#5 Something to celebrate ...
Let me talk about something good for a change ... I was able to go and see T swim at the 2016 Pennsylvania YMCA State Championships this past weekend! If you had've asked me Friday morning was I going to make it I would have answered no, but I felt stronger throughout the day, and with a significant amount of Divine intervention (answered prayer), and dear hubby driving, we were able to make the 1.5 hr drive to State College without stops!!
After checking into our hotel around 7:30pm Friday evening {and a just-made-it-in-time "visit"} we headed to the Penn State University campus to find the Natatorium (after all we had to check in at 6:30am Saturday morning!), parking, and subsequently The Creamery - for ice-cream!
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| We walked around the McCoy Natatorium at Penn State University to give T a feel for what to expect the next day {and maybe in her future??!!} |
All of our kids' core group of best swimming friends/teammates (about a dozen 9-10 year olds) had made it to States! There are 78 YMCA teams in Pennsylvania. For our kids to make it to the top 24 swimmers (top 6 in each division) in their events is pretty A.MAZ.ING!
T's events were Girls 9-10 200 yard Medley Relay (50 backstroke), in which she was the first to swim in the first event of the day ... talk about pressure! Her team swam fantastically and took nearly 9 seconds off their best time to finish seventh! T placed 14th in her individual 50 yard Backstroke. Another great swim! And of course we cheered on all her friends :)
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| First swimmer (of Medley Relay) in first race of the day ... no pressure! |
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| T swam 50 yard backstroke in the Medley Relay & individual event. |
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| T cheers for her teammate in the girls 9-10 200 yard Medley Relay |
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| The WSY 9-10 girls 200 yard Medley Relay team ROCKED at States!! |
Many of the kids were there for just one event, and a number of parents laughed that they drove 3 hrs (round trip) and spent a night in a hotel, not to mention meal costs, to watch their kids swim for about 35 seconds!! It's what we do! STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. PRICELESS.
As for me ... I think these past weeks might be akin to cruising in a tropical storm. I was looking forward to my week off chemotherapy last week and to feeling better. Truth-be-told, I don't feel better. Still sick-to-stomach, still get the chills, still have the runs, still fatigued, and now hives added to the mix ... oh, there is a silver lining in that my mouth lining is smooth again and my lips feel almost normal and not sunburned.
I hit an all-time {so-far} low on Thursday when my esophagus was in so much pain (burned by reflux) that I cried, hard — and prayed. A call to my doctor and yet another prescription remedied that within 12 hrs. I can't believe what so many cancer battlers have endured.
Needless to say, I was not looking forward to today's weekly check-in with the Chemo doc, as I was scheduled to be hooked back up to the chemo pump on a lower dose ... GOOD NEWS ... no chemo for this week either! And finally, some anti-nausea meds to add to my daily regimen. Before all this, I was apt to avoid even over-the-counter meds, and I don't think I have ever finished a prescription antibiotic ... now I am supposed to take 10 pills a day!?!
Be joyful always - God is watching over us. I got to watch T swim at States! No chemo for another week!
Pray continually - If there is one thing I do more regularly it is pray! Especially for those I know enduring any medical treatment, and for their family members caring for them.
Give thanks in all circumstances - Our friends & family continue to pour out expressions of love, encouragement, and hope, and bless us in ways we never imagined, not to mention some fabulous meals!
Thanks for your support.
By God's grace,
Sandii
Part I atr-sp.blogspot.com/2016/02/it-is-what-it-is.html
Part II atr-sp.blogspot.com/2016/02/itinerary.html
Part III atr-sp.blogspot.com/2016/02/leap-day.html
Part IV atr-sp.blogspot.com/2016/03/choppy-seas.html