Quality time

Yesterday I spent the day with Melanie at the oncology clinic while she had her 3rd chemo treatment.

She came over to our house around 8:15. The day didn't start out good, as she was very sick when she got there. We took Tyler to Sharon's mom's house and then left from there to go to the Oncologist. The big concern was if her blood cells were still too low for chemo that day. We got to the oncology office about 9:30. After signing in she was taken to a room for her blood pressure check. A woman was there who had just finished having hers checked; she asked Melanie if she had lost her hair and so Mel told her she had. This nice lady, who had long, wavy hair past her shoulders, had lost all of hers because of chemo and she reassured Melanie that it would all grow back prettier than it was before. Hers had. Reassurance and compassion from people we had never met never ceases to amaze me, and it's one of the many little things that lift us up when we really need it.

After a visit with Dr. K at 10, we went back to the chemo room to get started on the rest of the day. I'd been in this room a couple of times prior, but they were short visits with only a couple of people (counting the staff) in there; today was much different as it was very full, very busy. They drew blood (from her port) to test her red and white blood cells. Her white cells were still low, but thankfully not enough to postpone treatment. She began her saline drip and premeds around 10:30. The chemo medicine didn't begin until about 11:30. There were 4 chemo's administered, 3 of them through the IV. At 12:30 she was administered the "Red Devil", a very large syringe that slowly injected a red-colored medicine into her through her port. This was called a "push" not an injection.

I went down to the cafeteria around noon and got Mel a turkey sandwich. She ate it all...after having munched on Ritz crackers and peanuts all morning. She was eating a lot of food and what a happy sight that was to see, as she hadn't been eating at all to speak of. She drank a lot of water, she slept a lot. Around 2:00, they came around with sandwiches and Mel ate another one. She doesn't remember that too well. Under any circumstances, this is what we would call a truly good day for her. Eating and sleeping are as important as anything else right now for her to go through this.

3:00, she still had a bag and 1/2 to go...boy these drips are slow. Around 4:30 her last chemo medicine was finished.

Today, she got a shot to get her white blood cells up. This is the one that lasts for 14 days (so she'll only have to get one) and will cause the intense pain in her bones; if you can, please say a special prayer that this won't be like the last one.

Spending a day in a large room with about 24 people getting chemotherapy treatment is a very sobering - and moving- experience. I'd brought my sketch book with thoughts of drawing some creative thoughts I had the past few days. Sharon usually brings a book to read. Other than jotting down some thoughts and occasional 30-second sketch, I did nothing other than doze, think, and chat with Mel when she was awake. It's very hard to focus on anything in there. It reminded me a little bit of the NICU.

It's not depressing in there or anything like that. Actually, I felt that there's a feeling of optimism and hope in this room, not the gloom and despair one might think. I felt that it mirrors our feelings to a degree. We don't feel the gloom or despair either. What we do feel is Melanie's pain and wish every day that we could take some of that on ourselves and away from her. We also believe the Lord will heal Melanie, that this Hodgkin's will be cured through the means He has given, the medicine and care that I saw today. He has given us the blessing of our families and also our friends, some of whom we never knew we had. These are the good things, for which we will always be grateful. More than once Mel thanked me for spending the day with her...I reminded her of our week hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Today was a "quality" day in it's own way too, and there was nowhere else I wanted to be but there with her.