Treatments

First Treatment

Harry spends most of his days laying down because of the chemo treatments. They have been brutal and have weakened him quite a bit. The side effects were not severe at the beginning. After the first treatment, sickness took hold of him for maybe three or four days, then he was able to function very close to normal. But each treatment delivers a stronger punch to his body. It may be because Harry has not been able to recover fully before it's time for the next treatment.

This was especially true before his last treatment. He was scheduled to receive a fourth treatment on last Wednesday, August 10. But because his red blood cell count was so low, the doctors opted to give him a blood transfusion and rescheduled his treatment for Friday, two days later. The blood transfusion helped. The next day Harry felt better, and by Friday, he was able to walk through the hospital without the aid of a wheelchair. This was huge.

Unfortunately, I was not about to be with Harry during his fourth treatment. I had a medical scare and spent Thursday and Friday at the hospital undergoing tests because I was experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. Don't panic. The doctors cleared me and put me on over the counter meds to provide some relief for the stress of our journey.


At Centennial Park

The day after Harry's fourth treatment, he felt great. We went to Centennial Park to get some sun and to walk. It was great for him to get out again after spending so many days confined to the bed or the sofa. And on Sunday, August 14, the second day after the treatment, Harry was able to go to church after being away for about four Sundays. However, he felt that he had overdone walking at the park because he was quite sore.

Monday brought disappointment. Harry fought against the side effects as much as he could. But by Tuesday, the side effects of the treatment won. This past week he has been depleted of appetite and strength. He spent a couple of days in the bed and the other days on the sofa ... again.

Harry and I ask that you continue to pray for his healing and also focus your prayers to be delivered from the side effects of the chemo treatments. The next treatment has been scheduled for August 31, but before the treatment, he will undergo scans to determine how the tumors are responding to the treatments. The scans are scheduled for Thursday, August 25.

Thank you for your prayers. We believe that God is great, and He not only delivers us from sin, but also from diseases (Ps. 103:1-5). Harry and I strongly believe that God will deliver him from this disease. Please join your faith with ours as we believe God to get us on the other side of this, healthy and whole. We love you all.