Yesterday was a HUGE day for us when we found out that chemo has been a success for Brad and he was officially declared to be in remission. He had his PET scans earlier this week so it has been a week full of emotion thinking through everything...over and over and over again. Brad is excited to have his chest port removed on Friday, July 23rd. I honestly think he's just looking forward to being waited on hand and foot again.
I am trying to avoid thinking about how long it will be before his relapse (we have been prepared that this will happen - just a matter of when) will occur. I have to be honest - it's tough. Really tough. It makes "remission" bitter sweet, but time to put the past 7 months behind us and put our energy back into our jobs and getting life back in order.
I am so proud of Brad - his strength, his commitment, his humor. He is honestly the man that I was meant to spend my life with and my life continues to be blessed by God. Although I have always been spiritual, in the "non-spiritual" sense of the word (you know, be a good person, be kind to others, etc...), this experience has truly been life changing for me...for us, really.
Much love and many thanks for all the support,
Sandy
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Round 6...Ring the Bell!
Sorry we have been absent for so long! I have received messages from some of you wanting to know how Brad's last chemo session went and we are so sorry that we haven't taken time to blog about it.
Brad's last session was scheduled for Tuesday, June 8th and the session came and went as they normally do. This session was much more emotional than we expected not only for us, but for the Oncology staff as they wished Brad good luck in his recovery. There were tears shed by everybody (except Brad of course!) as he rang the bell at the end of the day, signifying that he was finished with this phase of treatment. Here are a couple of pics...
Although I was somewhat relieved that he was at the hospital getting the care that he needed, Brad had a significant drop in his white blood cell count on Tuesday, nearly dropping his immune system to non-existent. He was raised in status as a "high risk patient" and was limited in the number of visitors. In the event that Brad left his hospital room, he had to wear a mask to limit his exposure to germs. Additionally, Brad couldn't have any plants or flowers in his room (or at home) and could not eat fresh fruits or vegetables due to the risk of exposure to toxins that could be harmful to him. Having a visit from an Infectious Disease Doc, was a new twist for us. Thankfully, Brad did not have a bacterial infection, rather just something viral that he needed plenty of time to recover.
On Wednesday, Brad's Dr. said that although his numbers were still low, he was going to release him from the hospital, but that he needed to be quarantined from groups of people through the remainder of the week and still avoid the fresh fruits and veggies. Although I was nervous about Brad coming home, he did better than I expected following Dr. Fintel's orders and checked work email from home, while getting lots of rest, etc...
Early this spring, Brad's parents gifted a week at one of their timeshares to us for a family vacation. We intentionally planned it a few weeks after Brad's last session, to give us something to look forward to. This Saturday, we will leave to go to St. Augustine, FL for a week and cannot wait. We have been more anxious than ever to get away and really spend some time as a family reconnecting and not thinking about cancer as one of our daily primary thoughts. Another wonderful surprise to our trip is that our really good friends Chad and Cathy were able to get us passes at Sea World! Brad, Avery and I are so excited, that I'm not kidding when I say most of our bags are already packed!
We have several more big days ahead of us. On July 13th, Brad will go back to the hospital for his PET scan so we can figure out whether the chemo worked (Brad says he can "feel that it did"). On July 16th, we meet with Dr. Fintel to get the results of the PET scan and hopefully schedule Brad's surgery to have his port removed from his chest.
Although we recognize that this will be a life long journey for us, we have faith that will help pull us through and the confidence in an incredible medical team. Without the support of family, friends, our new church and employers, I cannot imagine where our lives would be right now. Thanks to each of you who have kept us in your thoughts, prayers, cooked/brought us meals, and so much more. We love all of you tremendously.
We will definitely keep the blog going and will update especially when Brad gets a good report on July 16th! Thanks again to each and every one of you!
Love to you all,
Sandy
Brad's last session was scheduled for Tuesday, June 8th and the session came and went as they normally do. This session was much more emotional than we expected not only for us, but for the Oncology staff as they wished Brad good luck in his recovery. There were tears shed by everybody (except Brad of course!) as he rang the bell at the end of the day, signifying that he was finished with this phase of treatment. Here are a couple of pics...
The picture above is Brad with the wonderful Oncology nurses that have truly been a wonderful support for our family during this journey. From left to right, we have: Linda, Susan, Brad, Roseanne and Teresa. Each of them have been INCREDIBLE!
Brad ringing the bell!!
