On July 8th (our 37th anniversary), I had my last dose of Taxotere, Perjeta and Herceptin.  Hallelujah!  The night before, I had a nightmare that something else was wrong with me and I had another kind of cancer and was going to have to start chemo over again.  Talk about waking up in a panic!

The side effects of this three drug cocktail seem to have been new and different every treatment.  This one had some intestinal issues that necessitated a trip to a different kind of surgeon to see what kind of repairs might be necessary.  Fortunately, it’s a “simple” fix and can be postponed until after breast surgery to avoid any risk of infection.

Last week was a good week.  I went in to work early and worked 6 hours and then went home.  Then I’d go home and sleep for a couple of hours.  I started getting my brain back, which is really exciting.  It’s not the greatest brain, but it beats the chemo fog by a long shot!  I was amazed how much better I could think and problem solve when I’m not totally exhausted.  This process kind of reminds me of the stories of the frog thrown in the pot of water and being boiled but not realizing it because the heat gets turned up slowly…..my experience with chemo was kind of like that.  You function because you have to, but until you start functioning like “normal” again, you might not realize what kind of toll it’s all taking.

This last week we were incredibly blessed with a couple of visits from young old friends we haven’t seen in a few years.  Chris and Melinda and Eunice – thank you!  What a gift to see a faithful God in such kind and loving people.  You blessed us!

Nine days until surgery…..there is a bit of terror that creeps in once in a while from memories of waking up with a tracheotomy last time I had surgery, but I have considered the options I’ve been given and know the way out is through.  Trusting in the One who knows the future.  I’m in His hands.