Tom & Brenda's Family Journal

Shirt from Tom's cousins showing their support for him Today was Tom’s third chemo treatment.  The treatment went well and we now seem to be in a pattern.    Chemo takes most of the day.   Tom feels good during and right after chemo because of the large amount of anti nausea meds he receives.   The meds stay in his system for two days.   Then for a couple of days, he doesn’t feel great-little appetite and very tired.  He takes pills that seem to control the nausea.   After day four through six, he begins to feel more like himself.   His appetite returns, his energy level goes up and life returns to normal so that we almost forget about the health issues.   A friend called it ‘the new normal’.  That is how life is.  Our lives have been turned upside down.   We have many doctor appointments and blood tests filling our schedules.   We don’t plan any activities until we get up in the morning and se...

  We have enjoyed many family times in the past few weeks.  Tom has recovered well from his surgeries and we are getting into a routine of chemo and recovery. This past week we celebrated the Fourth of July along with Tom's 70th birthday. We were at Sandy Pines, the campground where we have a place, for the first party. We also celebrated our grandson Jack's 15th birthday-even though he has a 70 on his cake.   Celebrating the red, white and blue Tom had his second chemo treatment this past week.  Our son Tommy took him.  Tommy’s daughter Anna wanted to go too.  Although she is 13, she knows she wants to become a nurse working especially with pediatric oncology patients.  I was worried that the chemo experience would be scary for her but she was a trooper and learned a great deal.  The nurses were eager to show her what was happening and even had her move her chair in closer so she could see exactly wh...