Post July 12 Chemo

Carl had outpatient chemotherapy on Monday, July 12, 2010. The main drugs Carl got were Gemzar (also known as Gemcitabine) - and Taxotere, (generic name - Docetaxel). He came home and biked and had a great dinner. I think the Dexamethasone, (a steroid) prescribed by the oncologist, really help him. Wow.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010, Carl went to work, biked when he came home, and ate very cautiously. He says he feels well when he doesn't eat much.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010, Carl went to work. He was beginning to get tired earlier, and he ate cautiously, and he went to bed before 8:00 PM, but he did get some exercise (biking) in. Since I think exercise is important in fighting cancer, I am glad. And if nothing else, Carl slept very well tonight. I don't think he even heard any of the thunder that sounded like it was coming from right overhead.

I wrote this in July, and never posted it. I guess now is better then never.

July Vacation

July has been flying by at a fast pace.

Carl, the children and I went to Carl's Dad's cabin in Grass Lake, Michigan for a week over the 4th of July. We had a good time hanging out with relatives and cousins. We saw an airshow and a hot air balloon launch. We boated and played and fished. (OK, I did not fish, I just took pictures). We saw sights and ate out. We had a private tour of a haunted house. Carl did most of the driving (his choice), and we put over 1100 miles on the car.



We returned to Wisconsin, relaxed over the weekend, and attended my Godchild's graduation party (He was a salutatorian, I'm so proud).

Carl has been doing well and his leg has recovered well enough that this weekend, (July 10, 2010) Carl even went for a bike ride in Mequon on Saturday.

Vacation is over, tomorrow (Monday, July 12, 2010) is another chemotherapy day.

People have asked me how long will Carl be getting a chemotherapy course more or less every three weeks. I usually answer "through 2010". The Doctors don't say much on this point, basically the answer is "a long time".

A friend who had breast cancer (yes, that is a totally different type of cancer, I know) had chemotherapy every three weeks for two entire years. I didn't know they did chemotherapy that long for breast cancer. Carl's sarcoma is probably as bad or worse then her cancer was. (It is certainly rarer.)

Perhaps the Dr's. don't want to put us in a coma by telling us how long Carl's sarcoma will need to get chemotherapy. Either way, chemotherapy beats the alternative, and I no longer dread the "chemotherapy day", or get as stressed out before it, like I used to. I guess one can get used to almost anything. :-O

Healing prayer

A devout and respected friend wrote down this prayer for Carl, and I wanted to share it. This prayer is written to be said by a person as a healing prayer for their self. It can be modified to be a prayer for healing someone else.

Father,
I thank you that in 1 Peter 2:24, your word says,
"by His stripes we were healed."
If I was healed, then I am healed

and You have put the same power inside of me that raised Jesus from the dead, according to Ephesians 1:14 and I praise You for this,
and by Proverbs 18:21 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" that I not only have this power, but the authority to release this power through my words

so I speak to my cancer/pain/sickness;
cancer/pain/sickness; in the name of Jesus
I command you to leave my body

and I command whatever the source of this cancer/pain/sickness;
the root cause of the cancer/pain/sickness

and I curse this root cause
and command it to dry up and be dead
and this cancer/pain/sickness to come out of my body in Jesus name.

Now Body, you recover.
If there was anything or any part of my body that was damaged;
I speak the life of God; the quickening power;
the resurrection life to my body

and I thank you Lord God; my creator, my sustainer,
I praise you most High God - All praise and glory and honor to you!


Personally, I have seen the power of prayer before often enough to be able to affirm it's results. I don't pass results off as coincidence. I can understand a skeptic not believing in the power of prayer, but that just informs me that a skeptic has cut themselves off from an powerful tool.

God does not answer every prayer the way we hope it will be answered. And it is easier to believe that a prayer like this has more possibility of reducing pain then eliminating cancer (Why?). But I have not yet ruled out that prayer (and the Dr.'s skills guided and inspired by God) will cure Carl, and I know that to date the prayers Carl and others have said have had positive outcomes already within Carl's cancer.

I am sharing this prayer today because I have been internally urged to share it ("called?") - There are many others out there who suffer with pain, sickness, addictions, or other issues whom I believe this prayer can help. Share this prayer with others as God calls you to.

I know this prayer has helped my family. And I thank again all of those people who pray for and continue to pray for Carl. God Bless you.