"Prayer opens the heart and connects ...to a life current.There are other ways of being connected with the life current: being with people you love, seeing the beauty of a flying bird, or hearing music... One says thanks, and one's heart is suddenly infused again with the life current."
Mom continues to find great joy in nature - from the watching the families of turkeys that visit their yard to watching the sunsets on the pond. With Dad, she has been thrilled to attend operatic performances and a chamber music festival in Newport. Certainly she has been happy being with loved ones, mostly recently enjoying having Katharine and her daughter on the East Coast this summer.
Mom started her third type of chemo this month. Again, she has done amazingly well tolerating the side effects of the chemo. After the months of chemo now, her hair has become so fine that she has started wearing a wig at times.
However, the chemo is very rough on her white blood cells. Her first treatment of Gemzar/Abraxane reduced her white blood cells counts to the lowest they have been; therefore, her next chemo treatment was cancelled. There was a fair amount of confusion and concern for her and us about all the ramifications of the low white blood cell counts - could she go out in public? was being with the grandchildren too risky? would the white blood cells be able to rebound? would she be able to do this chemo?
The following week her white blood cell counts did improve. She was able to receive a chemo treatment, and her doctor outlined a plan for her to receive shots of neulasta and neupogen on her chemo weeks to stimulate her levels of white blood cells. This week she has a scheduled week off from the chemo. We will all keep praying and hoping - thanks for your prayers and wishes for her and us.
Mom, Dad and all of us are looking forward to having a family party this upcoming weekend for Mom and Dad. It will be great to have the siblings, the grandchildren, the cousins, the second cousins and a few family friends together. There should be lots of opportunities to connect to the "life current".
Photo of Mom and Dad before going to the Music Festival
Photo of recent Pink Sunset on Golden Pond
For photos and comments, go to followingdenise.blogspot.com
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Thanks for your notes of encouragement for Denise and family.
To post a comment, type your note in the comment box. Under the comment box, where it says "Comment As:" select from the drop down menu "Name/URL" and write in your name (you can leave the URL line blank). Hit publish. Thanks for sharing.