The Sunday before chemo, Brad started feeling a little sick and on Monday he developed a fever that we were quite worried about. Thankfully, Blue Ridge Cancer Care called in an antibiotic, we were able to get his fever to come down by Tuesday and he was able to have his last chemo session as scheduled. Unfortunately, the combination of chemo and the illness that had set in prior to chemo, were not such a good mix. As Brad struggled through the week, although trying to maneuver bursts of energy from his excitement of his last session, his body became weaker and weaker despite the fact he had continued to take his antibiotic and some sinus/allergy medicine, along with his normal regimen of prescription drugs.
The morning of Monday, June 14th, Brad woke up with a rising temperature that went up to 100.8. For most folks, this wouldn't be a big deal, but we were told early on that if Brad ever had a fever that got to 101 degrees, he needed to immediately go to the emergency room because it could signify an infection that could easily get into his blood. Because of the worry, we went to the ER about 4:00am. Thankfully, it's pretty quiet that time of day and Brad got right in. Within 2 hours, because of Brad's low white blood cell count (which is expected after chemo), his obvious illness and him throwing up in the ER, he was immediately admitted for the next two and a half days.
Although I was somewhat relieved that he was at the hospital getting the care that he needed, Brad had a significant drop in his white blood cell count on Tuesday, nearly dropping his immune system to non-existent. He was raised in status as a "high risk patient" and was limited in the number of visitors. In the event that Brad left his hospital room, he had to wear a mask to limit his exposure to germs. Additionally, Brad couldn't have any plants or flowers in his room (or at home) and could not eat fresh fruits or vegetables due to the risk of exposure to toxins that could be harmful to him. Having a visit from an Infectious Disease Doc, was a new twist for us. Thankfully, Brad did not have a bacterial infection, rather just something viral that he needed plenty of time to recover.
On Wednesday, Brad's Dr. said that although his numbers were still low, he was going to release him from the hospital, but that he needed to be quarantined from groups of people through the remainder of the week and still avoid the fresh fruits and veggies. Although I was nervous about Brad coming home, he did better than I expected following Dr. Fintel's orders and checked work email from home, while getting lots of rest, etc...
Early this spring, Brad's parents gifted a week at one of their timeshares to us for a family vacation. We intentionally planned it a few weeks after Brad's last session, to give us something to look forward to. This Saturday, we will leave to go to St. Augustine, FL for a week and cannot wait. We have been more anxious than ever to get away and really spend some time as a family reconnecting and not thinking about cancer as one of our daily primary thoughts. Another wonderful surprise to our trip is that our really good friends Chad and Cathy were able to get us passes at Sea World! Brad, Avery and I are so excited, that I'm not kidding when I say most of our bags are already packed!
We have several more big days ahead of us. On July 13th, Brad will go back to the hospital for his PET scan so we can figure out whether the chemo worked (Brad says he can "feel that it did"). On July 16th, we meet with Dr. Fintel to get the results of the PET scan and hopefully schedule Brad's surgery to have his port removed from his chest.
Although we recognize that this will be a life long journey for us, we have faith that will help pull us through and the confidence in an incredible medical team. Without the support of family, friends, our new church and employers, I cannot imagine where our lives would be right now. Thanks to each of you who have kept us in your thoughts, prayers, cooked/brought us meals, and so much more. We love all of you tremendously.
We will definitely keep the blog going and will update especially when Brad gets a good report on July 16th! Thanks again to each and every one of you!
Love to you all,
Sandy
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Healing Begins...
Lyrics from the song "Healing Begins" by a Christian group called Tenth Avenue North have completely hit me in the spot during the past couple of weeks and I felt the need to share them. The song is part of the music that plays in our blog - it has a catchy little tune! As we get closer to Brad's final round of chemo scheduled for Tuesday, June 8th - it's hard to know what the future holds for us. So many wonderful, yet scary things ahead...
