Living above it. Or trying to any way!

A $3,000. white cell booster that helps reduce the risk of infection.

March 18, 2012
by sherry

Update- cycle 2 day 5 of chemo and Terence is doing well. It is 26 days over all, and he has little nausea and remarkably, little pain in his abdomen/pelvic area.  Terence's chemotherapy dosage was increased by 20% and it seemed to immediately knock the pain down a lot.  He started walking a lot more   (the tumors in his pelvic area had caused caused lymph edema, which made it difficult to walk), although after going to the grocery store with me today, his right leg/pelvic area swelled enough to become uncomfortable and needed to be off his feet again. Terence has an appointment with his GP to discuss manual lymphatic massage- and hopefully this will help him be able to reduce the imminent threat it always seems to have over him.

Another (small) thing he deals with is the side effects from the Neulasta shot. He gets this shot with chemo every 3 weeks - it is given to stimulate Terence's bone marrow function- it helps him to produce white blood cells reducing the risk of infection.  The main side effect is deep bone pain- which he tells me is deep...... morphine cannot even touch it.  Some nights he sleeps an hour or two with a heating pad in bed, then gets up and moves to the recliner until he can't stand that any longer, then he comes back to bed.  Someimes I want to suggest a hot bath, but then I remember he has the nephrotomy tube inserted into his kidney which protrudes through his back and can't be submerged.

St. Paddy's day 2012

He is learning to live with the tubes. He hates it, but never complains.  My schedule tightly  revolves around his now since he can't change the dressings or flush the tubes out himself (located in his back/kidney area), which means my bath time and bed time come after his, and my day begins before his.  Nephrostomy bags need to be sanitized and we switch out bags for evening and day use.  I try to make life as easy as possible for him because I often think if it were me in that situation I would be pretty miserable. I enjoy my bath time, but with PICC lines and tubes, a bath time would be impossible and a shower is a real hassle. Not only is there little enjoyment left in the small things but they can become problematic at times.  Terence is one who looks forward to "falling into bed" at the end of a long day. But now we have to arrange his tubes, clip them to the bed side then arrange his pillow wedges for his leg and hip elevation.......so even bed time has a regimen. So like I said, I try to make life as easy as possible for him and as comfortable as possible. He never complains and usually has a bright side to everything.  Which is admirable.  These tubes are likely to never come out short of a miraculous healing.

On a side note: I have recovered (about 75%) from walking pneumonia, today being my first good day (out of my pajamas).  My sister Charla came down the day before chemo to help out.  By the time chemo was done, I was spent and she made it possible for me to stay in bed for three solid days with no worries about Terence, meals or house work.  What a real blessing she is.  She even bought white and pink flowers and planted them outside our entry way, which really brightened our outlook; it reminded us that even though the skies are grey and the ground is wet spring is right around the corner and not to lose heart.

 These acts of kindness have ministered to us greatly; faith without works is dead.
" My brothers, what is the gain if anyone says he has faith, but he does not have works? Is the faith able to save him? But if a brother or a sister is naked and may be lacking in daily food, and any one of you say to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled, but does not give them the things the body needs, what gain [is it]? So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith out of my works" (James 2:14-26).

Thank you Charla and John and to every one else that have shown us kindness by your acts of faith.

Sherry & Terence