The medical staff at the oncology clinic
Are getting a little paranoid now when I show up!
Today, as you know, was chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatment #2
We (Cindy and I) started out meeting with my doctor
To go over my blood work and discuss my progress
It is the first time that I can remember
One of my doctors actually expressing excitement
Over my progress:)
He must have stated three or four times in our half hour consult with him
How excited and surprised and amazed he was over my progress.
He is the doctor who described my potential for success as a "Hail Mary".
Because of the fast and massive growth of my tumor
He was actually expecting to see me come in a wheelchair
To my appointment
My condition being one of increased pain, shortness of breath
And basically one of increasing and serious debilitation.
When he saw, instead, how good I looked
(it may be that I took a shower!)
And that I was walking 1 1/2 miles a day
And had gained 9 pounds in the last couple of weeks
And that I was reducing pain medication
Not increasing it...
He was stunned...and excited
Genuinely excited!
THAT was an encouraging way to start the day!!
Then came the excitement...
Before they start the series of two immunotherapy drugs and two chemotherapy drugs
They prepare by giving me two anti-nausea drugs
To help offset the nausea that is expected to begin in a couple of days following the treatment
This is merely part of the routine
The exact routine they did 3 weeks ago at my #1 chemo treatment
Merely routine:)
Not so!
The first anti-nausea drug dripped through my port and into my vein just fine
The second did not:(
Within seconds, I again knew something was wrong
(I am getting to be quite an expert at this!)
And just had enough time to call out to a nurse that something was wrong
Before I AGAIN passed out!
The good news is...
My heart did not stop this time
So I did not need CPR.
(which was great because my ribs are just starting to feel better from the last CPR!)
And we now know another drug to which I am allergic!
Progress:)
After the above excitement
And about a 45 minute interlude
To flush my system
And let my body recover;
They proceeded with the chemo and immunotherapy regime
And all went great.
Yay!!
One thing became very clear again
As we experienced both the encouragement and excitement of the day...
Your prayer is vitally important!
Thank you again SO MUCH
For standing with me in this adventure.
And an adventure it certainly is!
Now on to see in the next days
What kind of side affects I will have
Or, if I will have any side affects.
It has become expected expectation to expect the unexpected!
Did you get that??
Well...
That about sums up chemo #2
Thank you again for standing with me:)
Many Blessings,
Dave
Friday, February 21, 2020
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
One Year Ago Today
February 19, 2019
One year ago today
Was the day I found out
That I had a "circular density" adjacent to my left lung.
I had gone to see my doctor because I was feeling lousy
And thought I might have pneumonia
Surprise!
Thus began this cancer journey that many of you have been following
And supporting and providing faithful and incredible encouragement
Thank you!
I was dreading today
Actually counting down the days to today
Towards the anniversary of that infamous day
In which my life and my family's lives
Have been unexpectedly rocked.
I guess I was feeling
Like it should be a day of mourning or despair
For what has become my lot in life.
(I'll admit for you optimists out there that it is easier for me to despair than hope)
Surprise!
It's been a good day:)
Made so, I believe,
By a lot of you praying
And sending little notes and texts of encouragement
And my amazing wife
Unexpectedly dropping by on her break from school
To support and encourage me
And remind me that
We have a LOT to be grateful for
A LOT
I am alive one year later!!
And God, in His amazing way of working,
Seems to be using even my cancer journey
As a means of encouraging others!
Certainly not my choice of how I would want things to be
But God's ways
As tough as they might be
Are certainly above and better than my ways
Which doesn't mean that they are easy
Not at all...
But He does cause all things to work together
For the good of those who love Him.
So the challenge
As you all have followed this blog
Is trust...
Trusting Him
No matter what we are going through...
Which brings me to
Round #2 of chemo
Which happens in two days
This Friday.
I would again appreciate prayer
As the after affects can be brutal
And make me forget
That God's ways are better than mine!
Yes...I'm still learning to trust:)
Thanks again to all of you
For hanging in there
With me, this slow learner,
As this cancer journey enters
Year Two!
Blessings,
Dave
One year ago today
Was the day I found out
That I had a "circular density" adjacent to my left lung.
I had gone to see my doctor because I was feeling lousy
And thought I might have pneumonia
Surprise!
Thus began this cancer journey that many of you have been following
And supporting and providing faithful and incredible encouragement
Thank you!
I was dreading today
Actually counting down the days to today
Towards the anniversary of that infamous day
In which my life and my family's lives
Have been unexpectedly rocked.
I guess I was feeling
Like it should be a day of mourning or despair
For what has become my lot in life.
(I'll admit for you optimists out there that it is easier for me to despair than hope)
Surprise!
It's been a good day:)
Made so, I believe,
By a lot of you praying
And sending little notes and texts of encouragement
And my amazing wife
Unexpectedly dropping by on her break from school
To support and encourage me
And remind me that
We have a LOT to be grateful for
A LOT
I am alive one year later!!
And God, in His amazing way of working,
Seems to be using even my cancer journey
As a means of encouraging others!
Certainly not my choice of how I would want things to be
But God's ways
As tough as they might be
Are certainly above and better than my ways
Which doesn't mean that they are easy
Not at all...
But He does cause all things to work together
For the good of those who love Him.
So the challenge
As you all have followed this blog
Is trust...
Trusting Him
No matter what we are going through...
Which brings me to
Round #2 of chemo
Which happens in two days
This Friday.
I would again appreciate prayer
As the after affects can be brutal
And make me forget
That God's ways are better than mine!
Yes...I'm still learning to trust:)
Thanks again to all of you
For hanging in there
With me, this slow learner,
As this cancer journey enters
Year Two!
Blessings,
Dave
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Relief!
How do I spell "relief"?
No nausea!!
