First treatment

One week and a day after his chemotherapy treatment, John is finally starting to feel better. Due to the diarrhea, nausea, and loss of appetite caused by the chemo, he has lost 23 lbs. this week. The doctor sent him to the ER Thursday night to get rehydrated with some IV fluids. He was able to come home the same night and is gradually starting to eat more and actually keep it down.

Here are some specific requests as you continue to pray for us:

  • that John would be able to eat and regain his strength
  • that we would find the right balance of medications and nutrition to alleviate his side effects (diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue)
  • that the cancer cells in his body would continue to be destroyed

It’s been an exhausting week for me too, so thank you to everyone who has sent messages of encouragement, hymns and prayers. I haven’t had time to respond to all of you but listening to some of the songs you’ve shared has been keeping me grounded. Something our pastor, Gary McNitt, said last Sunday has stuck with me too: “A soul that is stabilized by God can overcome anything.”

John’s next chemo day is September 24. Hopefully this week he can get back to working at his desk and playing Mario Kart with the kids. (It might sound silly but that’s what they’ve been missing the most!) And hopefully the next treatment won’t be quite so brutal.