Appointments Postponed

We were in the process of packing and loading the car this morning for our MDA Houston trip, when I got a call from my doctor's nurse advising me to wait a week before going back out there. It seems my blood counts, taken here at Jackson Oncology over the past week, were not good enough for me to withstand my next chemo treatments. So we get an extra week at home, a mixed blessing. On the one hand we wanted to get this second round done now, but understand the delay. Otherwise, having this extra week allows me to get my strength and counts up to a better level. Plus, we both need this time to rest more and to better organize our household matters like paying bills, paperwork filing, house chores, etc. While this past week was a much needed rest for us, we really didn't get near accomplished what we wanted to get done. After the long 5 weeks at MDA we were so exhausted we took our time recovering and put off some things that we can now get done.

As for me and my health, I'm still in the fight. My blood counts remain low and the numerous medicines for infections I am taking make me very unstable everytime I stand or stay on my feet more than 4 or 5 minutes. My breathing is also labored at these moments.  The common side effects of most of my drugs cause me issues ranging from dry skin to nausea not to mention dizziness, extreme, fatigue and even my mental concentration, at times.

Janine has been able to go back to work on a limited basis. She still won't let me stay at home alone. For the past few days, her sister Dee, has been here helping out tremendously.  She really has been a blessing for us in so many ways, freeing us to get even more rest and Janine doesn't mind leaving me  at home alone when Dee can be here. Thanks Dee!

Finally, keep your cards, letters, calls, visits and prayers for us coming. We love being in touch with what's going on, especially when we are gone for extended stays. More importantly, these "gifts" give us comfort, joy and draws us closer to you all.