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The needle thing is a very real request for someone who hates needles. There are a ton of needles involved. Not just the chemo, but also blood work seems like every day as they watch your 'numbers', then shots to regulate yous and if you have to have a transfusion even more.
Courage is a great prayer as well, because it is like being dropped in a foreign country and not speaking the language. You learn by immersion. Everyone seems to know what is going on but you and you are constantly behind the curve. They explain it but your brain doesn't comprehend what they are talking about you and your body. It is like culture shock. Eventually you learn what all the numbers have to be but even then it is hard, because you also know what low numbers mean and it can get scary to watch them drop.
Pray for the caretakers. If I had not had my husband Bill to hold me up in my frightened moments I don't think I would have survived. He learned things faster because he wasn't in the brain fog. He cleaned up after me and held my hand every time they had to find a vein. If she doesn't have someone to do these things for her, find her someone...or multiple someones. The caretaker is vital...so pray for his/her strength and wisdom since many decisions rest with them.
Pray for finances. Cancer is expensive. My treatments were $6,000 per chemical and I got three bags each time. The shots were $2,000 each to keep my blood holding strong, each time I had 2 between treatments. I had scans and still have scans regularly. I now have a host of doctors that I have to visit regularly. Just because I am cancer free doesn't mean it no longer costs...it is an expensive thing.
Pray for her brain. Chemo kills all fast growing cells...hence the hair loss. But also brain cells. I still have chemo brain. I cannot remember things. I have a hard time finding the right words. I continually mess up schedules by showing up at the wrong doctors office or the wrong soccer game. It is frustrating, and annoying.
It gets better over time but it has been three years since my last treatment...so your friend will need understanding from friends and family members if it happens to her.
more later...
1 comment:
My hair is so thin in front it looks horrible! i have stubbles of new hair but they don’t grow! the hair on the back of my head is full and will grow but it won’t grow very long. I was hyper and now hypo after I had 2 of the nuclear med to kill off my thyroid. The only thing that helps me not to be completely bald is Proscar a fifth of the tab daily.
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