Last Monday I saw my primary
care physician per my oncologist’s request. He said when the regular radiologist evaluated
the CT scan of my sinuses – that was taken the previous Saturday in the ER – he
did see a “thickening” on one side, so he continued treating me for a sinus
infection. He said he didn’t really like
doxycycline for this kind of infection and changed me to cefdinir.
The rest of the week I continued
to run a fever, much of the time, just over 101 – enough to make you feel
terrible all the time. I’d take 2
Tylenol and wait for the sweating to occur.
Tuesday I had to work on the
spare room to be able to get a bed set up in there. I was able to do it, and with Guy’s help we
got the bed put together. And we had
room to spare. When the sun comes into
that room each morning, it is so pretty through the sheer curtains. I think I probably over-did on that day, but
it had to be done.
Wednesday my temp was back up
to 101. It always goes down with 2
Tylenol, so I have a few hours where I don’t feel so bad. I was excited this day, because Mark and
Chris arrived to stay overnight. They
were on their way to Dallas where Chris (13) was going to be in a soccer tournament. They swept the 3 games of the
tournament. Meanwhile, Dylan (15) was in
another tournament. They lost the 1st
game but won the last 2.
Thursday morning, I was able
to fix breakfast for us all. We’ve drove
by the new house so they could see it in the daylight. Mark wanted to take
Chris out to the farm and show him where he spent most of his weekends growing
up as a boy. They walked around the
barns.
I stayed in the car. I didn’t dare get out in that cold. I was pushing it just getting out period.
Then Chris drove the Jeep around the
open pasture – having a ball – could barely see over the steering wheel.
He drove the 7 miles back to town on the dirt
road.
He did a good job. What would really be fun for the boys
would be to let them drive around out there on the UTV…..maybe this
summer. Mark and Chris really enjoyed
the hour or so before they had to come back to town and get on the road. They brought Heidi and Abby (the golden
retrievers) for us to keep for a few days.
They are such sweet dogs.
As soon
as Mark gets back to KC, he has to fly to Birmingham for some mandatory meetings. He will drive his company car back, coming by
here to get the girls on Feb.6.
Later in the day, I chilled
all evening long and a couple hours into the night. I went to bed in fleece pajamas and piled on
the blankets – HATE chilling. About 3 am
the blankets when flying off! I even had
to get up and change into lighter PJs.
Before I got this infection, I was still sleeping in my summer PJs –
like to sleep cool. Nighttime here
lately has been crazy. Sometimes it with
light PJs and barely covered up.
Sometimes, it’s winter PJs and socks on my feet. Other times, it is everything in between. Sometimes I get pretty good sleep with
getting up once, and sometimes I get no sleep at all. Other times, it’s everything in between.
Friday and Saturday my
temperature was all over the place – high was 101.2. Friday I went to the infusion center to get
my bag of fluid. I couldn’t tell that I
felt all that much better after getting it because of the fever. However, it did keep me out of the ER over
the weekend.
Saturday I just lay around – NO energy.
Saturday night was steak night at the local grill. I knew Guy looks forward to that each
week. I asked him to just call in an
order, we would eat it here, which he did, and we both enjoyed it.
Saturday night when I went to
bed I felt SO miserable!! You know,
there are times when you just can’t pray – you simply can’t put words
together. It was like right after one of
my surgeries – all I could say was “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.” This night, what came
to me was the nighttime prayer we all learned as a child.
“Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to
keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to
take.”
If I should die before I wake…..I
thought…..is this what it’s like to die???
Well, if I do, I’ll just wake up on the other side. Not really a bad deal, all things considered. But I woke up Sunday morning still on this
side.
Sunday I was scheduled to
give my whole testimony – my story – in church.
I had been looking forward to that so much all week, but I knew Saturday
it just wasn’t going to happen. I was SO
disappointed!! My temp went up to 101.1
and more chilling. I was feeling about
as low as I could get when Guy called after he got out of church. He said, “Do you think it would be OK if
Pastor Ted comes by to give you communion?”
I was lying in the recliner in my PJs, hadn’t bathed for 2 days, but
YES! That would be great. I’d love a visit from my pastor. I got up, washed up a bit, and dressed for
the 1st time in 2 days.
Shortly, Pastor Ted arrived. With
him was my husband’s cousin, Bert, 94 and a retired RN. Bless this dear lady!! She has called me so many times to check on
me, and I love here dearly! She hugged me and said, "Oh! You are so hot with a fever!" Once a nurse, aways a nurse! 😀 Also along
was Robyn Galyon. She is the daughter of
two people we went to school with. I
knew who she was but don’t think we had official met, although we were both in
the group of people who made noodles for a church chicken noodle dinner before
this all started. It was so sweet of her;
she sat by me, holding me hand the whole time.
Bert served me the bread, and Pastor served me the juice. And I just cried!! God knew on that day I needed a visit from 3
angels!! I cannot tell you how that
blessed my heart – just can’t put it in words.
By 8:00 pm, Sunday night my
temp was 103.7. That is the highest it
has ever been, and it scared me. 2 more
Tylenol brought it down to 99 by 11:30 pm.
Thankfully, I was able to go to sleep with it down.
This morning, I called Dr.
Jackson’s office to get an appointment since he had told me to see him if I
were not better by Monday. The
appointment was for 1:00 pm. My temp was
101.1 at 8:30, so I took 2 more Tylenol, which of course meant that I had no
fever when I got to his office. But I
had kept a detailed journal of my temps and Tylenol all week and took a
printout of that to give him. Once a nurse, always a nurse - if it's not documented, it didn't happen!! 😀 He said he
wanted to draw a set of blood work and do a nasal swab for flu. At the regular lab, they would not draw the
blood from my port, but I could go up the oncology lab, and they would draw it
there. I had not put any numbing cream
on – I should have anticipated this, but they had a numbing spray. Ouch!
I think that hurt worse that just letting them stick me. Oh, well, they got the job done, and I went
back to his waiting room to await the results.
It wasn’t all that long until I was called back. He said, “Well, all your lab work is within
normal limits, and your flu swab is negative, but you’re still running a fever
and are miserable!” He thought a bit and
said he would order a new antibiotic. He
also said that this could be a virus that would just have to wear itself
out. But he did want to get a repeat CT
of my sinuses. He said he didn’t want it
today because I was so tired. (I had
fallen asleep in his office when he came in.) But they would call me and hoped
to do it tomorrow when I come to my 11:00 appointment with my oncologist. I know if I’m still running a fever, she won’t
give me chemo, and I’ll be a week behind and off schedule. Perhaps if I’m OK by the end of the week,
they might give it. I don’t know; I’ll
just have to wait and see what she says.
What is interesting is that I
have not felt feverish the rest of the day.
Knock on wood, but this will be a first in 10 days. And I have felt the best the rest of the day
in those 10 days. Now that feeling
better probably has something to do with the fact that I went ahead and took
the two Dexamethasone this morning in preparation for my chemo day – just in
case and took the other 2 tonight.
Which means I probably will not sleep tonight. Oh, well, you pick your battles.
Jesus Calling always seems to have what I need for the day.
“Worship Me only. Whatever occupies your mind the most becomes your
god. Worries if indulged, develop into
idols. Anxiety gains a life of its own, parasitically
infesting your mind. Break free from
this bondage by affirming your trust in Me and refreshing yourself in My
Presence. What goes on in your mind is
invisible, undetectable to other people.
But I read your thoughts continually, searching for evidence of trust in
Me. I rejoice when your mind turns
toward Me. Guard your thoughts diligently;
good thought-choices will keep you close to Me. – Ps.112:7, I Cor. 13:11”
