A Change in Plans

The game plan was that I would go back down to Boston tomorrow night with Melissa and receive my chemo in the wee hours of Wed. morning. Mom would stay with Melissa's and my kids while we were gone, with Melissa's husband taking over after work. We had "helpers" lined up to assist Mom with the 5 kids.
My blood work from today revealed that my kidneys are in high gear, which is a first for me. (Normally, it's my liver that keeps me in the hospital the extra night after methotrexate.) This is my body's way of screaming "UNCLE!" to the doctor, so he has decided that I will not be receiving ANY more methotrexate. This week's treatment is canceled, which as you can imagine left me cheering. I'll get my last treatment, the big guns, next week, as planned.
So for those of you who are concerned about the kidneys, my level should be 0.5-1.3 (with my personal numbers in the range of 0.7-1.0). Today's reading was 2.7. So, I go for blood work again tomorrow to make sure that the numbers are dropping. In the meantime, I need to hydrate more and keep taking the antidote for the methotrexate "until further notice".
I think the coolest part about all of this is how I can see God's hand in it (which I'm not always able to recognize). I was concerned about Mom having all 5 kids, given her fatigue lately and the kids just having got back from family vacation. I was concerned about my body handling the methotrexate as I don't feel ready - still quite fatigued and not quite right. I was bummed to have to tell Anderson's teacher "no" to helping with the pumpkin party on Thursday, due to treatment. Well, this "change in plans" took care of all of that in 1 swoop!

Chemo Update

Sorry no info. until now; Bob scrubbed the scrolling banner. 8) I'm home and exhausted...slept all day except maybe 2 hours. God keeps reminding me that tomorrow is a new day, and He still has me in His hands. At least I'm not sick, just feel crappy-tired, chilled, no appetite, thrush is back. Some of it might be due to getting a flu shot too. (H1N1 not avail. yet, so maybe I'll have that next week.)
Interesting trip to Boston, as always. Adventure started with the car drive; Aunt Carol and I missed our exit and didn't realize until we saw signs for Rte. 90. It was very dark, lots of trucks on the road (we passed), and we were gabbing. We're not used to traveling it at night either. Regardless, a phone call to Bob and a trip through the airport terminal got us back on track and we eventually made it at 9:08. The whole thing struck me as quite humorous, not sure why. The late time didn't really matter because they weren't going to give me chemo until the early morning (at my request - it's too tough on me in the middle of the night). The bed wasn't available until 7pm, which actually turned out to be a good thing as I was able to have Anderson's birthday breakfast for dinner with the family (thanks to Auntie and Dave).
I ended up getting chemo at 10:30am due to some craziness on the floor and the dr. not realizing that they won't mix the chemo until 9am (he had written the order for 10/22, which meant they couldn't mix it the night before). So, this was a very different experience, and my fatigue is usually what I would be experiencing Thurs. night. I'm just thankful that my liver settled down enough yesterday so I could get home mid-afternoon. (Also, it was great to see my nurse friends on Phillips 21 again as it had been about a month.)
It looks like I'll have the same schedule next week due to the minimum time required between treatments.

Off-time Fun

God really blessed us with providing a great deal of energy during these last 2 weeks. I still nap most afternoons, but I've actually taken care of the kids a little bit by myself and accomplished a few things on my wish list.

*Anderson and I went on a birthday date...lunch at Friendly's, 6 year photo, and shopping for party favors for his brithday party with 5 friends.

*God gave me the energy to prepare for the party - doing invitations, shopping for party favors and supplies, making Anderson's cake, getting a gift, and making birthday brownies for his class. (I was very surprised by the energy I was able to exert, as well as the fact that my hip retaliated. It seems to be a bit better now.)

*The kids and I, with the assistance of my friend, picked apples at an orchard, saw baby farm animals, and went through a maze. Ethan loved riding in the backpack on Melissa's back! We all had a good time in spite of the cold.

