Sherk Update Post 4 – Dec 11-18.

Hello family and friends,

Last week we shared with you what a typical day has been for us on our health journey. That is, what a typical day is that is not a chemo day. Today we share what a chemo day is like and the subsequent days after (chemo days at home via a slow drip bottle). 

Our cycle of chemo begins on a Thursday and ends on Saturday, every other week. So, this past Thursday, Dec 15 was a chemo day in the hospital. It really begins the day before when there is bloodwork… drawn through Sharon’s PICC line (google it). By the way, we end up getting lost in the cancer centre… and that is stressful. This bloodwork determines if there is need for blood transfusion, and whether Sharon can do the chemo the next days. We have been fortunate enough to go through three rounds of chemo thus far. Our appointment is at 8:30am, so our day begins early before the sun rises.

•  5:30am - Wake up. Dean gets himself ready (the regularly routine but very fast). Sharon ends up taking her meds (some of which should be taken 30 minutes before breakfast). The most significant is a steroid drug (a wonder drug) that gives Sharon energy, fights nausea, gives her an appetite and generally makes her alert and talkative. Bathing, breakfast and getting dressed and out the door is strenuous and draining. Using a walker and morphine pump is in tow.

•  7:45am - Leave for Cancer Centre - Today is a snowstorm day in southern Ontario. Another cause for anxiety. We drive slowly and elect to take ourselves to the CC. (we have had numerous angels who have offered rides to appointments or who have offered their driveway as a parking spot nearby the CC). Thank you! Parking is expensive and at this time of the day ‘available’.

•  8:15am - Once there we register and soon are taken to our ‘station’ in the cancer suite. It’s unusually quiet. I think the storm has had an impact and there have been cancellations. There are only 5 people getting their chemo (usually 30 plus in this suite alone). Krista is our nurse and will be treating us for the next 3 hours, with a smile and compassion that is infectious.

•  8:30-11:30am - The chair Sharon sits in is a recliner and she is given a warm blanket. She’s hooked up to saline solution for starters. Volunteer – “Vivi” whose been there forever (years) is a gem and offers us juice, ginger ale, and cookies etc. She embodies what being a servant is all about. She later gives us a “cancer care package” full of goodies to ease your stay. Hundreds of people who ‘know’ cancer volunteer. This is one expression by a lovely individual who has sought the help of the community to come alongside those with cancer.

•  Sharon receives her chemo cocktail – and there is stringent quality control to make sure the right person is getting the right meds. The next 2.5 hours involve snoozing, crocheting (Sharon picked that up again), puzzles, chats, and Dean walks the halls of the CC and the hospital. Gotta close those rings on my iWatch. I sometimes find myself fighting back tears… having a difficult time finding the balance of being strong and vulnerable at the same time. There are different triggers for these emotions. A visual. Something said or not said.

•  Sharon is feeling good during this day/time. We also get to meet our ‘neighbour’ under treatment for cancer. A lovely woman who shares some of her story and we share some of ours. This community of cancer warriors is strong, sensitive, and is cheering each other on.

• Bathroom break – another adventure when you are hooked up to machinery and various lines of liquid substances. Flush twice! (cancer patients and visitors know why).

• 11:00am – Our PICC line dressing is generously changed by our nurse Krista. LHIN nurses usually do this.

• 11:30am – Goodbyes and depart – Also stressful. The pickup and drop off with the vehicle are challenging. One side effect of the chemo is a sensitivity to cold temperatures.

• The rest of the day… we arrive home to a freshly shovelled driveway. Our neighbours are a significant part of our support team. Thank you. Sharon feels good for most of the day, but the chemo catches up and she begins feeling nauseous in the evening. Bedtime is early.

• The slow drip chemo in a bottle was hooked up while at hospital and stays hooked up for 46 hrs. This is chemo at home. It sucks. We are, however, thankful for the LHIN nurses who come on the Friday and Saturday and hook up the IV and keep Sharon hydrated.

For those praying, we would ask that you pray for strength for Sharon and I and the family. Weakness is real on so many levels. We long for God’s strength in the midst of this weakness. We will delay our next blog entry till in between Christmas and New Year’s! We want to wish you and pray for you the generosity of God in our Emmanuel – God with us! Pass on that generosity to others – everyone has a story and has darkness and pain as part of that story. Thanks for being “Good news” to us.

We love you!

Love Sharon and Dean