August 2010...anyone starting chemo besides me?!
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Hi All...
Preparing for my B-day Tuesday...Going Chemo shopping...(foods and juices)...
What a B-day present lol...
Hope all is well with EVERYBODY....
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Hi Everyone,
This is my first post, but I have gained so much from reading about your experiences and really appreciate this board. I have a couple of questions for folks:
I start 4 rounds of TC this Monday. I have a history of allergies including allergic reactions to some drugs. I met with an allergy specialist who works with chemo patients and he recommended that I do a "slow drip" for the chemo. I am also considering reducing first dose by 10% just to be sure that I tolerate it reasonably well. My questions are as follows:
1) for those who have done a slow drip, how long did it take per drug? I am risk adverse so I am looking for info on what is the longest, reasonable timeframe.
2) has anyone backed down the first dose by 10% or some such number and then taken the rest according to the protocol? If so, can you explain your reasons and how your onc felt about it.
I hope that everyone is having a fine day despite chemoland. thanks, Beau
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August ladies! Please let me know your thoughts... what day after chemo is the suckiest? I am setting up chemo on Monday and thought I'd try to plan well-ish. I know it's personal but maybe there's a pattern. Chime in! Thanks and Peace, A
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Sorry wher - know that you're in our thoughts and prayers here on the board! You do what you have to - it'll be okay. You're dealing with so much right now. Hang in there --
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texas - I "liked' your page on facebook.
A great idea!Re the Newark hospital - I guess I'm a country girl, but the fact that we had to have our photos taken and our ID scanned just to get into the door somewhat took me aback. Everyone at the hospital was wonderfully nice (except the guard at the door - he was kind of mean!), but it was really run down and old looking. It was sad and somewhat scary. Out here, I'm used to just popping into the hospital when I'm in need of a convenient bathroom and I'm passing by.....this was totally different - they wanted your life story, took your pic and scanned the driver's licenses before we were even let past the guards! =:O The doctor refused to give me any prescription for percocet when I left (which is fine -I didn't need it but I was in pain initially so my friend was pushing the nurse for it- the nurse said that doctor never gives perc prescriptions.) I wondered why and then when I got home I realized probably since it was an inner city, high drug area hospital, they don't hand out percocet prescriptions easily! Sad.......
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Beau, I am on t&c as well, and also allergic. My first chemo took......probably 6 1/2 hours. They didn't reduce the dose, they ran it really slow and kept checking for reaction. The second one took about 5 hours, as the drip was a bit faster, but they still start t out slower and speed it up. I believe that is the normal procedure for every one (slower start) as t is a very allergic thing. They said they were doing mine even slower than normal. Maybe someone else will say how long theirs is. I don't know how long per bag......I think I get 6 bags of stuff? Two are the chemo, the rest are first, and for the se s.
Adey, I do chemo on Thurs and they told me Sun would be the 'bad' day. But I really am not having a bad day, so..... idk
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Wherria- you take all the time you need. Know that I'm thinking of you. I was just making the kids grilled cheese sandwiches and thinking, "I hope Wherria is comfortable and healthy" then I sent it your way. Big hug.
Adey- I find the worst day (and remember I do Neulasta too) to be 4 days after. That's when I feel crappiest. Hope that's of some help.:)
Lizzy- hope you're okay today. I'm thinking of you too. Take care. Sweeny XO
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Wherria- Glad to hear from you, sorry you are having trouble, but totally understandable. You are under a lot of stress. Take your time and do what you need to do to take care of yourself emotionally and physically. I will keep you in my prayers.
Sohard-Happy early B-Day! Chemobrain might cause me to forget so I wanted to throw it in while it is on the top of my head. Try to have a great day and treat yourself well.
Beau- I am on TC too and actually had a mild allergic reaction to Taxotere (I have had it every time...itchy and little hives). But in my center the nurse actually sits right next to you (staring right at you) with some sort of needle for the first 20 minutes of the infusion in case you have an adverse reaction. And they do start it very slow. My first Taxotere infusion took about 1-1/2, this last one (the third) took about 45 minutes. Then it is another 45 minutes for the Cytoxan I think. My first time I was there for about 6 hours, but that includes bloodwork and a consult with the doctor too.
