The Countdown Begins

Since the start of my blog, I have had 40,019 "hits". It seems unreal to me.

It is "hump day" for radiation, and I have a little bit of a hot belly feeling which is normal from about Wednesday evening to Saturday....then it goes away until about the next Wednesday only to start all over again. ALL of the pain I was feeling in my belly is gone. All the prayers helped shoo the pain away, and I have praised the good Lord several times each day for taking it out of my body.

I had been losing weight, and it was starting to concern the doctor. I saw a nutritionist, and she wanted me to eat 70-85 grams of protein a day, plus still drink over 64 ounces of water each day. So.....Jenn has cooked all kinds of high protein foods continuously, and we've picked up high protein bars, drinks, etc. to see if I can keep from losing weight this week. I asked the Radiology Dept. what would happen (in their opinion) if I lost weight this Friday and they said the doctor might put a feeding tube in.....WHAT!  So, I have been eating like a starving dog!! I am to the point I almost want to throw up from eating so much food. I asked the doctor yesterday after getting radiated if I could just slip in and check my weight. I did.....and I had not lost or gained. I was kind of surprised because of all the good food I have been eating but staying the same is BETTER than losing. I just have to keep it up until Friday when I go to the doctor.

Jenn & Kate leave Friday morning for Olney, and Sarah comes in on Tuesday (and stays until Saturday). She is a good cook so I will eat well then also. I don't have the best appetite anyway with the radiation but have basically forced myself to eat. IF I lose too much weight, my organs would shift around too much and the radiation would not be hitting the right spots on the tumor. So, pray for weight stability until my radiation is over.

There are so many people I see here each time I am here.....from all parts of the world, and I am so thankful I am in as good a shape as I am....but I also ask God to lift those who are suffering terribly to raise them up and help ease their pain. Cancer is just wrong. It affects the whole family...not JUST the person that gets it.

Relay for Life is this Saturday and I ask all of you that live close to Olney to get up off the couch and support this cause. Our booth is called Suntone Beach Survivors and we will be serving Chicken & Noodles (donated by Michelle Kauble) which sold out last year....that tells you they were GOOD!! We are also serving nachos and cheese, and I think we are selling Tea & Lemonade also. You can still buy a T shirt or a raffle ticket for lodging for six (donated by Larry & Sheila Stoltz-my brother and his wife) at The Fountains Resort in Orlando, Florida. I want to thank everyone on my team that shows up to help in advance. This is the second year I have missed it due to my health, but I will be there in spirit (and on Skype!!)!

In closing, I thank God for all the cards of encouragement. They really do lift my spirits when I am so far away from everyone. I thank God for every day I am as healthy as I am and that I have the best doctors in the world here to guide me on this journey with the best health care possible. As I was in the butterfly museum, I just stood there....I listened....just listened to the beauty of the butterflies fluttering everywhere....hundreds of them....the water falling from a waterfall.....the peace it put in my heart. I thank God for moments like that. They are precious to me in a way they never were before.

God is good~~~ALL the time!
Hugs & Prayers!
Patty