So I am now in the Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University in St. Louis. I've been here since Monday evening. I've already had enough. I haven't felt too bad, until today. Mostly I have just been tired with some mild nausea. Today, I have been exhausted with mucho nauseoso. I have slept a good majority of the day and the rest I have spent walking up and down my one hallway existence. They are pretty much giving me different chemo everyday in hour to 2 hour spurts sometimes twice a day. Since this is such high dose chemo I'm already feeling the effects much quicker than I have in the past. Brooke and the kids went home yesterday afternoon and although I'm already missing them it is much better not having them all here when I feel like this. I can't interact much and the kids just don't understand.
I am hoping that I'll be feeling better tomorrow, but that is probably just wishful thinking. As I continue chemo my blood counts will drop to dangerously low levels before I recieve the stem cell infusion and start to recover. During that time I will feel what serious pain and discomfort are like. As my counts continue to increase I will feel increasingly better. I CAN NOT WAIT FOR THIS TO BE OVER WITH!
Brent, we feel for you. Hang in there. We're thinking and praying for you. Crazy that they have to bout kill you to make you better! Hope all goes well...
ReplyDeleteUncle Brent and Aunt Janet
Hang in there, Brother!!!! There are a lot of people thinking of and praying for you and your family!
ReplyDelete- Hatcher
Brent,
ReplyDeleteYou will not remember me, my name is Nicki and my husband sold pest control with you a couple years ago in Oklahoma. Brad Woodfield, big tall guy:) I am so sorry to hear what you are going through and the struggles that you are facing. I am not sure why i am even writing to you but it just feels right. My sister's husband, Shawn Barnes, 23yrs. old, has been fighting a battle against leukemia since January 2011. Its a very rapid and aggresive. He recieved a bone marrow transplant in june and was doing very well. About a week ago there were some lumps on his skin and we found out the devastating news that it was back and there was nothing left to do. My sister has gone through this being pregnant with there first child, now about 3 weeks to go, they decided to have the baby early, let Shawn hold and Bless is baby boy, then go home and be comfortable in his own house and out of the hospital. It has been an amazing journey and struggle for all of us involved, especially Shawn and my sister Erin. He is going to go soon, which is the hardest thing to face and come to terms with. I have had emotions and feelings of anger and bitterness, which I know is not the way to go, but reading others experiences builds you up, no matter the outcome. Heavenly Father doesn't want bad things to happen to us, its just life, but the things that we have learned through out all this, even though it's not fair, even though it will be hard especially for my little sister for the rest of her life, raising her son on her own, and losing the love of her life from an ugly, ugly disease, we will all be better for it. Its hard to say that out loud at the expense of my brother in law going through all the chemo and radiation, just so that we can learn and become better people. Sorry to share my feelings with you, even though you dont know me but Heavenly Father is always with you and your wife. No matter what! Dont lose faith.
Nicki, of course I remember you and Brad. Aside from this terrible ordeal with your sister and her husband I hope things are going well for you. Thank you for sharing their story with me. Although it is a horrible situation you wouldn't wish on anyone it does help to hear about others in similar situations. I cannot even imagine what you have all gone through, especially your sister and brother-in-law. It makes me grateful to be in the situation I am in, but also worried that could be the next page in my book. I have actually been meaning to post about this very sort of thing since I first started my blog so I guess it is time. These trials in our lives are all about how we handle them. We need to use them to grow, straighten priorities, bolster faith, and become closer to God. I'm glad that through your struggles you have come to those same conclusions. I pray you guys will have love, understanding, and peace as you see him live out what he has been sent here to do.
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