Round Two: Infusion #7

Well another cycle has been completed and cycle number seven has started; I received the seventh treatment on October 1st. The sixth cycle was much easier requiring only four Lukine injections spaced throughout the 11th day through the 17th day. I did still experience fatigue but it was not as intense.


I would say that the toughest experience of the sixth treatment was my expectation of greater energy since the white blood cells did not begin to fall as early. I thought I would have more energy however I found that physically I still was not able to do what mentally I wanted to do. Sometimes it is very disappointing and I must work hard to control my impatience. I continue to combat the negative with the positive - if I fill my mind with everything good then there is no room for ugly thoughts that do nothing but bring me as well as everyone around me harm.


"Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23


"A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken." Proverbs 15: 13


"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." Philippians 4:6-8


I am not perfect; there are times when I have failed to diligently watch over my heart. What I have learned is that with practice I fail less often and I fail better each time.


This past Monday I had a CT scan and an Echo test; the drug trial requires these two tests following every third treatment. The Echo measures the efficiency of the heart to determine if the two biologic drugs are damaging the heart muscle; the test results were good and I am able to continue receiving both drugs. Our prayers continue to be answered, the CT scan shows that the tumors no longer look like tumors!


Dr. Patel had an emergency so I only saw him for about two minutes - long enough for him to tell me the good news and to tell me that he wanted to add more treatments. Now how do you say no to more treatments when the treatments are working? The answer is that you don't say no. After the eighth treatment on October 22nd I am scheduled for three more treatments at a reduced dose of taxotere - the chemo drug. Following the eleventh treatment I am scheduled to have Bone and PET scans, an MRI, and any other tests Dr. Patel may have ordered. Right now I don't have all the details because he was still giving the orders to his assistants as he was leaving the room to rush off to the emergency. I will find out the exact details in the next week or two and in the meantime I can trust his decision.


God has blessed me with a knowledgeable and caring doctor and the right drug combination; I can keep on trusting that He is in control - He has his job and I have mine. I am constantly grateful that the treatment is working and I try to keep everything in perspective: on the one hand I have lost a summer to this disease but on the other hand, I have lived through another summer and later this month I will celebrate my fourth birthday since the original diagnosis.

Everyday we decide our attitude and everytime we fail, and we will fail from time to time, we decide if we get back up - the decision is ours to make.

Thanks for checking in on me.