*We had some fun family time with another family at a different orchard, having a pizza picnic and getting drops. (Mom and Lyndsey spent all day making applesauce! Hard work!)

*I finished getting Lyndsey and Ethan's clothes settled - clothes that are too small packed/given away and clothes that fit put in the drawers. Anderson's clothes are half-way there.

*I've been able to go to women's Bible study regularly...so uplifting!

*I actually scrapbooked 1 night - not very productive but the chatting was great. I also hung out with friends at a girls' night out. It was great to be with the girls.

So, as you can see, God has been very gracious. I know that this last cycle will bring more challenges, and after that, even more challenges with not overdoing it and the transition within our family. But, God will continue to take care of things. I just need to keep my eyes on Him.

Yogi Visits

See Anderson's Blog!

Update

This last trip to Boston went pretty smoothly once they finally found a bed for me (after calling a couple of times to change the status). Jason stayed the first night, and Nichole stayed the second night. I really appreciated the quality time, good conversations. I'm doing well considering that this week was the big gun's treatment and sleep was challenging. Once again, I was able to walk out of the hospital! The fatigue hit Friday (and today), but I won't complain. This could be SO much worse. The thrush is back but no mouth sores so far! The dr. cut both drugs in half this time, and I had a blood transfusion. So, these are good reasons for me to have better-than-normal energy. Good-bye Cycle 5!!!!
When I got home on Thursday, I took Ethan to the dr. The poor little guy has a double ear infection. My poor mother spent a lot of the previous night awake, trying to sooth him back to sleep, but at least the next night was much better, thanks to the antibiotic and Tylenol. He seems to be doing well now.

God is so good

So many things have happened recently, that I felt I could not just post the list in the "praises" column. I have to give you more details!

1. Last week was so interesting with the "different" accommodations when I went down to chemo. I was not familiar with this floor of the hospital at all, so it could have been quite stressful. However, God was so good in keeping me at peace. Maybe I've actually learned a little bit from His lessons when I had to be on Ellison 14 with Jason! Wouldn't that be cool?! I'm hoping it's long-term learning, and I'm thankful because I know the Source of all my peace, thoughts of looking to God's purposes in the change of plans, and ability to laugh instead of cry in frustration.
2. I wasn't sure what this week was going to hold as Aunt Carol needed to stay in NH. I had e-mailed Jason about going down with me, but I suspected that he had some scheduling conflict because of the youth group he leads on Wed. nights and the short notice. (Jason is the speaker.) Sat. AM, I went to a women's get-together, and my friend Nichole gingerly approached me about whether she could go to Boston with me (concerned that she not make me uncomfortable). It was an answer to a prayer before I even prayed it! So, Jason will stay with me Tues. night (as Nichole has work commitments on Tues.), and Nichole will stay with me Wed. night. Isn't that cool?
3. I avoided a blood transfusion last Monday, but I believe I'll need one this week. This is probably good timing in that I'll be at the hospital anyway and can have the transfusion between treatments (since it's not methotrexate this week). That sure beats spending an additional 4 hours away from the kids!
4. God sent me some encouragement last night through a conversation with a friend that I don't get to talk to all that often. It was such a pleasant surprise that she shared with me how God has used our situation to draw her closer to Him in prayer. This totally touched my heart, both what she said and that she shared it with me.
OK, gotta go get Anderson at kindergarten.

