Sandy had an ERCP today at Wesley to replace her stent. The "old" one did not have any problems, but doctors had agreed to replace each stent after 8 weeks of use. Everything went well, and Sandy ought to be home tomorrow morning.
Thanksgiving is in a few short hours. We are thankful for many things, including the past three months of life. We're thankful for crazy text messages, thanks to autocorrect. We're thankful for faithful friends, provision, and more than enough opportunities to develop and strengthen our character.
Sandy could choose to complain about yet another ERCP and another stent, another stay in the hospital, another round of lab work, IV pokes, and hours without food or drink. She could choose to complain about decreased energy and stamina or the mild nausea she has experienced since beginning chemo. She could complain about the few hundred pages of math tests she has to grade, not to mention upcoming final exams.
But she isn't complaining. Sure, she has rough moments; she'd be the first to admit her weaknesses. However, she is choosing to be thankful. She is thankful this ERCP and stent happened before a blockage occurred. She's thankful for a great team of doctors and nurses. She's thankful for the reminder that food and water are a blessing, and thankful that she has been able to continue working, visiting friends and family, filling up the car with gas, grocery shopping, vacuuming, cooking, and washing dishes. She is thankful for the continued opportunity to invest in lives of college students, including the chance to encourage them as she grades tests.
In an attempt to follow her lead, I'm choosing today to be thankful for many things that are not quite how I would have planned as well. I'm thankful we have a neighbor who helped bandage our dog's leg, thankful the blanket that disintegrated in the washing machine did not break the washing machine, thankful I have friends who gladly offer to help when I take on more than is reasonable, and thankful my kids chose to watch an educational movie…even if it is loud enough for people to hear a mile away. I'd better sign off and take care of that last one :)
We wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving. Remember to give thanks! It's a choice we all get to make :)
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Thursday, November 20, 2014
2nd day of chemo coming up!
Sandy has her second day of chemo this week. So far she has felt reasonably well - fatigue and some nausea, but both very manageable. She has discovered some fun new teas and candies that help with the nausea. I'm waiting for her to find a tea or candy to help with fatigue :)
We are headed into the holiday season - somehow, Thanksgiving is only a week away! There is so much for which to be thankful. Cancer has highlighted all of the things we hope and pray we don't lose, but at the same time, we realize that those are the very things we are blessed to have in the first place. It seems silly, and downright wasteful, to spend today grieving a potential down-the-road loss when we can instead celebrate having those things right now.
Sandy has enjoyed being back in the classroom these past few weeks, and she is gearing up for everything that comes with the end of a semester. Glad to be back in the church choir, she is looking forward to the annual Christmas program on December 14 and 15. She would love to see you there!
We wish you all the most blessed Thanksgiving! Let the baking begin!
We are headed into the holiday season - somehow, Thanksgiving is only a week away! There is so much for which to be thankful. Cancer has highlighted all of the things we hope and pray we don't lose, but at the same time, we realize that those are the very things we are blessed to have in the first place. It seems silly, and downright wasteful, to spend today grieving a potential down-the-road loss when we can instead celebrate having those things right now.
Sandy has enjoyed being back in the classroom these past few weeks, and she is gearing up for everything that comes with the end of a semester. Glad to be back in the church choir, she is looking forward to the annual Christmas program on December 14 and 15. She would love to see you there!
We wish you all the most blessed Thanksgiving! Let the baking begin!
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Long overdue update...
Did you know that life doesn't slow down when you have a blog to update? Things just keep going and going!
Sandy feels great today! Sometimes it's hard for her to believe she has cancer because of how well she feels. And for that we are extremely thankful. She is gearing up to return to the classroom on Monday; she looks forward to being with her students again, investing in them as she's done for many, many years.
Thursday she had a portacath put in, which will allow the chemo to be administered every two weeks without needing to mess with an IV. It was a more invasive procedure than she had anticipated, but it went well. She was impressed and encouraged when her surgeon prayed for her before beginning. Due to her surgeon being called in to help with those affected by the plane crash at the airport, her procedure was delayed several hours. Rather than being frustrated and impatient, Sandy was thankful that she wasn't dealing with something as tragic as the crash. A few weeks ago, while talking to some friends, she learned of a couple going through a difficult separation. Her text to me pondered whether her situation is easier to deal with than a broken relationship. It's all a matter of perspective. Having peace in relationships, and knowing that heaven awaits, greatly diminishes the fear and sadness surrounding challenging medical news.
