Listening to Hope

As you remember, Sis received her sixth chemo this past Friday. In order for you to understand my excitement and hers, I have to share a few things about past treatments.

Usually, just as she was forewarned, the chemo would "hit" her after a 72 hour window.

 Receiving her chemo on Fridays, typically by Sunday afternoons, she was feeling extremely cold, achy sometimes nauseous and very, very weak. After each infusion, this was pretty much the case with some "post chemos" being worse than others. By day four or five following the infusions, she was typically up and on her feet but moving slowly.

Then with session five, while in the midst of "post chemo," and told she was severely dehydrated, she had to be admitted to the hospital where she received blood transfusions along with medication to boost her WBC ( white blood count).

Last Friday, she drove herself to and from chemo. When Sunday came...when that 72 hour window opened, there was a little loss of energy, a little achy and yes, chills but nothing like what had been the "norm" for her.

In speaking with her this afternoon, her doctor had ordered IVs delivered to her home to prevent the severe dehydration that caused her hospitalization in December. She was instructed to drink a gallon of water plus her other fluids something she was not doing all along.

Arriving as planned, the nurse from Home healthcare "hung her up" pumping fluids in via her port for four hours. She will receive several more IVs over this post chemo week as they are scheduled every other day.

Beaming with pride and with tears in my eyes, I have to tell you...she sounded wonderful today...absolutely wonderful! Yes, with all your warm, kind thoughts and heartfelt wishes, hope was heard.

A sincere, thank you.