Hi Everyone!
Hoping you all have enjoyed your Monday and your week is off to a good start! I always say “It is one day closer to Friday!”
As you all know, Mike started chemo-therapy last Wednesday Night. As with all information you read of chemo, there are side effects (sometimes)…some minimal and some extreme! Well we continue to Thank GOD that Mike’s side effects have not yet been extreme and remain to be at a low scale. He feels as he has he since the Full Brain radiation, tired and not a lot of energy. He had not experienced any nausea, fever or anything that has sent him back into the Doctors office. He experienced one bad morning on Friday (about 48 hours after his treatment) a really achy sensation all through is body and muscles. He rested all that morning and by the afternoon he was feeling better, eating lunch and up and about.
Our weekend was nice and the weather enjoyable. He continued to feel good throughout the weekend and we even got out to a new little spot in Anahuac, TX (about 30 min. from the house) that we have taken a liking to. I don’t know if it is what you call an alligator habitat, but it homes a lot of gators and some big ones that are hungry! We drove out there and fed them – it was fun. There were some HUGE Mama-Jammas (Pics on Facebook - almost 10 to 12 feet!)
Well today Monday (continued from a visit that Mike went to on Thursday to visit a Brain & Spine Doctor) they decided that it would be best at this time to administer Chemo directly to the spine, which will interact directly with the spinal fluid. This fluid travels around the spine and around the brain. The chemo that he underwent on Wednesday will affect his whole entire body, including the spine tissue and any metastasis that have attached to the spine. The chemo that they injected today will run through the entire spinal fluid system and attack the cells that are floating and re-creating in this fluid – the doctor explained that this chemo attacks certain areas that the Lung chemo may not exactly reach. Also, this will happen once a month till December. The other chemo for the Lung Cancer has one more treatment in November.
Now as I have said times before, I am in no way medically inclined to guarantee that I am repeating this verbatim, but the diagram he showed me and the words that he spoke, pretty much are what I mentioned above. It seems that there should be one chemo to treat the entire Cancer, but there isn’t and just as the medical team has created this particular chemo for Mike for the entire body last week, this has also been created for him to attack the cells in the spinal fluid. The side effects are to be the same, which include nausea, fever, swelling, rash and others – but to help curve these side effects, they have upped Mike’s steroids again. Needless to say he was not happy and once again, tried to convince the Nurse & Doctor to take him off ;) I think we hope that one day they will agree and realize he doesn’t need them…not the case thus far, so he must take them. BUT there is a light at the end of the tunnel (and I have realized sometimes when I write these emails, I speak prematurely – because as you realize with Cancer, you MUST live day to day and not guess or plan the days ahead – it continues to change!) BUT…they did say that after Friday he is OFF the steroids and no more till his next chemo treatment in November.
So as we come to the end of his 5th full day of Lung Chemo and enter the 1st full day of Spine chemo tomorrow – I continue to pray that his side effects remain the same and all he feels is the tiredness. All the doctors continue to tell him the same thing -- he is young and strong and he should be fine with all that comes his way. Thus far, I am beyond over-the-moon so proud of him for all that he has endured. Oh yeah, speaking of --- the chemo today was administered directly into the spinal fluid via a 10 to 12 inch needle!!! Ochie wah wah!! For that I am truly proud of him also – It looked painful and I held his hand the entire time (not even realizing that though he is a little weak, boy he has not lost his strength – I might need an X-ray for my right hand ;)
I leave you all with the same closing as I always do. We both thank you so very much for the prayers and continued thoughts that continue to lift Mike up daily along with myself and our family! This journey is not near an end, but each day we are able to wake up and Thank GOD for another day – a day of instilled strength, a day of continued hope to beat this disease, a day that offers a new beginning and a day of peace knowing that GOD continues to be in control and will continue to guide us, hold our hand and lift our heads during these trying times.
We are so blessed to have you all, far and wide to travel this journey with us each step with each day!
Much Love to you All,
Lyndie XOXO
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