Yesterday offered a break in the nausea
And it was wonderful:)
And today has continued the trend.
Yay!
I am very thankful
Did I mention that I am VERY thankful:)
But I'm also very desirous with the break in the nausea
That I don't stop living one day at a time.
It is so easy for me not to do this.
What I mean by this is...
With no nausea today
I get excited that the nausea is gone
And I make plans to live based on "no nausea"
And then if it comes back tomorrow
I am crushed and discouraged and descend into darkness
All because instead of simply living each day
Being content with this day
And trusting God for this day
Because "each day has enough trouble of it's own"
I input my own expectations and plans
Which when they don't turn out
Can be crushing:(
Lord, help me each day
Whether there is nausea or no nausea
Pain or no pain
An advance or a setback
"In everything to give thanks"
To today be grateful for today
Whether it is for another day to live and love and learn
Or it is the day that will be the entrance into life after death
(I haven't forgot the question!)
Enough of my ramblings for today:)
May your "today" be blessed,
Dave
No nausea!!
Yesterday offered a break in the nausea
And it was wonderful:)
And today has continued the trend.
Yay!
I am very thankful
Did I mention that I am VERY thankful:)
But I'm also very desirous with the break in the nausea
That I don't stop living one day at a time.
It is so easy for me not to do this.
What I mean by this is...
With no nausea today
I get excited that the nausea is gone
And I make plans to live based on "no nausea"
And then if it comes back tomorrow
I am crushed and discouraged and descend into darkness
All because instead of simply living each day
Being content with this day
And trusting God for this day
Because "each day has enough trouble of it's own"
I input my own expectations and plans
Which when they don't turn out
Can be crushing:(
Lord, help me each day
Whether there is nausea or no nausea
Pain or no pain
An advance or a setback
"In everything to give thanks"
To today be grateful for today
Whether it is for another day to live and love and learn
Or it is the day that will be the entrance into life after death
(I haven't forgot the question!)
Enough of my ramblings for today:)
May your "today" be blessed,
Dave
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Chemo
Nausea, Constipation and just generally feeling yucky
With constipation usually leading to you know what
In order to break the grip of the constipation!
I think that pretty much sums up
My initial experience with chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Each stage of this cancer journey
Has certainly brought it's own challenges
And chemo has been no exception:(
It's been rough
And has given me huge respect
For the millions who have experienced it before me
And the millions who are in the thick of this journey with me.
I had my first chemo and immunotherapy treatment
On January 31st
And finally got enough of a respite to write this blog today
Though I'm feeling pretty nauseous while writing it:(
It will happen every three weeks
The next treatment on February 21st.
Every 3-4 treatment cycles
I will have a CT scan to evaluate
The effectiveness or non-effectiveness of the treatment
To see if the "Hail Mary"
Has been miraculously caught or dropped!
Incredibly, I've not had any fluid accumulation
In my left lung since I stopped the pancreatic enzymes
And had the PleurX catheter removed
Which has been a wonderful elimination of one "inconvenience"
Through this stage of the journey
Not needing to go to the ER weekly to have my lung drained.
One thing that has become very prevalent in my thinking
Being very aware that I am full of cancer
And need a miracle to see it's elimination or reduction
Is a constant pondering of death and what comes after
This isn't being morbid
It's just my dominant reality.
Actually, it's all of our reality
Not knowing when any of us will die
Whether expected or unexpected.
The book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible
Actually encourages this thinking
In order that our Living
Might be all that it can be.
What happens at the moment of death?
Being thinking, feeling beings
Who obviously are more than just matter
It is impossibly incredulous to think that death is just the end
So...
What happens at the moment of death?
I'm going to leave you with that question at this time
Coming back
(Nausea allowing)
To share my ponderings
Along with other questions
(and my ponderings)
That I've been asked by many people
As I tread this cancer journey
Thanks again for sharing this journey with me
You all are a massive blessing and encouragement!
Much love and appreciation,
Dave
With constipation usually leading to you know what
In order to break the grip of the constipation!
I think that pretty much sums up
My initial experience with chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Each stage of this cancer journey
Has certainly brought it's own challenges
And chemo has been no exception:(
It's been rough
And has given me huge respect
For the millions who have experienced it before me
And the millions who are in the thick of this journey with me.
I had my first chemo and immunotherapy treatment
On January 31st
And finally got enough of a respite to write this blog today
Though I'm feeling pretty nauseous while writing it:(
It will happen every three weeks
The next treatment on February 21st.
Every 3-4 treatment cycles
I will have a CT scan to evaluate
The effectiveness or non-effectiveness of the treatment
To see if the "Hail Mary"
Has been miraculously caught or dropped!
Incredibly, I've not had any fluid accumulation
In my left lung since I stopped the pancreatic enzymes
And had the PleurX catheter removed
Which has been a wonderful elimination of one "inconvenience"
Through this stage of the journey
Not needing to go to the ER weekly to have my lung drained.
One thing that has become very prevalent in my thinking
Being very aware that I am full of cancer
And need a miracle to see it's elimination or reduction
Is a constant pondering of death and what comes after
This isn't being morbid
It's just my dominant reality.
Actually, it's all of our reality
Not knowing when any of us will die
Whether expected or unexpected.
The book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible
Actually encourages this thinking
In order that our Living
Might be all that it can be.
What happens at the moment of death?
Being thinking, feeling beings
Who obviously are more than just matter
It is impossibly incredulous to think that death is just the end
So...
What happens at the moment of death?
I'm going to leave you with that question at this time
Coming back
(Nausea allowing)
To share my ponderings
Along with other questions
(and my ponderings)
That I've been asked by many people
As I tread this cancer journey
Thanks again for sharing this journey with me
You all are a massive blessing and encouragement!
Much love and appreciation,
Dave
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