Boston Update

Well, it's 11 pm, and I've been struggling to maintain a good attitude. At this point, the situation is just ridiculously funny...to the point where if I start laughing about it, I might cry. So, here's the scoop.
I'm on a different floor than ever before because the other floors are all full. (Way to feel special, huh? I can't complain though; they're letting Aunt Carol stay here, which is not common practice.) My first nurse made me very nervous. I coached her through the pre-chemo steps and tried not to notice her apprehension or shaking hands, all the while praying. I ended up not being accessed until 3.5 hours after I got here, and at that point, the hydration was not the right solution (too low a percentage of sodium bicarb). So what does that mean? I'm just starting chemo now (2.5 hours later) because my pH hasn't been high enough (since my body had time for it to drop back down after the pretreatment I took at home). So in spite of my best efforts - like being assertive in making sure they activated me right after I got here - I'm still getting treatment in the middle of the night. Ugh. The good news is that I have a different nurse who I am more comfortable with.
OK. Now let's talk about the accommodations. The room is very small, which is fine except that we're supposed to fit a cot in here. You should have seen me and Aunt Carol trying to figure out how to rearrange the room - "interior design at Mass General" - so that we could fit a cot as well as have room for me and my IV pole to make it to the bathroom a million times during the night. We finally decided to move my bed over, after about 5 minutes of trying to figure out how to take the brakes off. Oh yeah, and we're still not sure how we released them, but the brakes are back on. Speaking of bathrooms, like the room, it's teeny. I can barely fit me and my IV pole in there at the same time. No shower either. It totally reminds me of a bathroom on an airplane, just slightly larger.
So, yet another adventure in chemotherapy. At this point, it doesn't really take me by surprise. God is still in control, regardless of how it feels. And who knows? Maybe the middle of the night treatment won't hit me so hard this time. If it does, God will pull me through. At the very least, these are good memories with Aunt Carol.

Medical Update

Last week, I had methotrexate and it looks like I will again tomorrow. Aunt Carol is my traveling companion. 8) I am so thankful to report that I have not gotten mouth sores...thank You, God! I also had a bit more energy on Sat. and Sun., enough to socialize a bit. It was like a breath of fresh air to be able to hang out with friends. The sunshine sure felt good too!
My dr. thought that I would need a blood transfusion today, but I didn't! My count was 27, which is reasonably good considering everything. So, that was a nice surprise, getting to spend the second half of the day with the kids instead of in the hospital.
I have been very encouraged to know that I can count my remaining treatments on 1 hand. Getting closer!

playing

Here is a photo from last Monday. My dear friend, Candy, spent the day with us and helped me bring the kids to the park after kindergarten. The kids love climbing on these wood structures at Roger Allen Park, and it was great spending some more active time with them before I went back for treatment. It was a beautiful, sunny day. Thank you, Candy! I could not have done it without you!

Ethan can sleep anywhere!

Ethan has fallen asleep while bouncing in the Johnny Jump-up, continuing to bounce periodically. He has fallen asleep while being held standing up in my lap. This is a time that I caught on video...so cute!

Wonderful Visits of Encouragement

I have been so blessed to be surrounded by such a great network of family and friends, and even strangers.
I don't think that I blogged about this already, but I could be wrong. Anyway, it's on my heart again. Around the half-way mark of chemo, I really wanted to do something to celebrate. My first thought was to go North to Pittsburg, but that just wasn't best. I ended up without an idea of what to do. Well, God took care of it; I didn't need to plan anything. I had some very special visits right around that time that really boosted my spirits - seeing Gram H., Aunt Paula, Jen, Aunt Carol; a visit from Aunt Deb, Uncle Denny, Grammie C.; another visit from Aunt Cheryl, Uncle David, and Whit; a day-long visit with Ryan (my cousin) and his family from Kentucky joined by Jason and Dawn; a visit from my cousin Karrie and her family; as well as the regular summer visits of Beth Anne and Dave, and Denise and other wonderful friends who live nearby. What better celebration could a person have?!!! It was great.
More recently, I had another very special visit. "The great aunts" took an excursion to come see us, and boy, did I feel special. The photo below shows the crew - (back row, left to right)Grammie, me, Aunt Norma, Aunt Geneva, (first row) Aunt Katherine, Lyndsey, Aunt Hilda, Aunt Betty, and Aunt Margaret. The set of older women are all sisters-in-law, married to the Covill brothers (except for Aunt Geneva who is Grampa's sister). How special that this group of ladies piled into the mini-van to spend a day on the road visiting us, and doing a little shopping. 8) I really enjoyed the visit (and, I got to see Grammie twice in 1 week!). Lastly, a quick story about a stranger. My friends Julie and Tim (from college days) have been faithfully praying for us. Tim's job puts him in contact with tons of people. He met a man, John M., who lives in Ireland and whose wife is fighting cancer. He and Tim talked about me back in March/April, and John said that he would be praying for me. His and Tim's paths crossed again more recently, and John remembered me, asking how I was doing and saying that he was still praying. Isn't that amazing how God is demonstrating such lovingkindness in that He continually reminds people, even strangers, to pray for little ol' me?! God is so good.

