Another Thursday, another chemo treatment. B~ has a lot going on at work right now, and was unable to go with me this time. We got Tyler loaded up, started off, smelled something funny, went around the block and back in the garage. I double-checked and sure enough he needed a second BM change. It was pretty messy and he needed a new pair of pants, I'm so glad we turned around. He would've been miserable riding all that way like that. We still made it to his appointment on time. He has lost about 6 pounds and still has high blood pressure so they've doubled his med (lysinopril).
His white blood cell count is 1.2 - low, but still high enough to receive chemo. He listened to Harp by the Sea (it was Pachelbel Canon in D), very soothing. I'm glad to have my mom along. We seem to have good conversations and talk about the things that matter. Today I walked her through a vision quest (that's how long we were in the patient room) although we were interrupted quite a few times. She's a good sport. Later, we talked about prayer and making it more meaningful. She told me of a manuscript she had read and it mentioned beginning a prayer by acknowledging Heavenly Father and who He is. Right away, that really gelled with me. I think I'll incorporate it in my prayers. We talked about family dynamics and the intricacies of each sister. It's great that we're all so different and that these differences can complement each other.
As I was reading Farmer Boy - about butchering time- Nicole asked, "What is yearling beef?" I told her it was a one year old cow. "Wait, that isn't fair. You mean the cow is just young, and now they're going to kill it? That's so mean!" We had a discussion about man's dominion over the earth and that animals were put here for us, by God, to be used wisely and carefully. That seemed to assuage her mind a little. She really gets absorbed in the stories.
Spielberg won't be skiing this coming Monday after all, P~ forgot that she has a cub scout field trip. He will have to wait for the following Monday. I tried to help him see the good he could try to get from it - we came up with - he'll have a whole 'nother week to be excited about it - and of course, he will get to practice patience.
Ellie has turned the left shoulder of everything I wear into her tissue. I have gone through an entire family-sized box of tissues trying to stay ahead of her runny nose - impossible! She loves to bring me her board books and flip through the pages. She is very observant and babble her own version of the story to me in babyspeak. It almost sounds like Mandarin Chinese sometimes.
Michelle spent a late night (until 8:30) at BR~'s house and has arranged a breakfast picnic for tomorrow. She made chocolate chip cookies with Aunt M~ today. Pretty tasty, although my own cookie cravings have dropped off.
Our Tuesday Key of Liberty simulation went well - the boys really had to find their own way through it. It was challenging and, of course, rewarding. They were the US Senate Armed Services committee and had to decide if they would support a presidential proposal to go in and take out Iranian nuclear facilities and detain their religious Imams. Each of them realized the are lacking in the skills needed to be a statesman.
Time is such a strange concept because it is going by all too quickly and yet all too slowly in the same instance.
Ty will have a scan on Feb. 8th to confirm that the tumor is really responding to chemo. I am still trying to shake off heavy, cloudy feelings. I feel a need to loosed my mind from it's coconut shell hardness and to let the sweet milk of kindness flow out.
Several hymns.
No comments:
Post a Comment