CHEMOTHERAPY WINDS DOWN!
I have belatedly written this blog. The last two months have flown by as the chemo was coming to a close. The last rounds of drugs given were challenging as they were administered with steroids and that seemed to get me. Also, I think the accumulation of the chemotherapy finally made an impact on my exhaustion level. My energy was good at times and then I was out of it for a while. I let my body tell me what to do....when I was tired or felt yucky...I just gave up and went to bed. I learned that sleep was the restorative agent for my body. I am trying to listen to the rhythms of the body more intentionally now.
My last chemo treatment was given on April 2nd! YEAH!!!!! I cannot say enough good things about my oncologist and the chemo oncology nurses who treated me. They were always so upbeat. I sat there at times hooked up to IV bags going into my port with strong drugs killing the bad and good things in my body. I truly had overwhelming feeling at times. It is scary yet so incredible that there are such powerful treatments for cancer. It is not a picnic for anyone on chemo. By watching those around me, I realized we all were enduring what was to save or maybe extend our life. I have come to admire anyone who is on this journey. It truly is the unknown for a person. Once the word "CANCER" has been introduced into your life, you are a changed person. A person who becomes aware of the mysterious enemy that lurks in your body. Hopefully it will never appear again. After all this treatment, that is indeed my prayer.
As I may have noted earlier in a blog, the day my oncologist, Dr. Heather White, said I was doing well and she would consider me a poster child for cancer, my heart sang. It was a ray of hope at a time when my blood count was down and I was not at my best! Those rays of hope are what cancer patients hold onto. HOPE....I am thankful for that word...it has new meaning for me now!
After consultation with the oncologist, surgeon and radiologist, it was decided that I was not a candidate for radiation after all. I had been told early in the process that I would have 6 weeks of radiation. I am relieved to not have radiation. If I had needed it I would have done so but not doing this is a gift to me.
I will be receiving a targeted treatment of a drug which is to help in protecting my cells from letting any microscopic cancer cells in if they still exist. I will get the drug by IV in my port every 3 weeks for a year. Treatment goes on! This will be a kind drug and hopefully will prevent anything from ever emerging again.
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BACK TO WORK!......At last I have returned to work. I am so grateful for the medical leave which I was given through the diocese for the time of my surgeries and treatments. My oncologist thought I had done well due to being able to focus on my treatment and healing process during this time away from work.
I have been back for 3 weeks now. It is good to be with the staff whom I have missed. The first two weeks were a little rocky as the last treatment was working on my system. As the chemo is leaving the body though one begins to feel better. This past week I really did feel much better.I am going to pace it as I get back into the stream of things. I am aware that now my body is recovering from the months of treatments. I hope to be wise to take these steps of the months ahead with a steady and calm pace.
I am so thankful for all who have been so supportive of me over these past 7 months. I could not have done this alone. I have so much gratitude in my heart for all the prayers I have felt from across the diocese and beyond. I have felt such humility as people have offered their servant hearts to me and done so many things for me. Thank you all so much for the cards, meals, visits, calls and true hearts of concern.
I have felt so loved and want all of you to know how much I love all of you! You all have kept my HOPE alive and for that I am so blessed. Thank you for being a part of God's healing process in my body!
My last chemo treatment was given on April 2nd! YEAH!!!!! I cannot say enough good things about my oncologist and the chemo oncology nurses who treated me. They were always so upbeat. I sat there at times hooked up to IV bags going into my port with strong drugs killing the bad and good things in my body. I truly had overwhelming feeling at times. It is scary yet so incredible that there are such powerful treatments for cancer. It is not a picnic for anyone on chemo. By watching those around me, I realized we all were enduring what was to save or maybe extend our life. I have come to admire anyone who is on this journey. It truly is the unknown for a person. Once the word "CANCER" has been introduced into your life, you are a changed person. A person who becomes aware of the mysterious enemy that lurks in your body. Hopefully it will never appear again. After all this treatment, that is indeed my prayer.
As I may have noted earlier in a blog, the day my oncologist, Dr. Heather White, said I was doing well and she would consider me a poster child for cancer, my heart sang. It was a ray of hope at a time when my blood count was down and I was not at my best! Those rays of hope are what cancer patients hold onto. HOPE....I am thankful for that word...it has new meaning for me now!
After consultation with the oncologist, surgeon and radiologist, it was decided that I was not a candidate for radiation after all. I had been told early in the process that I would have 6 weeks of radiation. I am relieved to not have radiation. If I had needed it I would have done so but not doing this is a gift to me.
I will be receiving a targeted treatment of a drug which is to help in protecting my cells from letting any microscopic cancer cells in if they still exist. I will get the drug by IV in my port every 3 weeks for a year. Treatment goes on! This will be a kind drug and hopefully will prevent anything from ever emerging again.
*********************************************************************************
BACK TO WORK!......At last I have returned to work. I am so grateful for the medical leave which I was given through the diocese for the time of my surgeries and treatments. My oncologist thought I had done well due to being able to focus on my treatment and healing process during this time away from work.
I have been back for 3 weeks now. It is good to be with the staff whom I have missed. The first two weeks were a little rocky as the last treatment was working on my system. As the chemo is leaving the body though one begins to feel better. This past week I really did feel much better.I am going to pace it as I get back into the stream of things. I am aware that now my body is recovering from the months of treatments. I hope to be wise to take these steps of the months ahead with a steady and calm pace.
I am so thankful for all who have been so supportive of me over these past 7 months. I could not have done this alone. I have so much gratitude in my heart for all the prayers I have felt from across the diocese and beyond. I have felt such humility as people have offered their servant hearts to me and done so many things for me. Thank you all so much for the cards, meals, visits, calls and true hearts of concern.
I have felt so loved and want all of you to know how much I love all of you! You all have kept my HOPE alive and for that I am so blessed. Thank you for being a part of God's healing process in my body!
posted by Carol Taylor @ 8:59 AM
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