Life Still Goes On

We have been negligent writing blogs the past few weeks (hence the deluxe edition today.) It is a busy time for the Dedinsky household! The girls and Scott were in Europe visiting Lauren the last ten days of March. They returned to wedding plans amid work (or perhaps work amid wedding plans!) The girls found the time to throw me a birthday party the day before Easter. The party was small (but loud) and a great opportunity to reconnect with longtime friends and celebrate with those who have been so supportive these past few months.

One of the biggest blessings this month so far was a visit from a friend who I met during Greg’s cardiac fellowship days. Roxy babysat Kendal and Kaylin when they were small while our husband’s spent nearly all their hours at the hospital training. We reminisced about those crazy days over wine recalling the days of “Stitch and Bitch” with other resident wives. (Neither of us ever managed to complete a knitting project but man could we do the other!) It was a quick but wonderful twenty-four hours before Roxy had to go home to Arizona, but we still managed to find time to hit up TJ Maxx fast and furiously - just like old times.

I completed my fifth cycle of chemo today. Our last scans about two weeks ago showed a small decrease in the size of the lymph nodes in and around my arm. The pancreatic tumor is unchanged from our last scan. We have elected to continue on course with the same chemo regiment for a total of six cycles. This puts us into May at which point we will need to make more decisions about the next step.

As for me, I need a nap earlier in the day than I did in January, but my side effects continue to be irritating but not debilitating. I have trouble with sensation in my left hand and arm but have no problems with strength. I guess my right hand is going to have to start doing some work for the first time in my life. The doctor thinks this loss of sensation is due to chemotherapy and decided to decrease the dose of one of my chemo medications by 25%.

One week from today we will have a wedding to celebrate! We got out our wedding video this past week. Damn we looked good despite the bad video quality of 1983. I eagerly await the arrival of family next week, and anticipate the house will need a thorough cleaning this weekend. Those tasks will be delegated to my wonderful children and husband as mom has cancer and shouldn’t be doing house chores. J I need to store my energy for the excitement of the coming week and the weeks after that when we will celebrate two graduations. I am thankful everyday that there are so many wonderful distractions in my life as I endure this challenge! Looking back to January when I was first diagnosed, we had no idea how I would feel this week in April. By the grace of God, I haven’t missed a beat.

I continue to count my blessings and try every day to embrace this road that the Good Lord walks with us.  Thank you for your continued prayers. I will end with a poem:

Look on the Bright Side

For every negative that consumes your happiness,

Affirm two positives that sustain you.

For every “should’ve” you wish you’d done,

Acknowledge something you’re glad you did.

For every loss that has altered your world,

Count from it something you have gained.

For every limit that has ever beset you,

Consider your possibilities.

You can’t always change the way things are,

But you can change the way you wish to see them.

Never stop looking

For the brighter side and beyond.

Eric T. Moore