Adey- I am with Sweeney. The only really bad day I had was Day 4 with my first infusion..the day after Neulasta, and I think it is the combo of the chemo bad feeling and the Neulasta bone pain that makes it so bad. I didn't have Neulasta last time and they are going to reduce my dose this time, so maybe Day 4 won't be so bad.
Lizzy-My prayers are with you too as you honor and remember your loved ones lost today. We all honor and remember the sacrifice so many gave that day.
Debbi
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Adey, I had my Neulasta on a Wednesday, started feeling bad on Thursday evening and Friday was my worst day. Sounds similar to others. That is day four if you count the day of infusion as day 1.
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I have a question for anyone that has taken milk of magnesia. I didn't take it after the first infusion and should have so I've got some all ready for next week. Infusion on Tuesday so I'm planning to start taking it on Wed. If you've used milk of magnesia, how many days did you take it?
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HELLOOOOO CHEMO-SABIS!!!!! Hope you all are doing well today.
Gingerbrew: I am so sorry your DH travel schedule starts up again just when your MIL leaves. So many of us live by the corporate dictate and I can only imagine he has to get back to work. Plus, as I have been in business for years, the post-Labor Day few weeks is necessary to get ramped up for the all-important final quarter of the year. I know it is no less easy on you, however. You still have your granddaughter celebrating her 1 month birthday!!!!!! You also have us!
Lisaattheshore: don't go hunting up conspiracies on that link!!!! You must refrain!
Sweeney: what a nice Saturday morning! I remember watching the "Super Heroes" every Saturday morning. I loved it! In any case, that is a nice way to spend your morning.
Karen09: so nice of you to stop by!!!!! Your hair looks great!!!! It was very nice of you to share your story. Stop in and tell us more inspirational stuff any time
Ann97: on a long list of things you never thought you would utter is "I am glad it is a stomach bug!" I am very happy it was a stomach bug and am glad you are doing ok. My TE is definitely ruptured. Oh well...it will go flat and will be puffed up again next year! Focusing on dates is great. I already put something in my office and on the refrigerator that says: 1 down, 5 to go! Of course that will be applicable on Weds but I am just saying....!
Ladyinbama: thanks for the link. So he did do it but it was not all of the time. I saw the Stones twice in the past decade and one was in Hartford, CT. Mick was out on this staging that was set up like a square outline from the stage. He was jumping around and singing when sure enough, Keith fell off of the stool he was (artificially!) propped up on and fell on the floor. The whole audience went silent...surely we thought he had died! They propped him back up again, went back to playing and there he goes on the floor again! I think the blood process, pre-concert, was a very good idea!!!!! Also I never put organ donor on my license because, as much as I would like to do it, there are such egregious pockets of wealth and power on the "Gold Coast" in CT (Fairfield County) I figured if I was in an accident, hanging on by a thread, and some wealthy old joker needed an organ to stay around a little longer, I would be considered expendable so I never did it!!!!!!! Lisaattheshore...you reading that little diddy?!?!?!
Wherria: good to hear from you. I am glad you took the time to post and let us all know where you are at. My best wishes to you in any challenges that lie ahead and certainly for a good weekend
Please keep in touch...we miss you.Sohardbnme: Perhaps you can take yourself to lunch after shopping?! I would buy something you plan to wear next summer when everything is OVER and plan to look your very best on your next birthday. If I were you, I would celebrate next year's birthday this year and make plans for that day...good plans...a massage, dinner with your loveliest (!), mani/pedi, your hair done etc... make plans for next year! That is my birthday suggestion to you!
Beau: I really think your oncs, assuming you are domestically situated, will know best and like Lisa said, and my nurse drove this home on Friday during chemo teaching, they monitor constantly during chemo and they know what to look for. Do you have confidence in your docs? I would never think of asking for a 10% reduction but that is also because I trust my onc implicitly. When in doubt don't, however, and I am pretty sure if you tell them you feel better with a 10% reduction they will do it. I never heard of someone doing that but what do I know?!
Adey: are you having TAC? I start Tuesday on it so we can path together on this if I only you, too, were having TAC?!?? Please do share!
