Hello to family and friends,
Time for a brief update. This week I completed my 3rd chemo treatment [25% of the process completed!]. Actually today I had the pump taken off finishing the infusion for the third time. Now I have to endure being "chemicalized" for a number of days until my body begins to recover from the effects. I hope that will be before Christmas day, but am not counting on it.
The actual infusion was on Wednesday and as I said the pump came off this morning. I am feeling pretty yucky to say the least, but all in all doing OK. Pam has been wonderful, so encouraging, so helpful, so attending to my every need. She has taken off work today and is going to be off through Christmas, so a nice long weekend for her. I have an stubborn, unpleasant taste in my mouth, the effects of one of the three drugs, that will not go away. My fingers and throat are also very sensitive to the slightest cold. Anything I touch that is cool or cold makes my fingers tingle and ache. And I can't drink anything cold, my throat begins to feel like it is clogging up. Also my lips tingle periodically. But these are the worst side effects I am feeling. And I expect them to diminish slowly as my time of separation from the pump lengthens. But then I am scheduled for treatment #4 a week from next Wednesday, so the process will repeat itself all over again.
But I am doing fine and weathering this unpleasantness. God is good and in His great and wise providence this is my trial at present, and so we accept it from His hand. I think of the words of Job, JOB 2:10 Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity? If in His great purposes this "adversity" is my portion at present, that we accept it and bless His wonderful name.
I hope each of you has a wonderful Christmas celebration with thoughts centered on the glory of the incarnation. Imagine, the eternal, self-existent God, who made all things and rules over all that He made, He Himself became incarnate to accomplish redemption for His chosen people. The angel said to Joseph, ...you shall call his name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.
Hallelujah!