Day 130 – Monday (12/31/18)

Next blog update will TRY to be posted by Saturday, January 5th, at midnight.

Hello again everyone! 12 weeks down, 6 to go! I received chemo infusion 5 of 6 this past Thursday. This one is hitting me slightly different then previous ones. This go round, I have been extremely tired. I have been sleeping off and on between 14 to 16 hours a day. The odds of me staying awake until midnight tonight seem very low. However, looking at it with the glass half full, the odds of me being awake at midnight are likely high. The reason being, I seem to sleep for a couple of hours, wake up for an hour, repeat. My mind has been foggy this time also… like I’m not able to focus on anything. My wife has been super supportive and is taking care of all the daily tasks while I’m just floating along in my fog. Thinking back, this is similar to the very first chemo cycle. I don’t know if I fully understand how all the side-effects correlate, and why some are stronger than others depending on the chemo round… but one thing that has held constant is that after 7 to 10 days, I seem to be fully back to normal. That should put me feeling good again by this weekend. The metal taste in my mouth has not been that bad this time, but my stomach has been quite unhappy.

Looking ahead, we all have a new year in front of us. I’m not big on new years resolutions, because honestly… I never stick to them more than a day. I’m going to simply say that my goal for 2019 is to finish my cancer battle with the same optimism I had when I started, and that I have had throughout. We will finish chemo 6 of 6, we will address the spot in my stomach if it shows up again on the PET scan in February, we will get through the radiation portion of treatment, and Blobby will officially be in remission. God has clearly been watching out for me and helping me through this storm. I have no doubt that He will help me finish the race strong. I pray that any of you reading out there, who are going through a storm of your own, that you too, would lean on God for comfort and strength. We don’t have to fight alone.

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for a wonderful year. Did things go the way I thought they would this year? Not exactly. However, that is the beauty of Your providence. You see the beginning and the end. You know what we need, when we need it. Romans 8:28 reminds us “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Thank You for the lessons You have been teaching me through this storm. Help me to look back on this blog periodically in the months and years to come to remind myself how great You are and what You have brought me through. I look forward to another year, and seeing what You have in store for me. Amen.