Grace for Today

What a beautiful day this has been!  The sun is shining, spring is here, and chemo treatment #2 is done!  I didn't share in my last post, but I had been in to the infusion center on Friday with a terrible headache and heart palpitations.  They gave me fluids and treated me for dehydration (note to self...liquids are my best friend!).  There was concern that my counts may be too low and that I would be too sick to receive my treatment today.  My oncologist was not in the office that day, and the nurse practitioner that I saw was a little too honest in her evaluation of me.  I'm all for hearing what needs to be said, but I only really want to know the next step in front of me (that's enough to process right now :).

Just as I had predicted, today my oncologist was encouraging, positive, and had his fighting gloves on for me.  The first piece of good news was that my tumor is shrinking and he can no longer feel the diseased lymph nodes!!  Praise God for this much needed evidence that the chemo is working!  There were also concerns about the Herceptin infusion I would receive (because of the reaction my body had to it the last time).  Dr. Jones shared that it made him a bit nervous as well, but that this drug is working, and he will make sure he figures out a way for me to get it.  We also discussed the headaches and dehydration, and I left his office feeling such reassurance and freedom to focus on the next step...chemo #2.

Back to the infusion room...I actually feel really comfortable there!  It's a bright room, and the nurses are excellent.  And let's face it, when does a mom with 4 young kiddos get to just sit for 5 hours while people ask you how you're doing and bring you anything you need?  My blood counts were high enough, so there was no reason that I couldn't proceed with the treatment/doses on schedule (yay...another praise!).  But there was still that Herceptin...my reaction last time was so frightening, and I just didn't know what to expect today.  The nurses assured me that they would keep all eyes on me and would catch anything that may veer off track.

One of my wonderful nurses, Vanessa...she did such a great job being on top of everything today!!

I told the nurses that I hoped my blanket didn't affect their care for me today :)  Thank you to my neighbor, Amy, for making it for me...GO CATS!!

It was a night and day difference today!  Dr. Jones ordered an extra steroid shot to be injected before I received the Herecptin in order to help prevent a reaction.  So, I ate some Panera, talked to Bryan and my mom, and slept through the Herceptin and most of the remaining treatments!  My body had no reactions, and I felt SUCH peace today.  Thank you so much for all of your prayers....the encouragement is overwhelming.  For 3 weeks now, I have been anxious about this day.  I knew what had happened the last time, and I now have a glimpse of the days following chemo (it's not a whole lot of fun :).  But, as my brother reminded me last week, I just didn't have the grace yet to get through it.

That grace would come today, and it absolutely did!  God met me late last night and early this morning and through every single moment of this day with His great grace.  He provided everything I would need to endure, including an army of loved ones laying their requests before Him on our behalf.  This was my prayer this morning...

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.  The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7)

What beautiful truths that I was able to witness today in my life!  He gives us exactly what we need in those very moments that we need it; and today, that is enough for me.  I am home and resting now, and I'm getting ready for the side effects to kick in.  I go back tomorrow to get a shot (Neulasta), which will help my body make white blood cells, and my next chemo treatment will be in 3 weeks.  I appreciate your prayers more than you will ever know.  They are not only pointing us to Christ, but they are quite literally carrying us to the arms of the magnificent and loving God who created me.  If you think of it, you can pray that I will be able to find joy in the midst of the difficult couple of weeks ahead...I know there will be grace for those days as well.

A little Starbucks treat to wrap up my day!  This girl, my sister, has such a great big heart and loves me so well :)