November 2 and the Second Chemo Treatment

The second chemo has come and gone and Dina is holding up really well.  She had a pretty "yucky" (her words) weekend...just feeling nauseous all day and very tired.  But good news, before the chemo began the doctor examined her and he could NOT feel her spleen!  We feel so optimistic with that report...we feel the lymphoma must be shrinking!!  We will know more on November 16 when she will have another PET Scan...and we are praying for a lot more "gray" areas (that is how "normal" should look) because every thing was BLACK on her first PET Scan!

Monday morning she was back in the doctor's office for her trial drug infusion..that just takes a couple of hours versus the 5 for the regular chemo.  She mentioned feeling very nauseous, so they added a different kind of anti nausea to her IV and it worked like a charm.  So now she has a new anti nauseous pill to take that seems to be working better for her.  On Tuesday she had to go back in again for a white cell booster shot.  Her blood count was low on Friday when she had her chemo and they wanted to boost her white count.  She was told to take some Claratin the day before and the day of and also the day after the shot...for some reason that allergy medicine helps with the side effect of the booster shot, which is sore bones for 24 - 48 hours.  Today the girls and I went to the Olive Garden for a lite lunch and Dina was feeling good, but her bones were sensitive to touch...they didn't really ache like she imagined they would (similar to aches when one has the flu) but when Jalen went to give her a hug and put his arms around her, it hurt.  However...it only lasts up to 48 hours, so I think she will be feeling better soon.

Some friends offered their beach condo to them, so Jamie and Dina are taking off tomorrow for the beach for two days.  The beach has always been Dina's favorite place to go (not so much for Jamie...but he is willing to do anything for his wife...even go to the beach!...I have to add that during this time of the year there is probably NOT much chance of getting sand every where...they will be lucky if they can walk on the beach, but even watching the waves and hearing the sound of the surf can be quite soothing).  Friends are keeping the girls over night and help get them to school and their various activities.  I am going to have the J-man!  He asked if he was going to be sleeping with me and Papa and I told him, "no, I think you and I will sleep in the guest room".  And he replied, "why don't we kick Papa out and make him go to the guest room."  That boy is too quick!  And yeah, that is NOT going to happen!!  I am glad that Dina and Jamie can get away for a few days without the children...they have been great, but let's admit they are kids and they can still be little stinkers and NOT the best listeners...so a few days of peace and quiet to rejuvenate their bodies, souls and minds will be just what they need!  Then they can come back to the chaos!  ha ha

Just added this picture from the beach sent to me from their phone

So this is the report for now...pretty good I would say!  And the doctor thought that Dina would continue to feel this same way, but get a lot more fatigued as the weeks progress.  He thinks she will not be feeling any more sick to her stomach than she does now, but just get more and more tired.  We can live with tired, right?

Her next Chemo is on Friday, November 23...I will be going to St. Vincents for my pre-op "stuff"...blood work, xrays etc. I have to be back at St. Vincents on Monday morning bright and early at 5:30 am and right now I am the first on the schedule for a 7:30 surgery although I was told I could be bumped...So I will write up something after that chemo.  We decided to have our Thanksgiving on the 18th before all the procedures take place.  We usually celebrate our family Thanksgiving on the Sunday after the holiday (that gives my girls a chance to go every year to their spouses side of the family) and we get to have our parents...which now is only my dad, but he can come every year because we celebrate it on a different day!

Dina and I want to thank all of you who are sending cards and prayers our way...with the good news from the doctor about the spleen reduction in size, we feel God is listening and answering our and YOUR prayers!  Thank you all for your continued and persistent prayers for us!  We love and cherish all of you and everything you are doing for us!  God bless you all!