Setback

Wow!  I didn't realize it had been so long since I had updated my blog.  I said I was going to try to post more often, but that didn't happen.  Oh well.

I feel like I've had a setback.  The chemo drug that they have given me for the last two treatments has made my fingertips and toes go numb.  Because of that, I didn't get treatment today.  They want to make sure the numbness will get better.  I'm going in next Friday to get treatment of a reduced dose if the numbness is getting better and then will have my last treatment two weeks after that which makes it a week later than we thought it would be.  If the numbness is not better by next week, then I am done with chemo.  So I will know next Friday whether I am done or will be another week out for my last treatment.  The numbness can become a permanent condition which is why they are being so careful.  Once I am done with chemo then we will schedule my surgery for about a month later.  Mike is already scheduled for vacation the week of August 22nd, so I'm hoping my surgery can be scheduled then.

My tumor is the same size that it has been for about a month.  I'm guessing that it is still large enough that they will have to do a mastectomy rather than a lumpectomy.

I'm not sure how to pray.  I don't know if I want to have two more chemo treatments or if I want to be done.  Well, actually, I do know that I want to be done with treatment, but I don't know if two more treatments will do any good.  I guess I'll pray for God's will to be done in this situation, whatever that may be.

Weekend

Well, it was another crummy weekend.  I felt fine on Friday, but on Saturday, I got a really sharp pain that travelled up my forearm to the tip of my middle finger.  Then on Sunday, I got severe body aches and felt like I could barely move.  I stayed home from work yesterday because I felt so awful.  I talked to my oncologist today and she said that the body aches can be associated with the new drug I got last Thursday.  They're not sure why I had the shooting pain, but I think it was related to the chemo.  I have felt really weak since Saturday, so I went in to have my blood drawn today.  My counts are okay, but I was running a slight fever, so they think I may be fighting a virus.  Hopefully, I'll get enough rest this week that I will feel better this weekend.

I joined a website called "Blogging for Books" that gives away free books to bloggers that will read the books and post a review on their blog, so occasionally, I will be posting a review of a book that I have read.  This is my first review, so here goes:

Secrets of the Vine for Women is a simple book.  Simple to read and simple to understand.  Based on John 15, Darlene Marie Wilkinson compares God to a vinedresser (the gardener in a vineyard).  When we are living with sin in our lives, God lovingly disciplines us, like a vinedresser cares for each vine.  When we are showing spiritual fruit, God prunes us, like a vinedresser prunes each vine.  The purpose of the pruning is so that we can produce more spiritual fruit and live in abundance.  Simple but powerful truth.  

Session 5 down

More shrinkage!  My tumor is now 5cm by 4 cm!  It makes the chemo worth it to know that it is working.  I am now 62.5 % done.  I'm planning to just take it easy this weekend as I'm not sure how I'll feel.