Lots of News

First, my friend, Steph is pregnant and it is fantastic news and the answer to a lot of prayers. Apparently a call was made to her aunt Magnolia- of wedding story fame ( see the red note below) and she said she already knew about the pregnancy and that the baby had red hair. Okay then. I am going to be an aunt - and I can hardly wait. So congrats to a woman who will be a great mom, congrats to the husband who has been wonderful to her and thanks for bringing me the love of my life totally by accident!!

Magnolia is the woman who was outside with Justin and I cutting fruit in preparation for the wedding reception back in June. She picked up that there was somethig between us long before we did. Kept talking to me about sparks and love and destiny. She was the one who told me that I would be married to Justin and that we were meant to be together. Normally I would just think someone like this was nutty - but her sincerity and the thick South American accent made it believable - and now - here we are engaged and happy - she has connections.

Second, the first hardwood floor has been sanded and refinished - using Pecan - what else. It looks lovely and now I am starting to see the results of all the hard work - the house is really coming along - and I may be done sooner that I could have hoped. If I can figure out how to post pictures without freaking out my computer - I will try to let you see them.

My friend Lora got admitted into a teaching prep program. Lora has the uncanny ability to tell a joke perfectly - that was what I remember from the first night we were friends - and she will also be an amazing teacher. Kids love her and it will give her a chance to change the world one baby at a time. Funny that the closer we all get to forty, the better our lives are....hmmmm.

Yesterday my dad underwent the first round of chemo - His note just makes me laugh - so I am copying it here for your amusement as well. One little thing - in the end, he comments about Denny from the Methodist church. Oddly enough, I knew Denny for about a year when I went to the Christian singles group at that church, I am good friends with a man who was dating her daughter and we have some other friends in common as well. The Spirit works in strange ways and sent my dad one of my friends without him asking.

"Heading down that chemo treatment slippery slope pretty fast now, but not yet out of control, well-maybe just a little. Started out with a blood draw at 8am, and then saw doctor at @ 8:45. He said blood results looked good, except for creatinine level - has to do with kidney function - reading is abnormally high. This is expected after chemo starts because the cells killed by the chemo are flushed out of the body thru the kidneys and urine.. After chemo starts, the kidneys can sometimes get plugged up with all the cell refuse and needs to be kick-started. Not real good to have this happen before chemo starts. We will just have to watch. However he modified my chemo regimen to start me off with a liter of saline solution (water to help flush my kidneys) and a kidney pill. So we started chemo at 9:40.

Where they administer chemo is a bunch of small rooms, most private, but several holding 2-3 patients. You sit in a recliner connected to an IV pole holding the bags of "drip". They started to put us in a room with 3 recliners - looked kind of crowded. Pat started to look around for a place for her to sit - reminded me of a look I've seen in a cat's eyes that Scruffy had cornered. There's a guy in this room already receiving treatment - he seemed nice enough. Pat was looking around for a chair for her to sit on. Couldn't find one - one could have been drug in, but it would have been real tight. The nurse had to leave for a moment. Pat continues to survey the situation just like that cat that Scruffy has cornered (the truth be known, Scruffy doesn't have a chance against that cat). Pat spots some empty private rooms across the way. Michelle (the nurse -Scruffy) returns shortly. Pat (the cat) starts making a beeline for one of the empty rooms across the way with Michelle (Scruffy) in tow, explaining that since this is our first time, plus we're going to be here for 8 hours or so, plus there's no place for me to sit, I don't like this room, etc., etc.. I was kind of oblivious to what was playing out, but a master (the cat) was at work. I was still standing there beginning to make small talk with my prospective roommate "Hi - nice day isn't it (had snowed 4" overnite) how're ya' doin", etc.. I over-heard Michelle say, "Well, you're right, I'm going to take charge and move you to a private room" (the one Pat was already heading for). The cat had escaped again - way to go Scruffy.

Michelle began transferring all the paper work (they double and triple check everything) to another nurse, Judy, (who turned out to be great) assigned to that room. It's awesome to watch the Spirit in action. I hurriedly said good-by to my ex-roommate, and followed along to my private room, with my private TV, that I can endlessly surf on. Way to go, Pat (the cat).

The chemo treatment is going to last loner now because the doc added the saline drip. Plus the fact, one never knows how long the 1st treatment will last because they don't know how fast they can administer the drugs - it is based on the patient's reaction. They start slow and periodically kick it up a notch until your body says "whoa- that's fast enough". Then they drop it back. Judy brought out several bags of drip, hung them on the pole, and started the saline solution. I took one look at the bags, the slow rate of current drip, and started doing some quick calculating in my head. My math brain quickly figured I should have brought some jamies and an extra pair of shorts. We should finish this by the weekend.

