Treatments
Today is the second day of treatments. We are able to start first thing in the morning, which is good, but it wasn’t any easier to get out of bed today. Tiah is providing some laughs as her ponytail keeps sweeping under the hand sanitizer, foaming her hair. One of the lovely nurses also informed us that my particular chemo treatment is the most nauseating one, so I have every incentive to drink an abundance of water, which apparently helps flush the chemo out after it has done its thing.
Monday was a long day, as we had to get some blood work done, meet with the doctor, and then go upstairs to start this process. Mondays will also be a longer day, as there’s stuff to pump me with that I won’t get the other days. I am told there’s a high probability I’ll lose my hair, likely the second week, which is a little discouraging as I did the bald look once in Iraq, and it wasn’t a good look for me, although I won’t have to worry about washing my hair. Tiah is worried it will come back gray though. I could be her silver fox dud.
Blessings
We have been blessed by an outpouring of support from friends and family, I guess years of freely sharing time, energy, and resources with people gets you that. I’m especially thankful for Geremy, who is once again coming through to help wrap up some technical problems I can’t adequately deal with, in part because my left arm still hasn’t regained full range of motion since getting the port put in. We also so appreciate Danelle, one of our best friends, who seemingly always reaches into our lives with just the right amount of communication, and helps just in the ways we need, when we need. Yesterday she blessed us with lunch from JL Beers, and it really hit the spot, just the thing I was craving.
Help Out
Many people are asking how they can help us out. Some of that is still up in the air as we figure out better what the days look like, and where my energy level winds up. Personally, I would most appreciate Amazon gift cards for some comfort and convenience items. We’re doubling down on careful spending before bills start coming in, and some gift cards would allow me to get a few things that would nice the next few months. We’ll update the How To Help page from time to time, so you can check there for ways you can help out. There has also been a meal train started. I am also dropping some affiliate links for places/things we like and services I am using into the footer at the bottom of the page. If you’re using any of them for shopping and other needs, please utilize those links, as they will help provide a few extra dollars for us.
Thank you all for your support and prayers, they mean more to us than we could ever express. This is our journey, but in some small way, you’re also a part of it. We encourage you to comment on these posts as well, our hope is they have been structured in such a way that you can follow along with the comments via email without having to specifically revisit this site, and all be part of the extended support community together.
Praying for you Shawn! Thanks for letting us know how we can help you and Tiah. We are here for you guys and whatever you need. In our thoughts and prayers. Becky
Our prayers our with you.
You are in our prayers. You guys are like my kids.
Praying for you bro, you’re in this fight with a horde of praying warriors and a God that cares deeply. Glad you are keeping everyone posted…i will probably have dozens of small tech questions for you here and there in Billings! Hang in there…
Are you saying you’re in Billings now?
Hi Shawn! Just dropping in a word to let you know that Erik and I will be praying for you and Tiah as you walk this journey. I absolutely LOVE this blog site name…very fitting! I had no idea you did this sort of thing in the past, but I think it’s great you can start it up again. Stay strong in your fight and never hesitate to reach out when you need something!
I used to be a very active blogger, which helped lead me into some very unique opportunities. Sadly, it fell by the wayside as I jumped on other pursuits these past years. It’s going to take a bit more to get my web development skills up to speed again though.
So is chemo all day long 3 days a week for the duration of the treatment, or will the length and frequency change as time goes by?
Monday is a good chunk of the day, the rest of the week is shorter.
I viewed the schedule on the calendar and now have a better idea. Is this a normal course of treatment for this type of cancer? It seems very agressive.
They say it’s pretty standard, same thing whether in Bismarck or at Mayo.
Sending many prayers to you and tiah from down here in Atlanta!
Hay big guy! the pic of you with all the cables behind you on your right really made me think of you! We are indeed praying for you. Blessings, Joel