Family

Chemo day yesterday. 8 down and 4 to go. We ran into a friend and co-worker at the hospital who is a recent survivor of esophageal cancer. He is walking testimony to God's power and it was a great way to start the morning.

I guess we're getting to be "old hats" because as soon as we walk off the elevators of the 5th floor at MD Anderson, we're greeted by first name and smiles by Elaine and GiGi. I wonder if they know what an impact their kindness makes on us every Tuesday morning. Next week, I'm going to make it a point to tell them.

Our chemo nurse was sweet. Her name was Mignon and I resisted all urges to associate her name with a steak. I'm sure she has had more than her share of that in her lifetime. Labs came back good enough to get treatment. Still anemic, but I have to admit we haven't been pushing the liver and onions. The infection fighting white blood cells are even lower than last week, but I haven't gotten sick yet. Thank you Lord! I always breathe a little prayer of thanks when the labs pass because I don't want any delay in treatment.

Carl had to leave for a doctor appointment but I was in the room with an older couple we had been with before so we had a nice visit. Time for the steroids, then benadryl then the chemo. It was absolutely freezing in the treatment room, and once the benadryl took effect I buried myself in my quilt and went to sleep.

Carl got back and we picked up a big bowl of homemade chicken soup from Ann that her mom had made, then headed straight home. I took something for the nausea and went right back to sleep.

Later that afternoon, I decided that I didn't want another 48hour marathon of no sleep brought on by the steroids. We were planning to go to North Carolina the next day to see my youngest son Brent stationed at Camp Lejuene and his wife Sabrina and our two little grandbabies Lincoln and Ches. So I called my oncologist and told them I was ready for a prescription to sleep. Ellen, his nurse is so sweet. She laughed and said "You are one of the most stubborn patients I have. Most people are asking for something the first week and you held off for 6 months. You need the rest and that's what it's for." So I got a good night's sleep last night despite the steroids.

And today is a NEW day. Lamentations 3:23! The day to see family far away. We picked up Sabrina's great grandmother so she could see her great- great grandbabies. "Nanny" is a spry, happy, fun to be around 84 year young lady. She walks faster than I do and is a joy to have along on the trip. Carl has done all the driving because the nausea was pretty bad and I ended up having to take something. But he and nanny both had large cups of coffee and are busy chatting away. I've been sitting in the back seat reading from the book of Proverbs. I love the book of Proverbs and wanted to share a passage from it today.

"The Lord formed me from the beginning. I was His constant delight, rejoicing always in His presence. And how happy I am with all He created - His wide world and all his human family." (Proverbs 8:22&31).

What a gift He has given us in family! Whether our families are large or small, near or far, He created them to bring us joy. They are one of His gifts to us. Sometimes we get aggravated with them, we squabble, we argue, we take them for granted. But they are still our family and God has given them to us for our "delight."

And I can't wait to delight in my grandbabies today!!