A dear friend from church arranged for Susan to have an alternative medicine treatment with a "quantum biofeedback" system. A type of electromagnetic therapy, the device uses electrodes and 32-gigabyte computer program to analyze a person's physical and emotional condition, identify blockages and imbalances, correct them, and allow the body to heal itself. It's hard for me to summarize the what and the how of energy medicine, but it's another resource we're exploring to help Susan's body fend off cancer and the effects other therapies.
Thu 09/07/07
Susan's condition continues to improve with a high-dose, oral anti-fungal drug called fluconasole (diflucan) that she'll be on until Oct 1. Her temodar chemotherapy will be delayed until about that time to allow the infection to heal. We'll watch her symptoms for any relapse and have blood tests to guard against adverse side effects with her liver.
Susan was attended by friends of ours from church who came by in 3 to 4 hour morning and afternoon shifts to provide care for her while Lexie worked and the boys had their first day of school. I actually went to work for several hours; and Sue's parents took her to radiation. This was the first day of our new fall routine.
Sun 09/09/07
Susan continues to improve with rest and medications. We had some family time with my brother Jon on Saturday and mom, grandmother, and sister Becky on Sunday. We also attended church together for the first time in about a month, enjoying the worship, the Word, and the fellowship.
Mon 09/10/07
We revisited our new fall schedule with Lexie at CSULB, the boys in school, and me at work. Our sister-in-law Dorothy has arranged for morning and afternoon care Mon-Fri with 10-15 ladies from our church. I'm thankful! I set up instructions for her care with physical therapy exercises and other activities during the day, including a pain med log for continuity. We're blessed to have such caring friends who are available to help.
I took Susan to her radiation therapy and our first weekly consultation with her radiation oncologists. We each answered each other's questions – I'm grateful to have these caring specialists on our team.
We dropped by our Pavilions grocery pharmacy to have a prescription refilled and were overwhelmed by the love expressed to us by our pharmacist and his assistant. Ray, the pharmacist, offered us his prayers along with his "whatever I can do" attitude. Sylvia, the tech who also has been a dental hygiene patient of Susan's, gave her a beautiful Enesco angel figurine. People everywhere are amazing.
As we make the transition from summer to fall, I'm grateful for the timing of Susan's illness having begun in early summer when schedules were lighter and more unstructured. I guess if there were ever a good time to get used to having your life turned on end, summer would be it. In contrast, the fall season brings the weight of increased family activities, and the realization that we've quickly gone from Sue and me running our household while supporting three people to me running our household while supporting four. Time whizzes by (I left this website untouched for a week), priorities are numerous, and sleep is precious. It's all pretty heavy. I'm glad we have a lot of help.
Susan and I are continually and increasingly thankful to have each other. She relies on me more than ever, she understands the pressure I must be feeling, and is forever gracious and grateful. I find myself wanting nothing more than to be next to her since the days are uncertain. I am thankful to have her by my side in spite of her limitations – we still confide in and console each other – I still have my wife. We recognize the blessing of being able to communicate as we always have.
We recently read another amazing installment in Streams in the Desert that affected us deeply:
"There is a divine mystery in suffering, one that has a strange and supernatural power and has never been completely understood by human reason. No
one has ever developed a deep level of spirituality or holiness without
experiencing a great deal of suffering. When a person who suffers reaches a
point where he can be calm and carefree, inwardly smiling at his own suffering
and no longer asking God to be delivered from it, then he has accomplished its
blessed ministry, perseverance has 'finish[ed] its work' (James 1:4), and the
pain of the Crucifixion has begun to weave itself into a crown."
Lord, have mercy. I believe – help me also to obey.
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