Hi Everyone,

I am sure you have all had those times when you feel like you just can’t take any more.  This past week has been one of those weeks. 

Last Monday we took Sharmi to get her blood checked.  Afterwards we went across the water to my mom and dads for a change of scenery.  Tuesday morning I received a call on my cell phone from the hospital stating that Sharmi’s ANC was 77.  They stated that she must have a viral infection and we needed to discontinue her chemo immediately and keep her isolated.  They had tried to call the house on Monday to tell me this but we weren’t there.  So I did end up giving her one of her chemo’s on Monday night, but I thank God that I forgot the weekly heavy dose of methotrexate.  I had also forgotten her chemo on Sunday night.  Thankfully, God  knew that she couldn’t handle anymore chemo and He used my exhaustion and forgetfulness to protect her.

Dean was still sick from 6 weeks ago (which was probably the virus Sharmi had) so we decided to say at moms, and we sent dean to the doctors.  After the doctor heard Dean’s story she said,  ”you need something good.”  She said there is a very good antibiotic out now, but it is extremely expensive.  She stated that she was going to see what she could do.  Then she left the room and returned with a bag full of samples.  Bless her.

Tuesday evening I handed Chantel to Dad and threw my purse over my shoulder.  I felt a pop and immediately started feeling a tingling in my arm and fingers.  I have been fighting mastitis and it felt like the infection exploded through the right side of my body. (I know that doesn’t make sence but that is what it felt like, and the pain was in the same area.)  By the end of the evening it was almost impossible for me to move my right arm and I was in excruciating pain.  After we got the girls to bed I called Dean in tears and told him I needed my antibiotics (which I was trying not to take due to side effects of antibiotics.)  Bless his heart he packed up my antibiotics, extra cloths for all of us girls and some miscellaneous items and he drove over the water the in middle of the night to bring them to us.  Once again God was looking out for us because when he got to the ferry the guy told him that he had two minutes before the last ferry left and he was the last car on.  It is these little things that keep reminding us that God is here.

By the time Dean got to my parents mom had been able to rub my back and she discovered that I had a dislocated rib.  We were glad it was skeletal instead of some weird infection.  I went to the chiropractor the next two days and I am now feeling much better.  However, the chiropractor hinted that the mastitis could be cancer and he is concerned that I get it checked again.  He has no specific reason to think this, and I did have a doctor confirm I had mastitis three weeks ago.  Yet, it is a thought that still weights on a person with everything else we have been through.  So, I would appreciate yours prays for me right now also.  Even if it is just mastitis (which I think it is) and it doesn’t go away with the antibiotics they will still need to do surgery to remove it.  And so far I am half way through the antibiotics and I am not seeing any progress.  “sigh”.

We stayed at my parents for most of the week so that they could help me with the kids.  I physically was not able to lift them for a couple of days and when Sharmi comes off the the chemo (especially the 6 MP that she was on) she has withdrawal which makes her cranky, insecure, and turns her into a little monster.  I thank God for my parents every day.

Sabbath Dean and I had to get a little creative. We had promised to take Sharmi to the zoo to see the animals but by the time we got out the door we were too late.  We unfortunately have missed the zoo and other animals due to rain, special events and seasonal schedules several times already, so we took a detour to another park that were were told had a petting coral.  Once again they only have summer hours.  Poor Sharmi, she kept saying,  “I want to go see the animals.”  I looked at Dean and said, “We have to go find a pet store.”  So we drove around a little bit and found a pet store that had one cat, guinea pigs, hamsters, bunnies, ferrets, birds, frogs, lizards, tarantula, lots of fish and a few patron dogs.  She loved it.  We kept telling her to not touch anything and we bathed her in antibiotic cleaners after we left.  It wasn’t what we had in mind but it was a fun memory.

Yesterday, bringing us back to the reality that we have a sick little girl, Sharmi was crying and crying in the shower and it appears that she has a yeast infection.  She had a yeast infection for almost 10 months before she was diagnosed with leukemia and some people believe that there is an association, so this hit me pretty hard.  The devil certainly knows how to discourage us.  But God is stronger and I will take Sharmi to the doctors tomorrow and they will probably simply give her some anti-fungal medication and everything will be OK.

Today is another day and we are all feeling better.  It is still raining outside, but there is more sun in our hearts today.    

Love,

Cheris