The Cancer Journey : Report Card
Reposted from denisetam.webs.com February 20, 2010
Every Thursday feels like report card day.
On the Thursday of every week I arrive at Queen Mary an hour and a half before my appointment to get blood drawn and then I wait for the doctor to see me. Sometimes doc sees me on time, but sometimes I'm stuck waiting and wondering whether there's something wrong with my blood.
So far, my reports have come back fairly well, except for that one time when I got bronchitis after chemo 1. Since chemo 2 (when I gained back some of the weight I lost) I somehow i managed to lose another 2kg even with the eating schedule I had duringCNY!
As of present here are some report card stats:
WBC: 2.8
Neutrophil: 1.2
These numbers are considered low but not TOO low. Last time my WBC/Neutrophils were too low I needed Neupogen shots which gave me bad back pains (the shots are meants to stimulate your bone marrow back to recovery), they're also EXTREMELY expensive!
lowest WBC: 1.7
lowest Neutrophil: 0.8
# of supplements/food I eat to keep my WBC/Neutrophils up: 12 and counting
# of Neupogen shots needed: 2
# of face masks I've gone through: too many to count
# of bottles of antibacterial gel I've gone through: 1
Comments from the Doc: lymph nodes are getting smaller, keep it up! Stay clear of raw foods and bread! (I've cheated many times, in fact every morning I take a blended juice of raw beetroot, carrot, potato, tomato and fruit with skin and all, obviously all organic and washed very well)
So with God's grace my report card doesn't look too shabby. Most friends and family who have met up with me tell me I don't seem sick at all. And on most days, Im' happy to say that I don't feel sick either! But it is important to note that I wouldn't be and feel this healthy without God's grace.
As most know, our family is considered health fanatics and we were torn between chemo and a natural way of healing for a very long time. We were mostly concerned with the side effects chemo would have on my body. It was a real struggle for us and for me, as the decision rested on me at the end of the day. But we asked God for wisdom and to guide us each step of the way, and He has done exactly that! From the supplements, to the doctors and friends and family that have given us so much knowledge and wisdom about different types of therapies and foods that are good for me, God has put all these people into our lives to put out hearts at rest and to aid in my body's healing.
My health to date, is truly a miracle and a blessing from our Father in heaven.
I'm praying that we will stay faithful and trust that He has the best and perfect plan.
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