Setback

 (written on October 22)

Everything went well at my appointment with my oncologist, Dr. Moussa, today. I left thinking it would be business as usual tomorrow, getting my infusion here in Bartlesville. Several hours later, a call from his nurse changed all that.

Evidently, he took a closer look at my lab work and saw that my liver enzymes are high enough that he wants to give my liver an extra week’s rest, delaying my next infusion to October 30 at a reduced dose.

The news shook me badly. Delaying and lowering dosages spells trouble. A lowered dose is not the optimal dose. What that means for my survival remains to be seen.

Since I am suddenly facing a new normal, I am hoping at the very least that I will have more energy during treatment. The first 21-day treatment cycle has been eye-opening. Despite my thirty-year history of fibromyalgia, I have never experienced this level of ongoing fatigue and weakness.

Though I’ve pretty much given up driving because it is an energy sapper, I decided to drive to Walgreens to pick up my two prescriptions: nystatin for my sore and tender mouth, and Levaquin (a high-power antibiotic) in case I run a fever again. You see, driving alone has long been my good time of prayer, and I needed to pray. That brief excursion helped me regain my focus.

No matter the twists and turns of this cancer, I rest assured in God’s faithfulness. But sometimes, like today, I become afraid.

October 24 update: Good news is that my tumor marker showed a significant decrease—back into normal range!