Cycle 3
In comparison to the previous two treatments, this go around has been better. I hesitate to say that because I don’t want to diminish how difficult this all is for Carey. He is still very nauseous, fatigued, and weak.
But due to a necessary dose reduction we haven’t had to make any extra trips to the hospital or ER. It’s been an improvement for sure, and this is good news!
His next set of scans will be done in early December, and he’ll start radiation therapy soon after that. A promising and exciting sign is his calf (where the larger tumor is located) is getting visibly smaller. He’s also able to walk a bit easier with less of a limp.
For those who are praying for our family I ask that you would pray especially for Eli right now. I, of course, am biased but he’s got such a sweet and tender spirit so it’s been particularly difficult for him to see the changes in his daddy (and a new baby brother in the mix!). Eli is two, soon to be three, so we expect tantrums and meltdowns, but he’s been showing a lot of extra frustration and anxiety lately. We’re looking into preschools for him to hopefully give him a fun and productive “escape”, as well as a more structured and consistent schedule. Please pray that we will find just the right place for him that has the best teachers and environment to help meet his needs right now.
Carey, in the physical sense, feels weak. But I have never seen anyone show such strength. It’s an awful, helpless feeling watching someone you love so much suffer so much, but I’m simply sitting at his side. He’s had to endure uncontrollable vomiting, his body becoming so weak he can’t walk, and an unimaginable roller coaster of emotions - among a whole host of other crazy side effects and symptoms. And yet he’s still all in. He’s fighting this thing with every ounce of his being and that, to me, shows his strength has reached a level far beyond being able to bench press 250 pounds. The endurance he’s shown has been far greater than being able to run a marathon in under four hours. Carey’s self-discipline and athletic abilities have always been impressive – very impressive. But I now stand in awe at his courage, his stamina, and his determination. It’s extraordinary.
Though he may not feel it or see it, my husband is stronger than ever.
Three treatments down, fourteen to go.
