All Is Well

Hello again, everyone. Thanks for the break. I know it wasn't one you agreed to, but it was one I needed to step back a bit from crisis mode. Thank you.

Janette has been doing well. Each day she is eating a little better and finding a little more energy. She believes the negative effects of radiation are wearing off. July 4, she went to a friend's house for several hours and ate two slices of pizza.

We were happy to see Aunt Judy, Jill and Casey. Janette still was tired often, but that was when her appetite improved. Aunt Judy brought and cooked some delicious crab patties and made a pot of red beans and a pot of white beans to freeze and eat later. Thank you!

Radiation is over but chemo begins. Janette had her second chemo session Wednesday. These treatments are 21 days apart. The first treatment left her mildly nauseous and a little tired. It also depleted her red and white blood cells just to the edge of the acceptable levels. She had, at different times, a shot to increase white blood cell production and a long lasting one to increase hemoglobin production. You know, I'm not sure I got the wording right on that, but it's the essence of what they want her body to do. Her reactions to both were minimal.

Thursday she had another long lasting shot, this time for white blood cell production. It's a different drug than the first time, stronger and longer lasting. Between this shot and the second chemo treatment, Janette is not feeling well at all. More nausea, no vomiting, and much more fatigue. I wanted to tell everyone she was ready to take your short phone calls and very short visits, but now I'm not sure. Let's see what happens.

The oncologist ordered the second white blood cell shot not because Janette's count was so low but because we thought we may drive to Louisiana. Her eldest sister is in the hospital, very ill. We are waiting to see what happens to decide what we will do. Please include Aunt Sis and her family in your prayers along with Aunt Judy and Uncle Carrol and their family. I don't know if I mentioned this before in my blog: my Uncle Carrol also has lung cancer, a different form, diagnosed around the same time as my mother's. Aunt Judy's visit was a special gift.

And for the family who are reading, Aunt Eliska is now a 20 year cancer survivor! Last month she had several tests, including a PET scan, to look for any traces of cancer growth. Last week we met with Aunt Eliska's new oncologist: not a trace of cancer found! Some good news for this family. She also had an ultrasound for vascular blockage in her neck, none found! And the oncologist (and I) pushed her to get a blood sugar monitor and check her levels every hour for one day. Again, no problems, no sign of pre-diabetes!

And also congratulations to the new babies born and about to be born to our friends and family! Janette was (and is) checking her email each day for the news.