Good days and bad days

Thank you for your prayers. Looks like my cultures and labs were all negative so no infection. Praise the Lord! My oncologist said that my fevers were most likely side-effects from the Neulasta injection I got a few a weeks ago to get my levels up. He said the peak of potential side-effects are around days 14-21 post injection. So fortunately, he said these particular fevers are “normal”, but unfortunately, I would just have to persevere through them. 😚

With that said, the past several days have been better overall in terms of fevers and my diarrhea has also settled down a bit. We’re realizing that everyday is unpredictable esp. with the side-effects, and there are just some good days and some bad days. So we’re learning to take them as they come.  In general, evenings seem to be harder especially with fever for some reason and just feeling wiped out. Also learning to be thankful for daily grace and strength. 

Got to enjoy cheering on Christian this past weekend at his b-ball game and having some good father-son time eating pizza, playing xbox, and watching sports on tv!

Another thing that I’ve so enjoyed recently with my daughters is hanging out in my room. 

Chloe painting and Joy reading out loud to me (until I usually fall asleep 😴).

I also got to finally take Chloe to get Impossible Whoppers, something I had promised her we’d do before I got diagnosed. Yup, tastes a lot like beef! 😋

Got to enjoy a few creative dates with Grace while we could, enjoying brisk walks around our neighborhood enjoying the beauty of nature and even checking out our new Royal Farms’ World Famous Chicken. 😋

It’s also been a blessing to reconnect with and even enjoy visits from old friends affirming our love for one another through thick and thin no matter where life has taken us. 

I’m so thankful to have been able to be at my church this past Sunday for the ordination/installation service of our senior pastor Bill. It was so good to be present for this special day, and worship and reconnect with my church family after many weeks. Such a blessing that I often take for granted. 

Got to personally thank Dr. Paul Tripp for the impact his book on suffering had on me. I also told him how his statement floored me of how his suffering was worth it if that’s what it would take for God to produce in his life what it did (see link below). He said it was worth it! Amazing and inspiring considering how intense it was!  Reminds me of 2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:16-17‬:

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,”

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https://www.crossway.org/articles/paul-tripps-story-of-unexpected-loss/

This past Sunday, I also got to enjoy the Super Bowl with my family, “isolation precautions” style! 😷 

As I’m sure for all of us, it was humbling though as just one week prior we had been floored by Kobe’s passing. Sad and sober reminder of the frailty of life but a good reminder of what really matters. I liked what LeBron James said:

“When you punch your clocks...when we’re done for the day, make sure you hug the s--- out of your family,”... “If you have kids, tell them you love them. Try to make it to as much as you can, and don’t feel bad if you happen to go to one of your loved one’s events and [that means you] sacrifice your job.”