So you thought you had to keep this up
All the work that you do
So we think that you're good
And you can't believe it's not enough
All the walls you built up
Are just glass on the outside
So let 'em fall down
There's freedom waiting in the sound
When you let your walls fall to the ground
We're here now
This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you're broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark
Afraid to let your secrets out
Everything that you hide
Can come crashing through the door now
But too scared to face all your fear
So you hide but you find
That the shame won't disappear
So let it fall down
There's freedom waiting in the sound
When you let your walls fall to the ground
We're here now
We're here now, oh
This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you're broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark
Sparks will fly as grace collides
With the dark inside of us
So please don't fight
This coming light
Let this blood come cover us
His blood can cover us
This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you're broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark
So you thought you had to keep this up
All the work that you do
So we think that you're good
And you can't believe it's not enough
All the walls you built up
Are just glass on the outside
So let 'em fall down
There's freedom waiting in the sound
When you let your walls fall to the ground
We're here now
This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you're broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark
Afraid to let your secrets out
Everything that you hide
Can come crashing through the door now
But too scared to face all your fear
So you hide but you find
That the shame won't disappear
So let it fall down
There's freedom waiting in the sound
When you let your walls fall to the ground
We're here now
We're here now, oh
This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you're broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark
Sparks will fly as grace collides
With the dark inside of us
So please don't fight
This coming light
Let this blood come cover us
His blood can cover us
This is where the healing begins, oh
This is where the healing starts
When you come to where you're broken within
The light meets the dark
The light meets the dark
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Round 5...
The past several weeks have been beyond crazy for me from the work perspective, requiring lots of time away from home and longer work days. In addition to winding up a semester of planning and implementation for the YMCA's week long, Ytoss? campus recycling program, I am now on the last day of hosting the 2010 Coalition of Campus YMCA's national conference, an event that began a week ago, but has been being planned for the past year. While it has been an incredible conference, I am thankful that conference duties will end later this afternoon.
Our conference officially began on Tuesday, May 18th, although the planning team arrived on Sunday, May 16th when we checked into the hotel where we are staying for the conference to start getting things ready. Brad's 5th round of chemo took place on May 18th - yep, conference start date. In my heart of hearts, I knew I needed to be with him at the hospital on Tuesday and I was, however, I continuously wondered what was happening at the conference, what things I would be troubleshooting if I was on site and how the students were doing managing the conference check-in, etc... As usual, they were AMAZING! I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to see impact in action on a daily basis - the team was phenomenal and handled conference challenges with dignity and grace.
If you read the last post after Brad's 4th chemo session, you know he did quite well. Unfortunately, this round has been his most difficult to date. He has experienced more than usual tiredness (sleeping 17-20 hours a day), lack of energy, etc... and I wasn't at home to take care of him. On Monday night when I arrived at home to spend the night for chemo on Tuesday, Avery pulled me aside to let me know that he was really afraid he wouldn't be able to take care of his Dad while I was not at home during the week. It completely broke my heart and of course caused an extreme flood of tears. We hugged a lot and I told Avery he had been doing a great job taking care of his Dad the two days I had already been gone, but he insisted it was because chemo hadn't happened yet. Avery continues to be the most thoughtful, sensitive and understanding child ever. We are so very, very fortunate that he is so helpful - I look forward to the time when chemo isn't constantly on our mind or on our calendars.
Knowing that this week was so tough for Brad, it has been full of emotion for me. I have randomly broken out into tears more times than I could count during the week and have been heartsick not being around to care for him. Yes indeed, this has been the most difficult session for both of us. Thankfully, with the conference being only 45 minutes from home, I have been able to visit and check in with him briefly during shuttle runs to the airport on two occasions. Despite their brevity, it was wonderful to be home. Thank you Mom and Dad for all the help you have provided this week, the meals you have brought to Brad and continuously checking in with him. Your availability is what has given me the ability to slightly relax during the week as much as possible.
For those of you who know me well, I am not so good at asking for help. Right now, I am asking for your help through prayers of strength. I have several personal and professional challenges before me that I will need much strength to overcome. I'm confident I will not be given more than I can handle, but the question certainly becomes one of how do I handle it best?
I have been filled with sadness and fear over the recent decision that Jen, one of my YMCA co-workers who has become my friend during the past four years, will no longer be working for the YMCA as of the end of this month. Unfortunately, the economy impacts non-profit organizations (maybe even harder ) than any other "business" and her full time position has been eliminated. She is an amazing woman filled with many, many skills and talents and I feel confident that she will find another rewarding position. Unfortunately, her loss will impact my office, our student volunteers and me quite deeply. I am so fearful of my ability to continue meeting the expectations of others, while also meeting my own during this adjustment.
Through all the challenges, Brad and I continue to have the support of so many friends and family and recognize that we are blessed in so many ways. Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.