Cycle 4 - Big Guns Treatment

I am so behind on blogging but am going to try to catch up. Two weeks ago, I went to Boston for my "big guns" treatment after a forced week off for my body to rest. My brother Jason drove me down and stayed, and God sent just the right person to accompany me. We knew when I headed out that I would not be staying on my normal hospital floor with the nurses that I've been working with over the last 4 cycles. However, I was told that the double room I would be staying in would not include a roommate so Jason could stay. I was still feeling kind of bad about this; I wasn't going to be in familiar surroundings with nurses who have become friends. I was wondering why God would allow this additional trial, and then He reminded me, "This isn't all about you." I realized that perhaps there was somebody new that I was going to meet that God would enable me to encourage...maybe a nurse. (Ironically enough, less than an hour later, Jason pointed out the same thing.)
So, when we arrived at Ellison 14, it was so different from what I am used to...much more hospital-like. Poor Jason didn't have anything but a chair to sit on; he used my bed for a footrest. My nurse was really nice and had been working oncology for 12 years (a blessing as I was comfortable with her administering my chemo...Thank You, Lord). And I also found out that I was going to have a roommate. Jason ended up sleeping in the lounge on a cot, and he was so gracious about this. My poor roommate was having a lot of cancer-related issues that they were trying to figure out and was in a lot of pain and very weak. We were able to talk some, and because I had such energy, I was even able to help her. Sharing a room with her also helped me take stock of my situation and realize how fortunate I am. She will be battling cancer for the rest of her life, off and on. I don't believe that will be the case for me.
The most amazing thing about the whole trip was that I took the chemo so well. I got out of the hospital 1 day early, and I was even able to walk out to the parking garage! This hasn't happened since my first big guns treatment. Praise God! I was exhausted the next 3 days, but I didn't have any nausea and was able to eat decently...truly amazing.
So why was Jason the perfect companion for this trip? Well, I certainly appreciated the great conversations that we had. How often do you get to spend lots of hours on end together, allowing for conversation beyond the "quick catch-up" to happen. This was a blessing. Also, he was so easy-going about us having to fly by the seat of our pants and not having comfortable accommodations. I knew that he really didn't care, so I didn't worry about it. So, this was a memorable chemo trip.

my friend, Laurie

I have been blessed. My cousin-in-love introduced me to a new friend last March, Laurie. We quickly became dear to each other as she shared with me in our experiences with cancer and more importantly, our love of God. God used her to encourage me, continually drawing my eyes to Him and giving me a prayer partner. She was/is such a treasure, radiating Christ's light and love. What I find amazing is that even after her death (about a month ago now), God is still using her to impact me. I still think of things we talked about, words of encouragement she shared, and the spiritual legacy that she has left behind. I pray for her husband, Greg, and their children as even though they know Laurie is now in the best place ever, they miss her terribly. I highly recommend that you read the blog entry that can be accessed by this link. It is BEAUTIFUL, not a bit morbid. What perspective.

http://upapaddle.blogspot.com/2009/08/most-beautiful-bride.html

Photos

The kids are getting big, and I thought you'd appreciate these photos. Lyndsey was thrilled to be able to hold Ethan (while not sitting on the couch). Her confidence about what she can do with him, e.g., standing up, scares us. In the bottom picture, she was helping Anderson hold Ethan. Note the outfit she is wearing, particularly the shoes; she has quite the sense of style! Anderson was a little worn out from his first real day of school, which explains the look on his face. It's been an exhausting week for many of us.

