Chemo #9

I have been a little remiss in not updating the blog recently....sorry !
Karena has been generally very well for the last couple of weeks - in fact, chemo #8 seemed to hit her less hard than others. The power of prayer I think (thanks!)

Today, Chemo #9 took place - blood counts and kidney function testing all OK but with many delays she started on the drugs late so got home at about 6pm absolutely pooped. She has been in bed since getting home and is pretty spaced out & quite pale.
Today they told her that this will be her last chemo in the current cycle.....so she will have a CT scan in 4 weeks time and then see the consultant in 6 weeks to discuss what the next steps will be.... that includes the possibility of additional chemo's depending on the results. Our hope & prayer is that the CT scan will indicate that there are no traces of cancer and therefore that the chemo's can come to a complete end.
Please make this your prayer too.....and of course for the babe to recover quickly from this chemo without sickness and without getting any infections etc etc.

Once again appreciating you standing with us and of course for your prayers.....
With love.....C,K,E,B,O x x x x

Chemo #8 update

So chemo went ahead on Monday as planned....this time she has come off the steroids slightly more slowly than previously....whether that has made a difference or whether it's simply the power of prayer, I don't know (I think the latter ! ;-) )- but this chemo has been much better than last one in terms of side effects. She has been very tired and has spent time pooped on the sofa but really hasn't had the horrid feeling requiring her to be bed ridden for any length of time like #7 - so a great result!!
Her joints are really quite achey (as previously) and she has developed a sore throat over the last couple of days so she's knocking back the paracetamol like smarties but that's relatively ok in comparison to where we could be. Today we have been out for lunch with Karena's mum/dad and her aunt visiting from the USA which was great - so some energy has started to return.

So if you've been praying for us and/or standing with us - please keep it up (& thank you!) - because the prayer and support is making a great difference to us (and the meals are all very yummy!!)
Please pray for the babe to get stronger this week, and for her sore throat to go !

One last thing before signing off......if you have a facebook account, please VOTE for our dear friend Naomi in the Vodafone World of Difference campaign....a school in south Sudan will never be the same again if she makes it out there for a year...please tell your friends too - she's a magnificent lady on a magnificent mission....check it out (and please vote for her!)......http://apps.facebook.com/opinionpolls/index.php?pid=1252668588

Day #249....

It's now 249 days since this saga began.....and in it so far there has been a mix of emotions.... some sadness, some hope, some tears, some ups, some downs, some energy, some tiredness, some despair, some joy, some expectation.......
but this week's primary emotion has been dread.....dread at the approaching chemo - number #8. 1 more to go after this one. Trouble is that #7 was so hard that the thought of two more is a pretty awful prospect....but needs to be done as we understand it.
So it's the usual plan for tomorrow - blood test at 9am, and assuming all is ok - onto the chemo ward for a 5 hour poison drip-fest. ;-(
Big prayer request this time is that the chemo side effects won't be as bad as last time - which totally wiped Karena out with 3 days in bed (and ongoing tiredness by the truckload)....not to mention the post-op menopausal symptoms which haven't really improved !
I really enjoyed my early morning bike ride yesterday tho, and we had a whole hour at legoland in the afternoon which was just spectacular!

So, all is ready for the off tomorrow - meals are already organised (by others) for the week, and the sunflowers are sitting in a vase on the fireplace ready to work their cheering magic .....

Thanks for praying (we're so grateful to you!).......there IS a God in heaven who reigns.
Hope your week goes well. ;-)

Chemo #7 update....

Chemo went ahead on Monday which was good; her blood counts were ok (better than last time) and they will now keep her at the 90% dose for the remainder of her chemo's. The doctor told her that she has been doing really well which was good to hear.
Rather than going cold turkey on the steroids as she did last time, this time she is coming off more slowly so had her last one yesterday.
Yesterday she was feeling really grotty and was in bed for a lot of the day....thankfully a friend turned up unexpectedly with a cooked meal late afternoon so we didn't starve - as Karena was in no shape for cooking (and I am not naturally gifted in that department!!)
Today she is a bit worse and phoned me at work to come home - so is in bed once again feeling horrible, but thankfully isn't feeling sick. Not good....she seems to have been worse this time than she's been before - whether it's the cumulative effect of the chemo or what I don't know. The chemo is so tough on her body ;-(
I'm glad that it's Friday and hoping that she'll be on the up-slope tomorrow. Another friend has arranged the "Royal Suite" hospitality box for our whole family (including 3 course meal, leather seats etc!) at the Reading footy match - so Karena needs to be ok for that - it will be absolutely fab just so long as she is well enough to get there !

