The A B C's

It's just me, Kevin.

Here's part C of my blogging for Paula.  It's early Tuesday morning and we've been home for about 3 days now.  We've had so many people offer to help in many ways.  So much so that it can be a bit overwhelming at times - but we're not complaining!  We just don't really know what we need yet.  Kind of a crazy statement, I know, but bare with us.  I'm sure we'll think of something.  :-)  [By the way, thanks so much to those church friends and coworkers that are making meals for us.  It is greatly appreciated!]

Alina:  My sister has come from Germany to spend her spring break helping Paula.  She came in on Friday night and is staying until next Tuesday.  It's been a great comfort to know that someone is here for her during this first week after the surgery as I have to return to work.  Thanks, Sis!!

Bath time:   One of the many things that Paula can't do at this point is submerge the surgical wound in water.  So, yes to showers, but no swimming or baths.  So, that means that I am now responsible for bathing Midori.  We had our first bath together on Sunday night.  Everything went fine, but there was an amusing ending to the experience.  In the past couple of months, Midori has been noticing differences between her body and ours.  Last month she said, "Momma has hair on her butt?!"  (To her, everything below the waist qualifies as "butt," because during potty training we tell her that we need to "wipe her butt," which of course includes the front, as well.)  In the same vein, while drying off after our first bath, she looked at me, then turned to Paula and said, "Daddy has a tail?!"  I think some trunks are in order next time.

Chemotherapy:  Right now Paula is in a holding (and healing) pattern.  The tube that is attached to the mastectomy site is helping to drain that wound.  Gross, I know.  But, the good part about it is that it helps us to know that she is actually healing from the procedure.  Once the drainage is minimal, they'll remove the tube and can begin the next stages of the treatment:  Chemotherapy.  So, in about two to three weeks, Paula will begin the first of two rounds of chemo.  The first round is eight weeks long and is apparently the more debilitating of the two.  The injections are so intense that it takes two full weeks before your body is prepared to have another injection.  And, that may even require the help of blood count booster shots and the like.  :-/  Not fun.  Once those eight weeks are over, we then proceed directly into the second round of chemo.  We have been told that these drugs are "much easier to handle," although they come every week for twelve weeks, so I have my doubts about how much easier it will actually be.  (Keep prayin', y'all!)  So, a total of about five months of chemo before moving on.

A, B or C ?:  The hardest and most nerve-wracking part about the post-surgery news is the upgraded staging of the cancer.  As Paula mentioned in her last post, she was initially rated as Stage II B.  This feel into the "we caught it early" category.  They did tell us that they wouldn't know for sure until they took the tumor out, measured it, and counted in affected lymph nodes, but they seemed pretty sure we were in good shape.  However, the surgeon came into the hospital room on Thursday night and told us that 14 out of 19 lymph nodes were affected and the tumor was approximately 3cm.  This put Paula directly into Stage III and in the "more advanced" category.  (Stage II requires a tumor less that 2cm and fewer than 9 affected nodes.)  Stage III has three possible sub-categories:  A, B or C.  Based on the pathology of the tumor and lymph nodes, the surgeon told us she feel into the "III B" category.  After he left the room, Paula immediately went to look up info of Stage III B on "cancer.org."  In doing so, she found that "III B" has the most undesirable mortality rates of the bunch, but also that, based on the info he told us, she actually falls into the "III C" group.  Now, we were both incredibly tired and one of us was on "happy drugs" at the time, so it was quite possible that we didn't clearly remember all of the details he told us.  So, we asked the oncologist on Friday afternoon.  He read the pathology and, of course, said that she falls into group "III A."  Ugh!  Good thing God is in control!

The ABC's:  The best part about coming home was seeing Midori.  She actually grew up a little while we were gone.  She is not using her "B and blankey" anymore (read: pacifier and blanket).  She's getting to be such a big girl.  We missed her so much!  I especially missed her singing - "Old MacDonald" and the "ABC's" are her favorites.  While I hope Daddy and his tail don't make it onto the farm, I do appreciate the music.  At least those ABC's are predictable.