5N Started

I know many of you keep up with this blog and wanted to give you a brief update.

Michele has started 5N. The second half of the clinical trial. It has been a bit of a rough start. Initially we had some challenges with the scheduling of the treatments. We finally got all of it worked out on Friday.

Bone Marrow Aspiration

on Friday, she had a bone marrow aspiration. It is as painful as it may sound. It was a bit of a heartbreak to see her come out of the procedure in tears. It hurt. We are confident that it will show that the Cancer is still holding at bay. Fortunately, this is a procedure that only needs to happen about once out of every three months.

We expected them to also pull a core sample of the marrow, but that was not necessary this time. Michele will want to be put under for the next procedure. Yes. This one was done with some medicine to relax her and local lidocaine. But it was just not enough this time.

Day 3 complete

Day 1 and 2 were long days. Yesterday, day 2, was a solid 12 hours. She slept through most of the chemo after the intense pain of the aspiration. Day 1? It was also a long day. Fortunately, she was able to leave to have a last lunch with my family that had been in town. After that chemo on day 1, we were exhausted.

Thanks to the Laporte Police Department and some sort of TXDOT Traffic Safety task force, I had a nice little ticket on the way home. I guess this whole task force thing was an excuse for him to not listen and possibly give a warning. Not too fast and of course hardly anyone on the road. I knew it was me. There are plenty of people on YouTube that are defiant and difficult with the police.

We were tired and wanted to get home. We were polite. The unfortunate thing for me is that the officer did not even acknowledge the condition even though we were telling him that we were just coming home from a long day of chemo treatments. I understand the traffic ticket game and it will cost some money and won’t go on my record. I understand the need to protect the public.

I ask anyone in the public service to acknowledge and recognize when someone is in our situation. Stop and listen. and then continue with “I still need to give you a citation.” Our world faces enough emotional chaos. MD Anderson staff show this day in and day out. I am sure I will see how the person at the desk to take my money will react while I force them to listen to the situation. Grace is something given. I will give it to them in my own way.

More to come

I have worked on another blog entry over the last week. I promise to get some of those words out there soon enough. Some weeks are more challenging than others to do it. For those of you expecting to shed a tear or two, they will be forthcoming in the next few days. There was frankly, so much to cover and I have been stretched a bit emotionally.

Most of it has been from gratitude and an uplifting place. There are some deep lows as well. I try not to share too much of that here. There is some strength to be pulled from the lows. There is an energy pool I must protect. Most people will stand and fight for you and fight with you. Some people are incapable of doing so even when the right thing sits before them.

Sometimes all you can do is recognize and acknowledge what lies in the core and shore up the heart to do the battles that will be won. Our greater victory is ahead and a full and richer story to be told in the years to come of victory. There will be too many that have shined huge spotlights on the positive. The negatives, we will choose to place and keep appropriately in the dark.

How am I today?

Honestly, today is on the downside. The cancer and being the caregiver to support it requires some tremendous strength. My dad was a man of strength. He was the best model of how to do the right thing and be a leader for his family. I look forward to telling you more of his example as the force that will get us through this and make us better for it. I’ll be thinking of the example he was and hope to sprinkle more of that in the blog entries to come.

God bless everyone and enjoy your Saturday night, dinners, dancing, and fun. We hope to be alongside you again soon.

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