First chemo done!

July 5th, 2006 7:00 p.m.
Dear friends,

I am home now and thought I would give you a report on how today went since you prayed and so you will know how to keep praying. I am also posting this on my Blog site: http://nancyupdate.blogspot.com with a few other recent updates. There are some pictures there too. Feel free to check the blog for updates. I will put information there at least weekly or when there are new things to share.

I was with my oncologist from 9 to 10 this morning, had orientation and then chemo took from 11:00 until 3:00. I had 1 hour of pre-meds (3 kinds of anti-nausea meds), 1 hour of Taxotere, 1/2 hour of Cytoxin and then more saline to wash it all down. My port worked like a dream and I could hardly even feel her putting the needle in and taking it out. We didn't do the numbing cream on the port this time, but it hurt so little, I don't think I even need to in the future. My nurse, Kally, was very pleased with how well the port worked. She was great and took great care of me.

I haven't thrown up but feel like I might and generally feel pretty awful. I have a headache (which is getting manageable due to medicine I just took) and am achy. The oncologist just called about 5:00 and said I am to call him if I do throw up as there is other medicine they can still give me. He said he will be watching my white counts closely. I am supposed to get blood drawn weekly. My next chemo will be on Tuesday mid-morning, July 25th, and probably on Tuesdays for the remainder of my chemos. He will see how I do with white counts before we decide whether to do four or six cycles. He is also still researching this for me specifically.

They were just wonderful. The new oncology area at Kaiser (since last time for me) is beautiful and you can see the entire skyline of Denver out the window. The chairs are new and very comfortable. The whole experience was done so very well. Having my friend who is a PA go along was a great asset. She asked great questions and remembered things I didn't. We listened to part of a wonderful teaching on her i-pod until I got sleepy and napped due to the Benedril I was given for anti-nausea before the chemo was started.

So thanks for praying for me. Our missions pastor and his wife brought dinner tonight. He will be having prostate cancer surgery on the 11th. We had prayer together before they left. I told my nurse today that I doubt there was ever anyone with a better support system than mine, and it is true! I thank God for all of you. What a treasure to be going through this with so many praying for me and loving me. Some have woken up during the night praying, are bringing meals this week, have sent encouraging notes, cards and flowers. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9.) I feel weak today, but He is sufficient. God bless YOU!

Blessings-
Nancy