Faithful Promises

I'm writing just a short note this afternoon. It seems like only yesterday since my last chemo treatment but incredibly its that time again. First thing tomorrow morning I have to be at the lab. Assuming that my lab work looks okay, and I have no reason to think that it won't, then its on to the chemo room for the main event.

After my last treatment, I came down with strep throat. I didn't really bounce back quite the way I had with treatment #14, due to the infection. It's hard to imagine that tomorrow will herald the arrival of my 16th treatment in this round.

After church today I was asked by at least three separate people if I'm about through with my chemo. It's been a while since I went over my routine, so this might be a good time to review that.

There really isn't an end in sight for chemo. Every other Monday I go in for my infusion. I am then sent home with a chemo pump until Wednesday of that week. I have a CT Scan every 4 - 5 treatments to let us know where we stand. If the scan looks okay then I continue on as planned. If the scan isn't favorable, then we will switch around my routine a bit. The chemo treatments will last as long as I am able to tolerate them and they are effective. At some point of course it will be become too toxic and I will have to have at least a break from the routine. But the longer I can tolerate the treatments the longer I will have with my family.

It's an odd position to be in really. I don't look forward to my treatments. Yet, they are what extends my life. Nasty that they can be I am grateful. Had I been born 100 years earlier, even 50, the outcome would have been very different. I was diagnosed originally in October of 2006, although certainly the cancer had been there for a few years before I was diagnosed. I was Stage Four at diagnosis although nobody realized it at the time. There were "spots" on my lungs at diagnosis. But they were non-reactive on the PET. As it has show itself now, those "spots" were metastasis. So I am 31 months out from diagnosis. In the world of cancer, that's a long time. And I am sincerely grateful for every minute of that time.

I would appreciate prayers for tomorrow. Pray that my numbers look good, I tolerate the treatment reasonably well, continue to eat well, and give praise for the last 31 months.