Love,
Sandy
Our conference officially began on Tuesday, May 18th, although the planning team arrived on Sunday, May 16th when we checked into the hotel where we are staying for the conference to start getting things ready. Brad's 5th round of chemo took place on May 18th - yep, conference start date. In my heart of hearts, I knew I needed to be with him at the hospital on Tuesday and I was, however, I continuously wondered what was happening at the conference, what things I would be troubleshooting if I was on site and how the students were doing managing the conference check-in, etc... As usual, they were AMAZING! I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to see impact in action on a daily basis - the team was phenomenal and handled conference challenges with dignity and grace.
If you read the last post after Brad's 4th chemo session, you know he did quite well. Unfortunately, this round has been his most difficult to date. He has experienced more than usual tiredness (sleeping 17-20 hours a day), lack of energy, etc... and I wasn't at home to take care of him. On Monday night when I arrived at home to spend the night for chemo on Tuesday, Avery pulled me aside to let me know that he was really afraid he wouldn't be able to take care of his Dad while I was not at home during the week. It completely broke my heart and of course caused an extreme flood of tears. We hugged a lot and I told Avery he had been doing a great job taking care of his Dad the two days I had already been gone, but he insisted it was because chemo hadn't happened yet. Avery continues to be the most thoughtful, sensitive and understanding child ever. We are so very, very fortunate that he is so helpful - I look forward to the time when chemo isn't constantly on our mind or on our calendars.
Knowing that this week was so tough for Brad, it has been full of emotion for me. I have randomly broken out into tears more times than I could count during the week and have been heartsick not being around to care for him. Yes indeed, this has been the most difficult session for both of us. Thankfully, with the conference being only 45 minutes from home, I have been able to visit and check in with him briefly during shuttle runs to the airport on two occasions. Despite their brevity, it was wonderful to be home. Thank you Mom and Dad for all the help you have provided this week, the meals you have brought to Brad and continuously checking in with him. Your availability is what has given me the ability to slightly relax during the week as much as possible.
For those of you who know me well, I am not so good at asking for help. Right now, I am asking for your help through prayers of strength. I have several personal and professional challenges before me that I will need much strength to overcome. I'm confident I will not be given more than I can handle, but the question certainly becomes one of how do I handle it best?
I have been filled with sadness and fear over the recent decision that Jen, one of my YMCA co-workers who has become my friend during the past four years, will no longer be working for the YMCA as of the end of this month. Unfortunately, the economy impacts non-profit organizations (maybe even harder ) than any other "business" and her full time position has been eliminated. She is an amazing woman filled with many, many skills and talents and I feel confident that she will find another rewarding position. Unfortunately, her loss will impact my office, our student volunteers and me quite deeply. I am so fearful of my ability to continue meeting the expectations of others, while also meeting my own during this adjustment.
Through all the challenges, Brad and I continue to have the support of so many friends and family and recognize that we are blessed in so many ways. Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.
Love,
Sandy
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Round 4...
Wow...I really can't believe it has been so long since we've written to all our friends and family - things have been so busy and a great deal has happened in the past 3 weeks. This past Tuesday (April 27th), Brad had his 4th round of chemo. Other than his exhaustion and nausea, we never know what to expect as far as his side effects go. Sometimes some food/drink items taste badly, other times they are fine. Sometimes he gets mouth sores and hiccups, sometimes he doesn't. It's very strange.
This round has seemed to be relatively calm and it's great to see Brad doing so well in the grand scheme of things. My emotions have mostly been in check the past few weeks, but the bigger issue this round is that I started feeling crummy on Wednesday. By Thursday, I felt like I had been run over by a semi and literally spent the majority of the day in bed. On Friday I went to the doctor out of fear that I would make Brad sick while his immune system is so compromised and then promptly returned to bed for the rest of the day. I was tested for mono and strep and thankfully both tests came back negative. I was told that I have what the Dr. is officially referring to as the "crud" (which doesn't sound so official to me). She said it has the symptoms of both mono and strep, without having either and that I should expect to feel kinda crummy off and on for the next 4-6 weeks. I'm hoping this is some kind of misdiagnosis. While I have more energy than I have the past few days today, I'm definitely not 100% and the best part now is that Avery has it. Ugh...we're taking extra precautions around Brad and getting as much rest as we can while it's the weekend.
