Day 42 - Good Days & Bad Days

The chemo treatment has gone smoothly some days and other days are just plain rotten. The pharmacist cautioned Sherri to make sure that Nat took her anti-nausea pill every four hours without fail, since this is a very harsh drug. The first few days she did really great and was eating and moving around. Then she felt pretty sick, was in pain with light and sound sensitivity. She slept a lot, had a fever, said that foods tasted metallic (she said that her two favorite foods, bacon and lasagna tasted horrible), and ended up losing 8 lbs. However, she is doing better now and the fever is gone so we are hoping for better days. The good news from her doctor appointment yesterday is that her white & red blood cell counts were at the top of the scale chart...yay!!

One of the things that Sherri has learned about the drug is that it attacks the fast growing cells (the cells with the fastest turnover rate). Unfortunately, besides the cancer cells, other things like hair, fingernails, skin, and the lining of the stomach are also fast growing cells, which is why chemo patients often lose their hair. With Natalee, the greater concern is that she could break out with a rash on her skin: inside of her stomach, inside of her mouth, and then of course her hands and feet. This isn't a guaranteed side effect, but it is likely to happen and would be very uncomfortable. Sherri would like us to pray that the chemo will put more energy on the cancer cells and not on her "good cells."

At the beginning of this ordeal, we requested a little bit of breathing space for the family and everyone has been very respectful of that. However, now they need less breathing room and more hugs and support. Sherri would really welcome phone calls and visits (call first:503.590.4922). If it isn't a good time, she won't answer the phone, so don't let that stop you from calling her or Natalee up to offer your love and support. These times can get lonely and discouraging now that certainty of Natalee's condition is known and the treatment course is set, so please continue to pray for Natalee and her family to be uplifted during the struggles ahead.