bless.

Setback

Carlene is experiencing a difficult patch. She caught a nasty cold. Hopefully it will be a minor setback, but I'm always concerned when she picks up something like this because the chemo takes such a toll on her white blood cells. But that's why they give her the neulasta injections, so I just need to trust that Carlene will shake this off. Please pray that she will get through this cold without it turning into something worse. I pray that she can get over it before her next infusion on 5.13.

Saturday update

Hi everyone. I got Carlene to the mall again to walk about 3 miles. The weather wasn't conducive to a walk outdoors, with all the dust and pollen blowing around. Her energy level hasn't been very good this week. The four infusions have sapped her reserves. But she got through the walk OK. We then went out for an early lunch, then a drive for an hour or so. She's napping now. Tonight we are meeting two other couples for our "dinner club." Seems it's been awhile since we've done that. I hope Carlene is up to it; I think she's looking forward to it. I wouldn't say that Carlene is discouraged at this point, but she sure is ready for this to be over. I think she's fighting off a cold. Please pray that it will just go away. Who knows what kind of shape her immune system is in right now. Her spirits are good, and she is trusting in God's plan. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.