Time to Catch Up

      This has been a tough week for me.  I developed a cough and a low grade temperature.  The fever never got over 101, but just made me feel yucky!  On top of that Pete had a conference to go to from Monday to Thursday.  I've always been a pretty tough/strong person, but I sure did miss him this week and just wanted him home. Overly emotional these days I guess.  Thankfully he is back and was able to take me to Chemo today.  The treatment went fine and I was higher than a kite when through.  I was very wobbly so when we went to Wal Mart, Pete had me get one of the motorized carts.  I'm not sure that wasn't more dangerous than me pushing a buggy!  hahaha  Anyway, we came home, at first feeling great. I then took a nap and woke up sick!!!!  Hopefully that will be the end of that!

       While at treatment today, Pete and I met a man that was also receiving treatment.  Although his wasn't chemo it was some other type of IV therapy.  He didn't have cancer, but has something called Stiff Man Disease or Syndrome.  When I first saw him walk in I first thought he had Cerebral Palsy, but once he sat down I thought maybe Parkinson's.  His whole body was wrenching from the muscles in his face to his feet.  Pete started talking to him asking him about his treatment.  That is when he explained this awful disease that he has.  There is no cure and really no good treatment.  He was told that a person has a better chance of winning the lottery TWICE than to contract this disease.  They also told him that there are only 18 known cases in the country of this.  He told us that his muscles constantly contract and those contractions feel like charlie horses.  I've had charlie horses before and seeing this man lay over there going through that and imagining the pain he must be in just broke my heart.  As always God puts before me someone going through something so much worse than anything I am dealing with.  It took such a long time for the nurses to be able to get the IV's in him.  They must have tried 5 or 6 places 3 or 4 times.  The problem was that his arms kept jerking and all the while he kept apologizing to them and telling them it wasn't their fault, but to just keep trying.  But, something amazing that they have discovered is to give him baby Benedryl.  This mixed with his cocktail of drugs makes him go to sleep and it is restful.  We couldn't believe that in just a little bit he was laying over there sleeping and pretty still.  There were still a few twitches but nothing like before.  I really would appreciate ya'll remembering him in your prayers.  I don't know his name, but he is going through such a struggle and also has a family that I'm sure this has been hard on also. 

       I guess that's it for this week.  I am hoping the porcelain god and I won't have any more conversations this weekend.  

Thanks for reading,

Shawn