So I mentioned that the past few weeks have been busy. Although much of it has been work related, on April 9th, I received a phone call from one of my dearest friends from the past. Sheri and I go back to when I was about 12 years old and she was my Youth for Christ Big Sister where I grew up in Michigan. Sheri now lives in Tennessee and we reconnected through Facebook (CRAZY!). She had been following our blog and asked if she and Betsy, her oldest daughter could come for a visit. I hadn't seen Betsy or Sheri in about 15 years! We had the most amazing weekend together, definitely what I have been referring to as "soul food." This was Sheri's first time meeting Brad and Avery and her first time participating in Relay for Life. I have to admit, I was nervous to see them, but as soon as the nerves wore off, it was like no time had passed at all. Avery has decided that he has a little crush on Betsy, despite the fact that she has a serious boyfriend. Strangely enough, the picture with the three of us together, didn't turn out so well - but here's Sheri and Betsy:
This round has seemed to be relatively calm and it's great to see Brad doing so well in the grand scheme of things. My emotions have mostly been in check the past few weeks, but the bigger issue this round is that I started feeling crummy on Wednesday. By Thursday, I felt like I had been run over by a semi and literally spent the majority of the day in bed. On Friday I went to the doctor out of fear that I would make Brad sick while his immune system is so compromised and then promptly returned to bed for the rest of the day. I was tested for mono and strep and thankfully both tests came back negative. I was told that I have what the Dr. is officially referring to as the "crud" (which doesn't sound so official to me). She said it has the symptoms of both mono and strep, without having either and that I should expect to feel kinda crummy off and on for the next 4-6 weeks. I'm hoping this is some kind of misdiagnosis. While I have more energy than I have the past few days today, I'm definitely not 100% and the best part now is that Avery has it. Ugh...we're taking extra precautions around Brad and getting as much rest as we can while it's the weekend.
So I mentioned that the past few weeks have been busy. Although much of it has been work related, on April 9th, I received a phone call from one of my dearest friends from the past. Sheri and I go back to when I was about 12 years old and she was my Youth for Christ Big Sister where I grew up in Michigan. Sheri now lives in Tennessee and we reconnected through Facebook (CRAZY!). She had been following our blog and asked if she and Betsy, her oldest daughter could come for a visit. I hadn't seen Betsy or Sheri in about 15 years! We had the most amazing weekend together, definitely what I have been referring to as "soul food." This was Sheri's first time meeting Brad and Avery and her first time participating in Relay for Life. I have to admit, I was nervous to see them, but as soon as the nerves wore off, it was like no time had passed at all. Avery has decided that he has a little crush on Betsy, despite the fact that she has a serious boyfriend. Strangely enough, the picture with the three of us together, didn't turn out so well - but here's Sheri and Betsy:
Relay for Life was such an emotional event for me this year. Brad's Mom and Dad came and this was their first Relay also. Avery, Brad's Mom and Dad, Brad and I all participated in the survivor lap to kick off the event. I think I cried the entire time. Avery was so proud of all of his laps and even wrote on a board about why he relays - here's a pic of what he wrote:
You probably can't read it so well, but Avery wrote "My Dad has lufuma" (and signed his name). He then went back to the sign and wrote underneath it: "Gone green for Brad" and signed the board again. I loved his spelling of lymphoma. Avery was quite emotional this year also - it's amazing how much he "gets" it as an 11, almost 12 year old. Trying to put a smile on my face during the event, he went and purchased a beautiful necklace from one of the fundraising tables at Relay for me. It was so thoughtful. He was adorable - he came back to the YMCA tent and said that he bought something for me while sharing that he spent one third of the money that he brought to spend throughout the night. Yep, it was the kindest, most heartfelt $5.00 anybody has ever spent on me. I have worn it several times and Avery notices it each time I do.
We have much to be thankful for and only two more sessions to go. We pray for a long remission so that we can put the thought of Brad's bone marrow transplant on the back burner for a while. We are continuously finding ways to feel more connected at our church which feels really amazing.
We have several friends who have been recently diagnosed with cancer and/or are facing medical and personal challenges.
Jilli - know that you are always in our thoughts, in our hearts and minds and in our prayers. I know returning to your chemotherapy regimen this week will be exhausting, but I have faith in you!
Mike - we are praying for you and your family with the hopes that the insurance challenges are somehow answered and that the tumors were discovered in time to prevent amputation.
Jeanne - girl, you need to stay out of the hospital and get yourself well so that we can see each other soon! I love you.
