Tony was already feeling the effects of the chemotherapy as we left Salt Lake City. He asked me to do the driving because the sunshine bouncing off reflective surfaces triggered a migraine.
On Friday, Tony went to work and came home wanting to knock out some of our weekend shopping before he was too tired to go.
Paul and Corrine Hutchings stopped by with the HBA Freedom Fest awards that need to be shipped, and we were mortified by the state of our very lived-in house. It’s been impossible to stay on top of the clutter and cleaning, especially with a Corgi in the house that leaves her “sparkles” everywhere.
On Saturday morning, Tony slept in and then packed his tools and went to iPull to look for parts so he could make repairs on one of our vehicles. One of the tires on our van was in bad shape, and he found a replacement that will meet our needs for now.
By afternoon, Tony was tired and pushing himself. Usually, taking a break to eat will give him the strength to keep going. I can tell when he has done too much and his body is registering pain because he gets cranky and loses patience with me. He decided it would be best to stay home and rest instead of trying to help with the ward potluck. Tony takes his callings in the church very seriously, and it’s hard for him when he can’t participate as he wants to.
As we prepared for bed, I gave him the Neulasta shot. It’s administered in the abdomen, two inches away from the belly button. There isn’t much fat there anymore to inject it into.
On Sunday morning, Tony felt well enough that he showered, ate, and dressed for church. Once we got in the car, he mentioned he felt shaky. We sit in the very back of the chapel to protect his immune system. The chair was too hard and the room too bright, so he snuck out to sit in a comfy chair in the foyer where he could listen to the Primary program. We didn’t stay for additional meetings, and Tony crawled into bed when we got home. He attended a presidency meeting by phone. He didn’t feel up to going out to Iona for dinner and seeing the grandkids.
This is Will’s week with the children, and I am the helper, so Tony and I become ships that pass in the night. By the time I get home, Tony is going to bed. It seems like the after-effects from this last treatment have increased in difficulty. He has more frequent bouts of dizziness and vision disturbances. He came home from work extra early on Monday. Tuesday was a little better. This morning he said he felt good. His struggles definitely keep me on edge.
We have had a couple of wonderful people reach out to us about Downwinders compensation. Tony was a honeymoon baby, and his parents married here in Idaho in 1962. Those who were in utero are not eligible, and he was born in another state, so he misses the qualification. Understanding the nuclear fallout that happened before and during the time he was conceived may hint at Tony’s unusual number of primary cancers. 😢
We can’t express adequately how grateful we are for your continued prayers. We place our hope in the Lord that there are better days ahead for us.
Our grandson is helping me gather the wood from fallen branches so it will stay dry. If there are any power outages during the harsh Idaho winter, we may need to use the wood stove for heat and cooking. Our granddaughters are very excited for Halloween 🎃, and the costumes Aunt Jacque ordered arrived yesterday.
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