My doctor told us that I would be through this process in 6 months. Today marks exactly 6 months since my first operation, and I finished the 6th and final(!) infusion here at home at 5:30 last night. Each infusion was 2 bags of drugs, 2 syringes of drugs, plus bags of saline or glucose flushes. Plus medications to take for 3 days afterwards. We are soooooo grateful to be done. The chemo nurse mentioned that she didn’t remember the last time a patient of hers finished all 6 doses of paclitaxel (Taxol) like I did. So many people cannot tolerate it or the side-effects are just too difficult. Now to get past the difficult 2.5 weeks with those side-effects and then start the road to recovery. And hair growing again! :-)
It was fabulous that Jonathan and Jessica called and were on the call at just the moment when I finished and were able to celebrate joyously with us. He took this screenshot.
During the infusion, I was able to continue this week's online conference for women who work as international Christian workers. What a blessing!
The nurse told me yesterday, and I have heard from other sources as well, that people often struggle when their chemotherapy is over. It’s been a very intensive, emotional 6 months with so many hurdles and challenges. It's exhausting and can be disorienting. What now? What does life look like? How do I go forward from here? I don’t know all of the answers to those questions, but I do know that God will guide us day by day and that it will help if my mind is focused on joy and gratitude. So on Instagram and Facebook I am going to do "100 days of grateful/thankful" to cultivate joy and keep my mind focused on all the positives God has given us including the beauty all around us.
Thank you for praying us through this very tough time. Please continue to pray that:
the chemotherapy I have received will kill every remaining cancer cell, if there are any left.
I would be protected from infections, especially Covid, during this time with extremely low white blood cells and neutrophils.
God would be honoured and glorified through what we say and do and how we act. That people would be drawn to Him.
we would receive maximum benefit from this. In other words, that we would learn all that God desires us to learn from this whole process.