Good morning. I have a brief update. Yesterday started day one of my treatment. A chemo cycle for me is 28 days, I receive chemo on day 1 and day 14. Twice a month, for six months if everything goes okay. After two cycles, or four treatments, I will have another PET scan so they can see if the cancer is responding to the chemo. If it is, I will continue for four months. If it is not responding like they would like, I will be on chemo much longer. He didn't even talk about how much longer because I know it would be discouraging. So we are hopeful. Six months, please God.

Yesterday started at 9:30. We drove to the hospital to start my first chemo treatment. I prayed while Ben drove, asking for peace and strength for us. Shortly after we checked in, Ben's parents met us in the waiting room. Support and prayer while I was in there for treatment. We were blown away by their love and kindness. If you don't know them, they are giving to say the least. To their children, but to everyone! They both needed to be at work, but made a way to be there. I did't know how long they would stay, but they ended up walking us out at 2:30. Five hours, wow. Anyway, back to chemo, we did have a rough start. They needed to access my port. Instead of administering the chemo through a vein, they are administering it through my port. The port looks like a triangle, its right under the skin in my chest. There is nothing hanging out of my skin, they just puncture through the skin and are where they need to be. I dont understand it completely and I find it pretty disgusting. I have never donated blood, and have a really hard giving a blood sample at the doctors office. I have always have felt this way. I have fainted in the past at the doctors office. It all makes me a little squeamish. The past two weeks, I've done well for all my blood samples, IV's, and surgeries. But yesterday for some reason I lost it. As she was poking me and then flushing it, I started breathing heavy, sweat broke out, and then I was gone. I woke up with my feet up and a doctor standing over me. Later Ben told me he was yelling my name and trying to shake me awake. All that to say, next time they are going to have me take an anxiety medication before I get there. That situation started our morning but it got much better after that.

If you have ever been to a infusion center for chemotherapy, you can visualize it with me. It's kind of sad and hard place to be. Many people suffering the effects of chemotherapy and cancer sitting together in a room receiving treatment. Most of them without hair. Ben and I struggled as they started me on meds. We were afraid. Ben looked at me once and said "we are a bunch of weenies compared to these other people". Ha, he was right but I think I was the only one in there for the first time. Not much else to report as far as the chemo infusion goes, you sit there for hours as they come in and change a bag every once in a while.

As far as we have been educated, side effects vary from person to person. Some peak after several days. So, we are waiting to see how this will effect my body. So far my symptoms have been mild nausea. I am on many meds to combat nausea. The other effects are extreme exhaustion and feeling weak. I described it to Ben this way, you know when a hair tickles your face and
your quick reaction is to brush it aside, well, I feel so tired and weak that I don't brush it away. I contemplate if its worth the effort.

My mom is here to help us. This is such a relief. I don't have to worry how I will find the energy to care for Cora. I don't have to worry about anything really. We've had people meet our most basic needs and we are grateful beyond words. Food. Thank you to anyone that has brought us meals. Thank you for helping us in other basic ways, planting a garden, helping in our basement, cleaning our house, washing my hair, bringing over treats, getting me new pajamas.  Thank you for any mail, texts, and calls. I appreciate them all so much. I keep trying to find ways to repay people, but I can't so just know we are so grateful. I couldn't do this without help from people. I couldn't do this without friends, our church family, and our families. We're blessed.






Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

2 Peter 5:6-7