First Day of School

We went to Orientation for Kindergarden on Monday. Anderson was apprehensive but also excited. He said that he stopped feeling nervous once he realized (in the classroom) that he already knew who his teacher is. (He had talked with her at the screening.) He was very well-behaved and attentive. It was great to see the other kids he'll be in school with.

He also showed us a new trick. He went across the monkey bars many times...so strong and steady. I enjoyed watching him confidently figure it out. His repetitions reminded me of when he had just learned to walk and discovered the ramp at church. Back then, he practiced walking up and back down the ramp until he was satisfied that he could do it well...practice, practice, practice.Here is a picture of his first day of school without parents. He and Dakota waited for the bus at the end of our driveway. (See how big his tomato plant is that Uncle Jason gave him? We've enjoyed lots of tomatoes.)Anderson boarded the bus without even looking back. He's such a big boy! He learned that the bus ride to school can be VERY noisy. Day 2 on the bus wasn't as disorderly. We thought mornings might be rough for Anderson as he likes to sleep in. He has been doing a FABULOUS job getting up with the alarm and tending to business so that he can meet the bus. He's very tired this week, but we know this will all soon be old hat for him.

What do the rest of us think of all of this? I'm amazed that I haven't felt really sad. I can't believe I have a child in school, but I am really excited for Anderson's new adventure. The challenges of helping him process what socially goes on at school are interesting, but God is guiding me and Bob through it. We're thankful that Anderson is so open about what he's experiencing. (The poor kid has to tell his stories twice as Bob wants to know all the details after dinner.) I've really enjoyed time with Lyndsey one-on-one. This is a new and much-needed opportunity, particularly in light of all the chaos of the last few months. Tomorrow, we're going to the library, and Lyndsey keeps asking if Denise will come too. She can't imagine going to the library without Denise. 8)

Teeth

Anderson lost his second tooth while I was at chemo, the week before he started school. This one he was brave enough to pull out! He saved it on the windowsill until I got home (more because bed time can be so hectic than for my benefit). The tooth fairy rewarded him with $1!

Delayed Treatment

This is a bit late, but as many of you know, my treatment last week was delayed until this week due to the signs that my body was giving off that it needed a break. I wanted to share with you how this was so clearly an answer to prayer, even though it wasn't the answer that I really wanted. (The last thing I want is a longer schedule.)
1. The details of how it happened were so strange, making God's hand in it even more obvious. I ended up not hearing about my blood work Mon. night and as a last minute thought, called JudyAnn to double-check that there wasn't any miscommunication (even though it's very unlikely that the hospital would have notification that I was coming if the blood work hadn't passed). When she called me back after I found out that the bed was already ready (VERY rare), she asked how I was doing. I gave her my report, which led to a call to Dr. Choy and the decision for me not to take chemo. I was totally shocked by this.
2. Mom and I had been praying separately that God would give Dr. Choy wisdom. Until this incident, he has leaned more toward treating me in a manner that has proven to work for people with bone cancer. His decision moved me out of the regular group and into my own category. I hadn't even remembered to tell him that the kids and Bob were sick, which would have probably made his decision that much easier considering my immune system really drops with this treatment.
3. I had also started praying that God would help me to not fix my hope on the end of treatment but truly on Him. I know that it's OK to look forward to the end, but there is a line that I could easily cross where my hope would truly not be in God but rather in circumstances. What good is that? God can control the circumstances, and putting hope in circumstances just leads to disappointment, ultimately. There's no way we can know what is going to happen, but God is always consistent. I am thankful, though, that the end of chemo seems to be drawing closer and that we believe we'll be entering a time of healing for our family (my body, the family routine and time together, raising the kids together rather than so much being on Bob, family involvement in activities with other friends' families), maybe even a return to a somewhat more normal life but hopefully forever changed in good ways by what God has been teaching us. So anyway, along with putting off my treatment, my schedule will be really up in the air, taken week by week. How's that for not being able to hope in the end (being the last week of Oct.)? It might not seem like much difference, but not knowing whether I'm staying or going over the next month will really maintain my sights on God, I believe.
So, there you have it. Answered prayer as well as answered prayer that I didn't even think to pray - God helped me see the good in the delay and not get too discouraged.