At any rate the saline finishes dripping 1 1/2 - 2 hours later. Judy (God bless her) then starts the drip for the first treatment - another large bag holding Rituxan. This is the new treatment that we have heard so much about - a multiclonal antibody that attacks only the cancer cells. It's not a drug, but a protein. As I watch it, I think, "At last, we're about to go on the offensive against this disease. We have finally got our hands on the ball and can march toward the opponent's goal line". Oh no, the 1st play we run, we fumble. Judy explains that Rituxan doesn't have hardly any side effects, but one may be, I understood her to say, rickets. My mouth drops and I ask, "What's that - what symptoms does that have? Isn't that what sailors used to get when they were on the ocean for months on end - like in Christopher Columbus' day? My God, America has already been discovered - I can see that re-created on the History channel!" Judy laughed and replied, "NO, I said riggers (sp), - it's chills and the shakes. We just wrap you in blankets and slow the drip." That didn't sound like a lot of fun, but it sure sounded a lot better than rickets. Life is a bunch of tradeoffs, based on your perspective. So we got started, a very slow drip at first.

Earlier during the saline drip, I asked Judy "how does one go the bathroom, hooked up to this pole with all the bags hanging on it". Also it's plugged into a wall socket. Plus by that time I also had a automatic blood pressure monitor hooked up to my arm. I thought I may just have to pull a Scruffy, raise my leg and do it on the recliner. Judy quickly erased that thought and said they will just unplug the IV temporarily, unwrap the monitor from my arm, and I get to wheel my IV pole with the bags hanging on it down the hall to the restroom. Scruffy's idea sounded better. Judy explained the key was not to upset the pole (that would be a major fumble - a turnover for sure).

Anyway we recovered our rickets fumble and began to slowly move the ball upfield (a slow drip). As time went by, we picked up speed with no major penalties nor fumbles. Coach Judy periodically adjusted the drip speed and all seemed to be going according to the scouting report. However, about halfway thru the drip, I began to experience a sore throat and a pain below the right side of my chest. I yelled at Coach on the sidelines for instructions. Coach Judy came in, did a quick scan of the monitors, and then asks, "Where is your lymphoma located?" I responded, "Both sides of my neck and throughout my abdomen." Coach responds "Well, that's the Rituxan going to work on those tumors." Man, I think, we must be running the West Coast offense - that's quick."

We finish the Rituxan drip at max speed and move on to the drug part of the chemo (the so-called CHOP). It turns out the "P" part of CHOP is a pill, so that's quickly handled. The "O" part of CHOP has been excluded from my game plan by the doc. That's great, because that's the one that causes you to lose your hair. So I only have the "C" and the "H" to go. One of them (I forget which one - Pat has it in her notes - God bless her, she has been a real trooper thru all this) is a push. That means the nurse injects it into your IV line with a needle, so it is not a drip, but like a long pass, covering a lot of yardage in a hurry. The other one is a much smaller bag, so it goes pretty fast. Before I know it the chemo is over as Coach Judy and I are finishing our discussion regarding her book club meeting that night on a book entitled "CAN YOU DRINK THE CUP OF WHICH I AM GOING TO DRINK". It's a book about Christ's response to the two apostles who asked if they could sit one at His right and the other at His left when He enters His kingdom. Judy knew Fr. George, thought he was a neat guy. Her kids had him in class at Central Catholic. Sure made the time go by fast. (Also had a very interesting discussion with a Methodist minister chaplain - nice lady named Dennise - Denny for short - remind me to share it with you sometime)

We left at 6:30. Pat was neat. She kept track of what I was getting, start & stop times, closely watched for side effects, and overall was a great supporter (you know what I mean). I don't know if we have scored a touchdown yet, certainly don't know if we have won. The game is still in the 1st quarter. The doc wants two more blood tests Wednesday and Thursday (2 more trips to Lafayette) to monitor creatinine levels. Set up a follow-up doctor's appointment for 3/8, and then next chemo treatment on 3/22. Thanks again for your prayers, cards, calls, and just "being there". It means a lot."

Makes me think that there are so many times when God reaches his hand down to comfort us with people who have family, friends and memories in common with our own. Makes us feel like we are not alone - that others are walking the same path and that things will be okay.