Chemo Start
Week 3 of treatment at the Comprehensive Cancer Care clinic and we have hit the time for chemotherapy to begin. Tuesday, January 23rd, Kelly had his first bout of chemo. Kelly is being treated with a low-dose chemo process that not only helps to put less load onto his kidneys (HUGE NEED), but also the ways in which the clinic administers the chemo allows for the pursuit of greater cancer cell uptake of the chemo toxin versus a systemic effect that kills the good with the bad. It’s a fascinating process. Any nerds like me out there, I am happy to share more.
Cold mittens and cold footies to reduce potential for neuropathy, an adverse effect from chemo. Cold cap to protect the head / hair follicles
Having been 11 business days into our time at the clinic (treatment still happens on the weekends - therapies at home to do, and raw plant based diet continued, etc), I found myself surprised how day 12 and the onset of chemo really punched me in the face with a new wave of “THIS IS REAL”. Something about seeing your best friend lying in a chair, pale and greenish, not feeling his best, while a toxin is being administered to him to fight chronic fermenting cells in his body that have created a tumor, sits with you. I’m SO THANKFUL for how the clinic has used the previous weeks at the clinic to prepare Kelly’s body for this process and will continue to do so. As the tumor begins to be attacked, now the work increases to detox and remove the yuck that breaks up and moves. For example, bacteria loves to party with CFCs (chronic fermenting cells). Therefore, when we start to target that tumor in Kelly’s mesentery, the bacteria or virus that was partying with CFCs are going to feel like the cops have arrived and they want to flee the “party” . . . this is where the administration of antibiotics for Kelly and antivirals yesterday come in. We’re ready to catch those bacterial and viral cells that need to hit the road and get out too! BUT, antibiotics, although good at getting that bad bacteria we want gone, strip us of the good bacteria in our gut that we need for a robust immune system. HELLO DIET. This is where the raw plant based diet is especially helpful to recover Kelly’s gut health needs.
The plan is for Kelly go through this chemo process twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays for 4 weeks. By the end of yesterday’s time at the clinic, I could tell Kelly was already feeling spent and depleted. We took it easy once home and did our best to get Kelly to bed around 830p. Unfortunately, the night wasn’t an easy and fully productive sleep like I hoped. Kelly woke around 2:30am and was unable to fall back asleep. He woke me around 4am to ask for help. I oiled him up with some of my favorite sleep support items: Cedarwood oil and Stress Away blend. When my alarm went off at 6:55a this morning, I found Kelly on the couch asleep. Knowing his body likely needed the additional rest, and the clinic schedule today included a hands-on tour and education about Sprouts grocery store, helping to prepare clients at the clinic for their return home in the future and how to shop, we took the morning slow. Kel woke around 8:15a, feeling more rested but “off”.
The unexpected slow moving morning was a blessing for the entire family . . . the littles knocked out their school work, Kelly and Kyler did a video Bible study on the beatitudes together, and mom got a few moments of quiet to start the day to feel the feels, pray for the renewed strength needed for a new day, and drink a cup of coffee in peace.
We got to the clinic at 10:30a for Kelly’s IV start today.
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Thankful for the truth of Lamentations 3:22-23…
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”