Medical Updates

The methotrexate hasn't hit me as hard this time, and I am so thankful. I'm exhausted as I was awakened frequently both nights. One of my awakenings was thanks to a doctor who woke me up to inform me that he was on the floor if I needed anything. "Besides my waking you up, is everything OK?" I was so out of it, I didn't even know how to respond. Mom heard the whole thing and was biting her tongue for all she was worth. After he left, I had fully awakened and then couldn't get back to sleep, so I had to take Adivan (anti-nausea drug that also helps with sleep). Adventures in chemotherapy.
I still have the thrush, so we're going to try another 5 days of anti-fungal medication. If it doesn't work, I'm stuck with keeping it at bay using the troche (like a lozenge) for the rest of my treatments. I'm hoping to get rid of it. It leaves a really gross taste in my mouth and makes eating that much more difficult 'cause things taste gross from it (especially water). So please pray that this will go away for good.
I have mouth sores again, but so far, they're not as bad as last time. They hurt, but I can still eat and swallow even though they are under my tongue again. I kept cold stuff in my mouth for 2 hours while the methotrexate was being administered, so maybe that helped some. Another prayer request - that these mouth sores will heal quickly, before the "big guns" treatment next week as that is when my immunities really drop and they could get much worse (like last time). (By the way, Lyndsey has a cold, so please pray that I won't catch it. She's very sneezy and has a runny nose...tough to stay away from those germs! God did keep the rest of us, perhaps with the exception of Ethan, from catching her flu bug she was battling last week.)
My eyes were wicked bloodshot this morning. They tend to get blood shot the first morning after treatment, but this was much worse and not fitting the same timeline. The dr. isn't concerned, and they aren't burning or dry. So, this is just a case of being unattractive. 8)
I do not need a blood transfusion at this point in time. My red blood cell count is still in the upper 20's, which will hold for a little while. Whew! Speaking of blood, I had a really weird experience with my port this time. The great thing about the port is that they take blood from it as well. I don't have to get stuck with a needle again; I barely even know it's going on. I guess that sometimes when I'm sleeping, the blood will go into the vile really slowly until I take a deeper breath, and then it gushes in. Well, this time when they were taking blood shortly after I arrived at the hospital, the blood just wouldn't come out. They tried having me take deep breaths, move my head (which affects the position of my neck where the tube goes through to the major vein), but it was just a trickle. At some point, I moved/relaxed just right, and the blood started flowing well. I was told not to move, and we got the viles filled no problem. It's kind of a weird feeling to know that blood is supposed to be coming out, but it isn't. As long as they stick me with a needle to retrieve it. You know how much I love needles.
Speaking of needles, I got my shot last week that shuts down my ovaries. (This is a HUGE needle, and I have to take it in the butt muscle. It's once every 3 months.) I was dreading getting it, but with God's help (and the EMLA cream), it was no problem. Thank You, Lord!
Dr. Choy and I had some lengthy discussion about the game plan from here on out. My body is indicating the toll of the chemo (frequent blood transfusions, mouth sores, ringing in ears), so they're going to ease up a bit. He's going to decrease the amount of 1 of the chemo drugs. Also, if my counts aren't right prior to an upcoming methotrexate treatment, we'll just skip it rather than putting it off a week and then resuming the regular schedule. I really feel like this is an answer to prayer in that I've been asking God to guide the doctor's decisions about my treatment.