Sheri - I know that we have been reconnected for a reason and a purpose. I have faith that the challenges that have been laid at your feet will be met with grace and dignity.
We are keeping each of you close in our thoughts on a daily basis and will ask for extra strength during such challenging times.
Much love to all of you,
Sandy
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Round 3...
It's hard to believe that Round 3 took place yesterday, officially marking the half way point in Brad's fight. It is my deepest hope that when June arrives and Brad completes his 6th and final cycle he will be in remission.
Avery is on Spring Break this week so he came to Brad's session again yesterday. Little did we know that Avery snuck his little friends Dinkles (the blue bunny) and Streaks (the leopard) into his bag so that his Dad would have something to cuddle with during chemo. Brad was absolutely thrilled and pretended to LOVE the animals, as you can see in the picture. We have NO idea where Avery gets the names for his stuffed animals, but there they are in all their glory!
We returned to the hospital again today for Brad's $7,985 Neulasta shot - that's the one that helps raise his white blood cell count. Just being out for a short period of time wiped him out all afternoon.
Yesterday and today have been horribly emotional days for me. Once I start crying, I simply can't seem to stop. Brad is so physically and mentally worn down, which of course he doesn't want others to believe. It makes me so "down to the bones" sad. Today was the first day since Brad started chemo that when I looked at him he actually looked beyond exhausted. He has tried to stay awake much of the day so that he can sleep through the night and only use his sleeping pills when necessary. I sometimes feel like I want to lock myself inside the house and pretend none of this is happening. A bigger fear is that I don't want to leave Brad's side while he recovers from his sessions. The feelings of being a horrible employee, housekeeper, friend, etc... are all deeply embedded right now and I don't quite know how to make them go away or feel like I am effective at any of my roles right now.
Brad found out about this really cool kids camp called Camp Kesem from someone on facebook. "Kesem" is the Hebrew word for "magic" and the camp is offered at several colleges and universities around the United States. After doing a little research, we found out that the University of Virginia and University of Richmond are two schools who offer this camp here in Virginia. The camp is a free, one week sleep away camp for kids who have a parent who is currently facing or is a survivor of cancer. When we talked to Avery about it he was SO excited about maybe going. We have done the initial paperwork for Avery to attend camp in Richmond, so please pray that he is accepted. As an only child, it would be so amazing for him to connect with other children who are dealing with some of the same emotions. It would also be a wonderfully therapeutic outlet for him and allow him some time to be a kid.
This Friday night is Relay for Life at Virginia Tech. Although I anticipate this year's event to be a highly emotional one for me, I look forward to walking in honor of Brad and having Avery right next to me each step of the way. I'm hoping Brad can gather enough energy for a quick appearance, but if not, we will relay with him in our hearts and as always, on our minds.
Hugs,
Sandy
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Bumpy Road...
The past couple of weeks have been a little tough which is part of the reason we haven't written much. Sorry for keeping you all in the dark!
I realized two days into Brad's second cycle that I had been giving him the wrong amount of his steroid, which included the time period when I gave it to him during his first round. He was supposed to get 5 tablets daily for four days after each session. Unfortunately, I had only been giving him one tablet for four days and for some reason, my brain started thinking about the tremendous number he was prescribed on day 3 of his second cycle. I felt like a HORRIBLE caregiver! The steroid is to help his body fight infection and to get stronger after chemo. Thankfully, Brad didn't get sick after his first treatment. We were so prepared for the big "crash" the doctors kept telling us about, but it never happened the way we envisioned. Remember a few entries ago I mentioned that everything went better than we expected? Well, blame it on me not giving enough meds - good thing I don't work in a hospital.
After realizing my mistake, Brad did take the correct amount for his last two days and then had the crash we had originally been expecting. After he started recovering from his exhaustion, Brad unfortunately got sick with another horrible cough, which he has now had for about a week and a half. We're getting a little better about not calling Dr. Fintel for every little thing (which I'm sure he's thrilled about), but I did call this time around because Brad was feeling so poorly. I didn't ask for an appointment, just a refill on the antibiotic that he was given in December/January when he was sick. I wish it would have worked! We'll see Dr. Fintel again on Tuesday though so we figured we could maybe kill a couple of birds with one stone then.
