Wednesday, October 10, 2007

More Good News

I am considering many options for the continuation of my blog. I do so appreciate your patience. There are many good developments in my health of late. My red blood has taken a miraculous turn for the better and now resides at a nice healthy 12! It's hard for me to think of it as anything but a miracle because the two days before I had it tested I was sleeping much of the day because I was so weak. That's why I went to the doctor to have it tested. Day two of my bout with weariness caused me to reach out to several of my praying friends. I even felt inspired to contact Ruth and Michael Reid. The next day, I was feeling better but didn't realize that the nurse would be coming out to report that I was a 12. A 10 was what I had heard most people in my situation hover at, but mine had gone so low (down to 7.9!) that I thought I'd have to be okay with a 9. But I am blessed with a 12!

I am still unable to stop taking the nausea medication, however. I believe it is due to the number of pills I am still taking on a daily basis. With the medication, I am able to eat though I do not have much of an appetite...at least not until evenings when I sometimes get ferocious hunger pangs and eat whatever healthy foods I can get my hands on. Breakfast and lunch are another story, as I often have no idea what to eat since nothing sounds good at all. I am now wearing a size 8 in jeans! I've been skinnier before, but this has been effortless. That is, of course, because I do no feel all that hungry most of the time. Believe it or not, I actually look forward to feeling hungry (not overly so, of course) again.

I am in a course with a favorite professor of mine at UTD, but am reconsidering some aspects of my studies. I have come to a place in my life when I am unwilling to do anything of major importance that does not completely fit with my professional interests. It's a good thing, but I am being cautious. Who knows how much more I will change in my feelings about my Ph.D. work as I make progress toward health?

I am now receiving teacher disability retirement. My first check came the first of October. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about that, but it has been, for the most part, a positive experience. I feel that I am contributing at least some of what I could be making if I were able to teach. Until I've gotten my immunizations and more teaching work lined up, I'm going to collect this small pension.

I know that I need to find a creative outlet. So I am considering many options...most of which involve this website...but renamed. I'm thinking I'll just take the cancer out of the title and call it Sherry's Cookies. That way my faithful friends and supporters who keep coming to my blog in hopes of reading about what is going on with me can still find me fairly easily.

Thank you for your prayers concerning the persistent nausea and a little bit of stuff coming up concerning my liver (which may be causing the nausea).

4 comments:

Sunshine said...

Good to hear from you again!
Best wishes for the vocational journey. Keep us posted.

zerofill said...

Hello,

You may or may not have seen the forum I recently started that is 100% dedicated to Multiple Myeloma. Please take a moment to sign up, tell us your story, and support others like yourself. If you like the site please add a link to us as well... http://www.myelomaforums.com

Thanks,

Andy

Unknown said...

Hi Sherry!

I stumbled across your blog today and I am so intrigued by the mini-allogenic transplant you had. This is new to me. Next month I will have my first of two auto-transplants. I would love to learn about your mini-allo!

Susie Hemingway said...

Sending good wishes to you from the UK and hoping you feel better soon from the sickness. Will check in from time to time to see how you are ( if I may )
Sincerely Susie.