Day 72 – Saturday (11/03/18)

Next blog update will be posted by Saturday, November 10th, at midnight.

Hello again everyone.  Another week is in the books.  4 down, 14 to go.  Important service bulletin: My hair is trying to grow back!  However, I have decided to just keep it shaved until this whole process is over.  There is no need for it to start growing back, then fall back out… etc.

This week has been a crazy week.  I got off the prednisone for cycle 2 on Monday.  I experienced the same fluid retention and weight gain as cycle 1.  I also had the same experience that by Tuesday night, my body released the fluid and I lost all the weight I had gained.  The good news is, aside from the cyclical fluid issue, my weight is maintaining very well.  Wednesday was Halloween, and unfortunately was my worst day.  I had severe stomach problems that day, but luckily by Thursday things had calmed down again, at least for me.  Not so much for my wife and daughter.  They went to urgent care on Thursday night and both had strep throat.  I called my doctor to see if they wanted to proactively treat me, and they said no.  However, I needed to watch my temperature, and if I started a fever, or got a sore throat, I was to start my antibiotics immediately.  Luckily, I never developed any symptoms, and neither did my son.  We lysol’d the whole house, and it seems we dodged a bullet.  I’ll go ahead and mention this even though it happened in “the future” (since I’m late writing this for Saturday).  On Sunday (11/4), my son stepped on a soccer ball wrong, fell, and broke two metatarsals in his left foot (the ones attached to the little piggy that had no roast beef, and the one that went wee wee wee all the way home).  Luckily, they broke in a good spot that did not affect his growth plates, and also were lined up enough to not need surgery.  He just has to where a boot for 4-6 weeks.

So, in the end, the week was full of fun, excitement, and adventure… just the wrong kind.  But, God is good, and each situation could have been much worse, but it wasn’t.

Dear heavenly Father, thank you for helping my family through another week.  There were a few challenges during the week, but You helped us through them.  You helped my stomach finally calm down, You protected me from getting strep, and You helped my son break his foot in the best way possible.  There is always a silver lining in every “bad” thing that happens.  I pray for the election this coming week Lord.  I pray that people would get out and vote, and that You would place the people in positions of authority/leadership that You see fit.  I pray that You would be with our current and newly elected leaders, and that You would help our country turn back to You.  Thank You for all that You do for us, amen.