Brad has only had a couple days of energy during the past 3 weeks, but has managed to work through a chunk of it. One of the biggest struggles has been with his body image and Brad's overall feeling that he isn't a contributing member of the family. As much as I reinforce with him that now is my time to step it up with the tasks around the house and remind him that he'll pay for it when he recovers, it doesn't seem to help. I miss the sparkling smile in his eyes, the playful attitude and the hysterically funny jokes and stories Brad normally shares. He has his moments when this shines through, but overall I can tell he's just plain worn down and depressed of sorts. It makes my heart ache to see him so sad.
A few bright spots that have happened include Avery and I getting baptized together last Sunday. It was such a wonderful event for our family. Pastor Darryl even had us both in the baptismal pool together - pretty exciting for both Avery and me! Here is a picture of Avery and Miss Lynn, the children's pastor when she came to our home to meet with Avery to read scripture and pray with him in preparation for his baptism.
Our baptism made it official and we are now members of North Roanoke Baptist Church. Brad and I are looking forward to finding a Sunday School class to be part of and will also be participating in a financial class offered through the church starting soon.
Another really wonderful thing that has happened is that we had a health scare with Brad's Dad and he had to visit a hematology oncologist because some things didn't look quite right with his blood. Of course we were nervous about this and the physicians are going to continue monitoring him, but initial reports were that things were looking better than we were prepared for.
Round 3 takes place on Tuesday (April 6th) and then we can say we're half way through this never-ending marathon. We pray that Brad's cough gets better and that this cycle isn't as tough as the last one. Thanks for all the wonderful messages of support and love that you continue to send our way.
Much love,
Sandy
I realized two days into Brad's second cycle that I had been giving him the wrong amount of his steroid, which included the time period when I gave it to him during his first round. He was supposed to get 5 tablets daily for four days after each session. Unfortunately, I had only been giving him one tablet for four days and for some reason, my brain started thinking about the tremendous number he was prescribed on day 3 of his second cycle. I felt like a HORRIBLE caregiver! The steroid is to help his body fight infection and to get stronger after chemo. Thankfully, Brad didn't get sick after his first treatment. We were so prepared for the big "crash" the doctors kept telling us about, but it never happened the way we envisioned. Remember a few entries ago I mentioned that everything went better than we expected? Well, blame it on me not giving enough meds - good thing I don't work in a hospital.
After realizing my mistake, Brad did take the correct amount for his last two days and then had the crash we had originally been expecting. After he started recovering from his exhaustion, Brad unfortunately got sick with another horrible cough, which he has now had for about a week and a half. We're getting a little better about not calling Dr. Fintel for every little thing (which I'm sure he's thrilled about), but I did call this time around because Brad was feeling so poorly. I didn't ask for an appointment, just a refill on the antibiotic that he was given in December/January when he was sick. I wish it would have worked! We'll see Dr. Fintel again on Tuesday though so we figured we could maybe kill a couple of birds with one stone then.
Brad has only had a couple days of energy during the past 3 weeks, but has managed to work through a chunk of it. One of the biggest struggles has been with his body image and Brad's overall feeling that he isn't a contributing member of the family. As much as I reinforce with him that now is my time to step it up with the tasks around the house and remind him that he'll pay for it when he recovers, it doesn't seem to help. I miss the sparkling smile in his eyes, the playful attitude and the hysterically funny jokes and stories Brad normally shares. He has his moments when this shines through, but overall I can tell he's just plain worn down and depressed of sorts. It makes my heart ache to see him so sad.
A few bright spots that have happened include Avery and I getting baptized together last Sunday. It was such a wonderful event for our family. Pastor Darryl even had us both in the baptismal pool together - pretty exciting for both Avery and me! Here is a picture of Avery and Miss Lynn, the children's pastor when she came to our home to meet with Avery to read scripture and pray with him in preparation for his baptism.
Our baptism made it official and we are now members of North Roanoke Baptist Church. Brad and I are looking forward to finding a Sunday School class to be part of and will also be participating in a financial class offered through the church starting soon.
Another really wonderful thing that has happened is that we had a health scare with Brad's Dad and he had to visit a hematology oncologist because some things didn't look quite right with his blood. Of course we were nervous about this and the physicians are going to continue monitoring him, but initial reports were that things were looking better than we were prepared for.
Round 3 takes place on Tuesday (April 6th) and then we can say we're half way through this never-ending marathon. We pray that Brad's cough gets better and that this cycle isn't as tough as the last one. Thanks for all the wonderful messages of support and love that you continue to send our way.
Much love,
Sandy
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