Round 4 Concludes

Loved Ones,

Today was a good day. Ray was able to go with us to Nora's graduation from "Safety Town," and out for ice cream.

He finished up Chemo Round 4 today and got a liter of IV fluids. It seems like the chemo is working, his appetite is gone and this evening he's so tired! Those seem to be the tell-tale signs!

Though it is always hard to watch the chemo hit him so hard (Saturday and Sunday are usually the hardest days), we are so glad for the work the chemo is doing! We try to focus on that part and keep our prayers going for continued miraculous impact!

We are however, also praying for protection of Ray's healthy cells from chemo side effects. That's been on my mind today because they've told us to expect side effects from the chemo on Ray's nerves on the 4th or 5th round. Another very common side effect is fatigue.

Side effects so far have been manageable but each one has an impact . For example, the chemo gives him a metallic taste that lasts until about the day before we go back! This impacts his appetite.

We have been praying that side effects will be minimal. Side effects (and the level of toxicity they convey) can impact the chemo schedule -- which we want to avoid. They can also make it a lot harder to have good days. So we really want to avoid that!

Of course side effects pale in comparison to healing! But they can be a big part of day to day living, so I wanted to mention our prayer request that they be manageable.

As part of my ongoing research I had a great conversation today with a top person at the National Cancer Institute. We are so thankful for conversations like this as they further educate us, give us questions for our doctor, reinforce our treatment path, and bolster our spirits.

We are in the waiting time. Praying for miracles and waiting for God's answer. At the same time, our eyes are also firmly fixed on the joy of each day -- each moment together. We thank God for all of our blessings.

"Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples."

Psalm 96:2-3

not alone and not afraid --

kristin and ray