Monday, 26 November 2007

My Dear Friends,

I just have to give glory to God today for blessing me yet again.

This past week, I've been having blurred vision in my left eye, one sign of cancer metastasis to the brain. Naturally I've been freaking out.

I decided to bring it to the attention of the nurses this morning. This was a huge step for me because I'm an incredible coward about such things. As soon as they heard "blurred vision", they paged the doctor who ordered a CT Scan STAT (as they say). The doc had said either go to ER or downstairs in their building to the Imaging Center. (And which would YOU choose?)

So I got my CT Scan of the head and left eye orbit and the waiting began...

I'm such a basket case I don't know what to do with myself. Dad had driven me to chemo this morning and kidnapped me to his house in the afternoon. This was wise because I had a distraction. He kept talking and put on the Travel Channel.

All afternoon, I had my cell phone, pen & paper in hand. All afternoon.

We got the kids from school and came to my house at 4pm. Dad stayed at my request while I called the doctor. Was it bad? Had the doctor been consulting her peers all afternoon on my behalf? Was she nervous about calling me?

When I called, they didn't have the results yet! Nurse LH said she'd call me back.

I had been praying all day long.

Nurse LH called me back with a great big, "I TOLD YOU SO!" and read the results of "Normal CT Scan of brain and left eye orbit."

I cried so hard in relief! God has blessed me yet again! He keeps blessing me despite all the times I've doubted Him. Ye of little faith? That's me!

Nurse LH told me to follow up with the eye doctor. PHEW!

Poor Dad! Linz couldn't take me to chemo today so he had filled in for her. I apologized for the all-day roller coaster ride I'd taken him on. As he left, I told him to have an extra glass of wine for me tonight.

It's a wonder I don't hit hard liquor or something. Life is rough. :)

I wish I knew what God wanted me to do with the time He's given me. I am open to suggestions.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Love,
Jeanette

PS: The heart test was good, still at 55 to 60. We want to maintain an injection fraction of over 50. :)

Tuesday, 20 November 2007

My Dear Friends,

Today I have to take a routine heart test (2D Echo) to check if the chemo has been too hard on my heart. Usually I don't get nervous about this one but I'm thinking about it too much. Trying also not to get nervous about the bone scan next month. Told the receptionist I don't want to schedule OR even mention it until mid-December. Denial & avoidance, works for me! :)

Finished up my antibiotic for the irritation at my surgery site (the port). The area is still red, but better by about 50%. If it persists, guess I'll go see the surgeon again. Last I saw her, she was involved in a pyramid marketing scheme for vegetable tablets. Not sure if I'll order those. Soudns like she researched it but who knows?

My red cells had been low. Normal is 11 but mine were 10.1 last week. The insurance company won't pay for a shot until they're lower than 10. (Some new rule.) This week I was back up to 11.2 or something, so I'm good with that. My liver enzymes, which had been high and we were watching, have come back down into the normal range.

Other than a few aches & pains and my usual anxiety over dying sooner than I planned, I suppose I'm doing all right. :)

Have more to write but will do it later. Have to have lunch with Dad.

Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for your continued prayers!

Love,
Jeanette