Several times, Sandy has commented that she feels so very loved. She has voiced that she wishes every person could feel as loved as she feels. The outpouring of cards, emails, calls, and hugs has been quite overwhelming - in a good way! Wouldn't it be great if we all made it our goal to act in ways that cause others to feel loved - every day? Offering a smile or a kind word, a helping hand or a meal, just might provide the strength that person needs to face difficult things. Kindness is an investment with an outstanding return.
Ok. Back to medical stuff :)
One reason bile ducts can become clogged is because of sludge removed by the liver from the blood. Since only one side of Sandy's duct is open, it is especially important that the sludge remain thin. Have you ever prayed for thin sludge? You're welcome for this fine opportunity! Another reason her duct could become clogged would be if a tumor grows around the stent and squeezes it shut. This round of chemo is given the job of stopping further growth. She will have six hours of chemo every other Thursday starting next Thursday. Several people have expressed concern with this course of treatment, since choosing chemo is basically choosing to put poison in your body. And perhaps, in 50 years, people will look back and wonder why anyone was so foolish to do so! What we know is that for now, at this time, in this circumstance, chemo seems to be the best option, as well as the option that Sandy feels peace in pursuing. She is not "happy" about it, or really looking forward to it, but she feels it's the path to walk at this time. There are many instances in life when the right path to take is not crystal clear. We have to pray for wisdom, seek council, weigh options, and trust that God is bigger than statistics or our mistakes. I'm not saying that God is a trump card that allows us to do whatever we want! But He sees our heart, knows our motives, and always has the goal of drawing us closer to Himself.
Thanks for your continued support. From this point on, the plan is to update the blog about every two weeks, unless new things come up to report. Please continue praying for healing, peace, strength, and courage to face the unknown.
Sandy feels great today! Sometimes it's hard for her to believe she has cancer because of how well she feels. And for that we are extremely thankful. She is gearing up to return to the classroom on Monday; she looks forward to being with her students again, investing in them as she's done for many, many years.
Thursday she had a portacath put in, which will allow the chemo to be administered every two weeks without needing to mess with an IV. It was a more invasive procedure than she had anticipated, but it went well. She was impressed and encouraged when her surgeon prayed for her before beginning. Due to her surgeon being called in to help with those affected by the plane crash at the airport, her procedure was delayed several hours. Rather than being frustrated and impatient, Sandy was thankful that she wasn't dealing with something as tragic as the crash. A few weeks ago, while talking to some friends, she learned of a couple going through a difficult separation. Her text to me pondered whether her situation is easier to deal with than a broken relationship. It's all a matter of perspective. Having peace in relationships, and knowing that heaven awaits, greatly diminishes the fear and sadness surrounding challenging medical news.
Several times, Sandy has commented that she feels so very loved. She has voiced that she wishes every person could feel as loved as she feels. The outpouring of cards, emails, calls, and hugs has been quite overwhelming - in a good way! Wouldn't it be great if we all made it our goal to act in ways that cause others to feel loved - every day? Offering a smile or a kind word, a helping hand or a meal, just might provide the strength that person needs to face difficult things. Kindness is an investment with an outstanding return.
Ok. Back to medical stuff :)
One reason bile ducts can become clogged is because of sludge removed by the liver from the blood. Since only one side of Sandy's duct is open, it is especially important that the sludge remain thin. Have you ever prayed for thin sludge? You're welcome for this fine opportunity! Another reason her duct could become clogged would be if a tumor grows around the stent and squeezes it shut. This round of chemo is given the job of stopping further growth. She will have six hours of chemo every other Thursday starting next Thursday. Several people have expressed concern with this course of treatment, since choosing chemo is basically choosing to put poison in your body. And perhaps, in 50 years, people will look back and wonder why anyone was so foolish to do so! What we know is that for now, at this time, in this circumstance, chemo seems to be the best option, as well as the option that Sandy feels peace in pursuing. She is not "happy" about it, or really looking forward to it, but she feels it's the path to walk at this time. There are many instances in life when the right path to take is not crystal clear. We have to pray for wisdom, seek council, weigh options, and trust that God is bigger than statistics or our mistakes. I'm not saying that God is a trump card that allows us to do whatever we want! But He sees our heart, knows our motives, and always has the goal of drawing us closer to Himself.
Thanks for your continued support. From this point on, the plan is to update the blog about every two weeks, unless new things come up to report. Please continue praying for healing, peace, strength, and courage to face the unknown.
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