Adventures for Aunt Dawn

The kids spent 2 nights at Uncle Jason and Aunt Dawn's house and were upset to leave today (to come home). It was great in that Lyndsey barely even knew I was gone to Boston, which was much easier on her. This also gave Bob a chance to recharge by having some down time and hanging out with friends. We really appreciate Dawn's sacrifice of taking on 3 kids while being pregnant, and boy, did they have some adventures (beyond just trying to get Lyndsey to eat her dinner).
Tuesday night, Anderson's first tooth fell out, but he didn't even know he had swallowed it. Dawn hadn't realized it was that loose or would not have given him an apple to eat; she felt bad! She quickly recognized Anderson's nervous response to her reaction and reassured him that other people have swallowed their teeth. Anderson thought it would be fun to not tell Mumma or Daddy and see if they noticed when they saw him. I even tried to trick him into telling me if he'd lost his tooth yet, but he was too smart for that.
Also Tuesday night, Ethan decided to roll over in the crib and sleep on his belly, little bugger. For those of you who might not be up on the latest theory, babies are supposed to sleep on their backs. We haven't had a problem with him rolling over in bed at home because he's still in the bassinet. We hope to have Lyndsey's princess bed ready soon so that she can move into that and Ethan can have the crib, giving him more space to move around when he's sleeping. So, Ethan's antics left Dawn trying to decide how important it was to keep him on his back and what she should do.
Wednesday, Dawn brought the kids to Cassie's house to play with her kids. They have a pool, and Lyndsey decided to go down the slide. (She had a life jacket on.) I don't think that she realized what would happen when she got to the bottom. She informed me that she did NOT like it, that it was scary. She survived her face going under the water (and being out of control) and followed Cassie's coaching to "swim" to the side of the pool, that she was OK.
Wednesday night, Jason built a campfire, and the kids roasted marshmallows. They saw a porcupine come out of the woods. (Lyndsey calls it a "pokeypine" because it has little pokies on its arms that can "get you and hurt".) Anderson told me that it smelled the marshmallows but then when it smelled the people, it decided to go back into the woods.
Today, on the way home, Dawn had a fender bender...yet more excitement for the kids. They got to see a fire truck, ambulance, and police! I was really amazed at Dawn's presence of mind in telling them to stay in their seat belts and locking them in the car while she talked to the police man. I'm not sure I would have thought of locking the doors, but I will remember it! (By the way, everybody was fine and hopefully the car won't be much to fix. The air bags didn't go off, which was good.)
So, the kids had a great time having a sleepover party at Aunt Dawn and Uncle Jason's house, and Aunt Dawn will certainly sleep well tonight! She is such a trooper.

More tidbits

OK. So we played bocci last night as a family. Anderson insisted on it since Mumma could play too. (That made me feel so good.) I lost, but as I was heading up the stairs, Anderson said, "Mumma, you played bocci pretty good for a cancer person." What an encourager!
We're going to try another round of antibiotics against the thrush...5 days. If it doesn't work, I just have to put up with it until this is over. The troche do help some; they just haven't cured it. In spite of my efforts to gain weight this week, I didn't. I didn't lose any either though.
I was talking with Melissa the other night on the phone (a rarity these days - boy, was it nice to have girlfriend time with her). Some of what we talked about was how God is probably using this trial in my life in much larger ways that I could even dream of. I had lost sight of this phenomena that is often true when we look back on hard times, and I really appreciated that Melissa was reminding me of this hope (as in a certainty that I'm looking forward to, not hope meaning something I wish for). I know that He can see the big picture and has awesome plans, but sometimes I forget to dream about it. I was telling Melissa that sometimes I wish I could know some of the specifics of how God is using this season as it would be so encouraging. It's nice to hear that others are encouraged by what we share or by what they see, but to know of specifics in people's lives touches my heart on a different level and gives my heart courage. Well, God provided some specifics through a very special letter from my Dad. Isn't that cool?