Chemo Line-Up

This past Friday I found out the course and schedule for my chemotherapy treatments.  I will have a total of four Taxotere & Cytoxan chemo treatments, one treatment every three weeks. This schedule is much better than I imagined it would be and will take us almost through the end of July. 

My first chemo treatment will be on Wednesday, May 20 and then each treatment will take place three weeks from that date (June 10, July 1 and July 22).  The day after each treatment I need to go back to the hospital for a Neulasta shot which helps reduce the risk of infection due to the chemotherapy decreasing the number of white blood cells.  In the middle of the three week break between treatments I will need to have a blood test to check my white blood cell count.

We met with the Oncology nurse yesterday afternoon and received our chemo manual along with six different prescriptions to be filled and instructions on how and when to take all of them.  There seems to be a pill to take for many of the potential side effects that I may experience.  Before the weekend ends my plan is to fill the prescriptions, read the manual and get a short hair cut. 

We haven’t talked to the kids about me losing my hair but we need to begin the process in the next couple of days (I’m getting my hair cut on Friday but won’t start losing my hair until day 15 – 22 after chemo starts).  Today Philip saw me looking at the salon website where I will be going to get my hair cut and checking out their wigs.  He asked me if I was going to buy a wig (yes was a sufficient answer) and when I asked if I should get one Elizabeth responded that I should get a pink one.  This will be a new experience for us all! 

Yesterday was the one year anniversary for my hip replacement surgery.  It is hard to believe that a year ago I was in the hospital recovering from that surgery and now I’m preparing for chemo.  I anticipate that although inconvenient, chemotherapy won’t even begin to compare to the pain (literal and figurative) of hip surgery and recovery…and to think I was planning on having my other hip replaced this spring.  We are praising the Lord that He has a perfect plan for us and that He knows what is best at this time! For some reason He wants us to walk down the cancer path this year instead of receiving a new hip; we will continue to walk in His way and trust Him.  Proverbs 16:9 “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”

We are all doing well.  We are just waiting for the process to start and for the time to pass quickly.  Thank you for your prayers!