4 rounds down, 4 to go

I'm so happy to say...I am 50% done with chemotherapy! Actually, I am completely done with two of the chemo meds (I had four rounds of Adriamycin and Cytoxin--COMPLETED!!! YEA!!!).  The next four rounds will be a chemo called Taxotier.  The doctor said the side effects from Taxotier are not as bad as side effects from the two that I have been getting.  I'm holding him at his word on that!  I will also be getting the Herceptin infusion simultaneously with the Taxotier, but Herceptin will be weekly.  From what I understand, there are no side effects from Herceptin.  Praise God for "no side effects"!  Praise God also for the Neupagen shots that I get daily--my white count has stayed at the high end of normal throughout treatment so far.  This keeps me from being at high risk for contracting infection.

Thank you for your prayers.  God is so faithful!  I saw the doctor on Friday before chemo, and he gave me good news that he can no longer feel the lumps at all--which means the chemo is doing its job and shrinking the tumors.  Also, the skin redness is gone...which means...either it is IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer) and the chemo is working, or it is not IBC and the redness is just disappearing.  We don't want it to be IBC, and tests have been inconclusive, but as I have said in previous posts, it has to be treated as if it is IBC.   No matter what, God is the Great Physician and He is in control!  He is healing my body.  

If I trust that God is in control, why am I so weak?  I know He will heal me, and I know that He works all things together for the good of those who love him.  I definitely love Him!  But when I don't feel good, I have a hard time trusting that promise.  With this round of chemo, I didn't get sick Friday night.  In fact I felt good.  Saturday I felt so good that we went to a movie.  Ugh...Sunday it hit!  I was pretty miserable Sunday and most of Monday.  It is in those times that I  call out to God and ask to feel His arms around me...I feel scared, although I believe that God is teaching me what He wants me to know.   I have so much to learn about faith and patience.  The Bible says in James 1:2-4, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."  Okay God, I failed the test this time; however, this test did produce patience.  I waited patiently (well, sort of patiently) for the flu like symptoms to go away.  I slept away most of the two days. By Monday evening, I started to feel better.  My husband hauled me out of the house to take a walk around the block last night.  The air was fresh, the sky was beautiful, the exercise got my blood flowing.  Today, I woke up to a beautiful new day, the sun is shining and I feel good.  I even feel good enough to have my coffee--that is a good thing! :)

God, thank you for tests and trials. Thank you for your faithfulness even when I am not. Father, please help me be teachable, grow in faith, and draw on the strength of Jesus Christ, Your Son, my Lord.

Thank you to Terri, Tamie, Heidi, Ann, and Jolene for bringing meals to my home.  Thank you Pat, Amy, Shaela, and Veronica for my dill pickles (yes...that's a chemo craving)!!!!  Thank you Tami for taking me for my chemo appointments and staying with me to help me through those rough days.  Thank you to all my kids and grandkids for being there for me.  Thank you to my amazing faithful friends.  Thank you to my husband for keeping a sense of humor, for loving me through this, and for making me go out for walks.

In the Power of Christ,
Jane