My new treatment would have started today, but instead I was scheduled for my "hospital day" this Friday, April 12, in the afternoon. As I will be starting a new medication, Enhurtu, I would appreciate prayer that all would go well with the infusion, and that I would be able to handle whatever side effects come with it. Most of all, pray that it would be effective, reducing the cancer and killing the cancer cells.

Some of  you have asked about my current side effects, and since I don't often share them, I'll mention a few for which I'd appreciate prayer:

• Sleep has become an issue again, with 2:30am wake-ups becoming the norm. I am so thankful, however, that I can normally fall asleep again without much trouble.
• Dry eyes, dry flaky skin, and a dry, bumpy, itchy scalp have been part of my life for weeks now. I have re-started taking vitamin E internally, as well as working to stay hydrated, limiting hot water exposure, and using various lotions and oils. (I do love my essential oil blend that I use on my scalp, and have been using that more often now.)
• Numbness in my right foot has been a real problem. I am praying this goes away as my body recovers from 9 months of the past treatment. 
• I have been more tired than usual recently, and that's discouraging.
• My shortness of breath seems worse than a month ago, though it makes sense that if I still have some pleural effusion, those symptoms might change as my response to treatment changes. Please pray the fluid would be absorbed and I would not require treatment for that again.
• I have also been having muscle spasms (charley horse pains) in my right hamstings on a regular basis. Even taking magnesium doesn't seem to help.

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Since I didn't get this posted earlier, I'll update on how Friday went, and thank you for your prayers. 

I was encouraged by my doctor's thoughts,  especially that she is on the same page with us that this next treatment is the best thing for me, and should help push back the cancer again. We are hopeful that once it starts to work some of my symptoms should decrease (shortness of breath should get better, heart rate should decrease again, etc.). We are also hopeful that my foot should start to recover as the doxil liposomal gets out of my system.
 
We are still watching for digestive issues, which could happen in days 3-5 post-treatment (Monday-Wednesday, this week). 

The new treatment will be on a 3-week rotation, and what was nice is that it is in less fluid (125 mLs instead of 250 mLs (I don't think it was 500, so it was probably 250 before...), which means the infusion takes less time, and I don't need to take my IV pole to the restroom in the middle of treatment. ;-) It's the little blessings that help, right?!

All went well on Friday, and we were home by around 6:00pm after getting to the hospital at noon. The boys stayed on campus at school for a worship service, which was an encouragement to them. Our friends brought them home, which was such a help, since I was exhausted and in bed before their 9:30pm arrival. I heard them come in, and Brad was up, but I was close to falling asleep. 

I have felt well this weekend, which is also a gift. I enjoyed being at a gathering last night put together by some friends, and now I'm getting ready for a new week of school, work, family life, a track meet, a dinner at our house next weekend. 

Thank you for praying! And as you think of us, please also pray for others in your sphere of influence who are struggling with cancer or other diseases. A friend recently shared how she was able to provide food to those caring for a loved on in the hospital, as she knew they wouldn't have time to leave to get meals. I expressed gratitude for that practical gift, as it's so easy to overlook your own needs in those seasons. We also thanked a woman in the hospital, now a patient, who served as a pediatric oncology nurse for years. I was able to let her know how the parents of her patients were so grateful to have her attentive care, as that's how we felt about our nurses at Cincinnati Children's. I want to find small ways to let others know they are seen and appreciated. In a world where those who serve in these roles are overworked and under-appreciated, I hope and pray that a kind word can be a soothing balm. 

We are grateful for you and your prayers for our family on this journey!