5 days after final chemo 10-1-06

Dear friends,
I thought I would write a short update. It is Sunday evening and I would like to ask for specific prayer. I made it through church this morning and to dinner out with Greg and friends tonight, but spent the rest of the day in bed sleeping and resting. The deep aching of this chemo cycle has set in- mostly in leg and arm bones and joints, as well as in my neck which is swollen and very sore. I am having some more of the predicted longer term side effects from the Taxitere like nerve damage to feet and hands showing up in these last several days (-and my fingernails are very sore). How much of it is short-term and just related to last week's treatment, and how much of it is what I was told to expect that could last for up to 18 months? I have had 4 out of my 5 Neupogen shots this cycle, which are boosting my white count currently. My last one is tomorrow. They should give me more energy and resistance to infection, but also make me extra sore for several days in my hips, spine and neck bones as the extra white cells grow and try to find where to go in my bones.
Pray for me to know the balance of rest and knowing how much energy I have to do things day to day. I need to decide whether to take pain medication from time to time, and do need to be careful as that medicine can effect my liver. Pray that my need for pain meds would decrease as time goes on. In a few weeks I should be past having a lot of the achy pain. It is such a balance.
My doctor ordered blood work for me for the next several weeks to make sure my body is bouncing back correctly. He may prescribe another 5 Neupogen shots in a few weeks, but I hope he doesn't need to.
I have learned that my health insurance with my HMO at Kaiser is intact while I do radiation. That is a very HUGE answer to prayer. So I am moving ahead and have radiation scheduled to officially start November 1st, with 2 appointments this month to set that up. Also, my wonderful and helpful port will be coming out in a few weeks. That, I have learned, is just an office visit, and will only cost a regular co-pay amount. That is good news! So all of this is coming together. With a month until radiation starts I hope to have extra energy back. My daughter Jenni and I plan to visit colleges in PA and NY October 22-29, so our prayer is that my strength improves steadily between now and then. Thank you for all of your love and prayers. I can feel your prayers as I go through these hours of extra awareness that the chemo is working in my body. May it be doing its job of killing cancer cells and may God give me grace to handle the side effects. When up in the night, I was comforted knowing many people are praying for us. Thank you for your faithfulness! God Bless you! Nancy