Stuff I'm grateful for today:

• My wife!
• The chemo has been so successful (albeit with frustrating side-effects)
• Work who are very understanding of me leaving at a moment's notice (considering I'm a contractor!)

Stuff to pray for :-

• Karena to be on the up-slope tomorrow
• Energy to return
• For her to be well enough to go to the footy !

Holiday's are over.....Chemo #7 approaches....

Had a fab week away in sunny Wales -I think we had the best of the weather so far this summer ! We managed to climb a hill (although they called it a mountain on the literature but as it was only about 480m above sea level I think a mountain is a bit of a stretch!!), we also went fishing in a resevoir (Karena caught nothing - apparrently the fish didn't like her headgear!.... actually none of us caught anything!), we went on a steam train, went out to dinner and for lots of coffees and cakes, hired a canal barge (we had to fight for who was driving!) and did lots of normal holiday relaxing-type things....we stayed in a converted Granary and could hear absolutely nothing except sheep and cows (and a strange painful noise from the local cockerel which sounded like he was being strangled at about 5am each morning!).....and of course the children arguing from time to time.....so it was pretty fabulous all round really!

We came back yesterday (Sat) knowing that chemo's are scheduled to start again tomorrow....which slightly takes the edge off the fun time we've had...(Karena says that the mountain of washing is also a bit of a downer !)

For the last 3 days of hols, Karena also gave herself injections as she did last time to hopefully boost her blood count so that she will be ok for the chemo tomorrow....we will see. This time I will be taking her into hospital myself as her sister is off on her own holiday.

So, stuff we're grateful for :

• Fun time on holiday; quality time together as a family
• Feeling refreshed !
• The sun is still shining!

Stuff to pray for :

• Blood counts to be ok and chemo to go ahead tomorrow (17th)
• No sickness
• Ability to manage the children this week post-chemo (I am back at work)

Thanks so much......next holiday scheduled for October !

Babe update....

So Karena's chemo went ahead last Monday (27th)....her blood count was still quite low but it was a bit better than the previous week thanks to the injections, and just good enough for her to have treatment, so they gave her a 90% dose.
Since Monday she has had the usual post-chemo gross mouth taste, and been quite energyless overall - although she does have bouts of activity - she has been able to take the children swimming and do some other normal things too. On Thursday she felt terrible and spent most of the afternoon in bed, and on Friday evening/Saturday was feeling nauseous & shakey....and was eventually sick on Saturday evening ;-(
Thankfully friends have looked after our children in the daytime in the week and we've been brought meals each evening too which is a massive help ;-)
Emotionally she is strong but inevitably gets a bit fed up with feeling yuk....today she is still feeling somewhat dicky but I think is on the mend slowly - today, we went out for lunch at the Toby carvery with her mum and dad which was just fab !
The other thing she was told on Monday is that they DO plan to do another 3 chemo's assuming her body will cope with the onslaught - which is both good and bad I think !

Anyway, stuff we're grateful for :-

• Chemo went ahead as planned
• Toby carvery (eat as much as you like) !
• Holiday coming - a whole week away !

Stuff to pray for

• Sickness feelings/shakiness to go
• Strength to return in time for holiday !
• Ability to endure the next 3 chemo's !

Thanks for standing with us.....

....and so to Plan C

Chemo didn't go ahead on Monday....Karena's blood results were actually worse than the previous Friday so they reckon that the chemo has affected her bone marrow and hence her blood recovery isn't happening.....so she now has some injections to have for the rest of the week which should help improve things. They are self-administered (I did offer but she didn't seem too keen !!!). By the time this is all over, she should be a qualified nurse herself! So back for chemo next Monday 27th is now the plan.

Stuff we're grateful for :-

• Children have broken up from school
• We've booked up for a week away (which we really want Karena to be well for!)
• God's continued goodness towards us.
• Throughout the whole course of this treatment Karena hasn't picked up any infections, illnesses etc