Calamtykel: I know your tale of getting your port placed in Kabul, I mean Newark (!), should not be funny but it is the way you describe it and perhaps I have a macabre sense of humor...so be it!! It really does sound like you went to Kabul, btw! The funniest part of the last post? When you quite innocently request percocet!!!!!!!!!! Funny, funny stuff!! ‘Hi...can I get some percs for the road...so I am calm my nerves enough so I don't "s" my pants trying to get back to my car!!' Yes, I am finished!!
JSW: college day football...good stuff!!!!!!! I plan to watch more football this year...way more football! I am really into baseball but not so much football but as I deeply suspect I will have way more time on my hands this football season (score this with the music from Springsteen's Jungleland: down in chemo land!) I will be watching me some football!
9/11: I did not go to ground zero. I plan to go next year. With chemo starting Tuesday I did not think it was such a good idea as I go to pieces when I am down there. I am very, very impressed with the progress being made on rebuilding WTC plaza as of late. It is starting to really starting to take shape. I have fun imagining what it will look like when it is done. It is so important to me mentally that they filled that gaping chasm that was the former WTC plaza. I am just happy to see those buildings go up.
THANKS ALL for your wishes today. I am ok...with my deflated foob!! It is beautiful in CT today. I think I will get out for some very fresh air!
Good day chemo-sabis!!!!!
Your FEARLESS Leader
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Thanks for the input ladies. I too will do Neulasta the day after. My muddled thinking will probably try for Monday, Thursday or Friday. Probably really doesn't matter but WTH. (c: Just got back from cutting the shoulder length fake blond hair, to very short with blond and red high-lites, feels great!
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Lizzy- We had totally asked my onco that when we first saw him, wouldnt that be a "cure" if we took out all the infected blood and replaced it with non infected blood and he said he liked our tain of thought, but there could always be that one cancer cell somewhere that doesnt show up on the scans that is already spreading and growing undetected (i think they dont show up on the scans until around .7cm- so almost a cm, the little buggers are sneaky so a compleate blood transfusion prob wouldnt work.
Karen09- thanks for stopping by a lot of us need to know there is life after treatment! its so hard to see beyond yourself and what you're going through right now, but to have someone that was us a year ago say she made it through at leasts makes me feel better!
Wherria- Thanks for stopping by we were worried
Take as much time as you need to get yourself in order before chemo, you will respond to it better if you go into it with a possitive attitude! Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."0 -
Sohardbnme: Happy Bday tuesday!
Beau- welcome, sorry i have no experince in that
post more often!Adey- for me its been day 3 or 4
Calamatykel- Thanks for the like!
ALL- i just got my GAiLA hat today and it is BEAUTIFUL, its prob 95 degrees right now and i am wearing it! I am gonna take it off soon, but wanted to test it out, i got the fall colors one so i can wear it in the fall and it keep my peach fuzz head warm! My daughter thinks its a chinese hat!
Hope the weekend goes well in whatever y'all do!
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Texas: all I can say is great minds think alike!!!!! The blood transfusion idea made sense to me. That combined with chemo could be quite successful...but is that what "they" really want?? (listattheshore-are you reading this?!!!) ALSO I got the GAILA autumnal colors hat/head wrap also! Isn't it beautiful? It does stand up like a chef's hat a bit but it is so, so pretty. I love it! Silk...nice and warm!
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Lizzy- i dont have my digital camera with me so i cant take a pic right this second, how i tied it was the way they suggested, cross it in the back, then tie it towards the front, i opted for a side double knot instead- then i tucked the tails into the band- then the poofy part i sorta tucked down into the sides so it had a slight poof, not the HUGE one. That is look one for me i am gona experiment diffrent styles in front of the mirror later...0
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Texas: I know you and everyone else will probably find this odd (!) but I am really embracing these fashions and wigs and scarves etc... that I would totally otherwise never even consider. This stuff is so pretty, and some of it ornate, and although I would have been able to do this without chemo and hair loss etc... I would have NEVER considered wearing a wig or using scarves. I know it is weird but I am having fun with it! I even have a spare room in my home that I don't use for much of anything so I recently put a Poang chair in there, a little table and used those "extend" tabs on a previously empty wall to make a scarf and hat wall! I have all my pretty hats, scarves and wraps all over this wall. Next to that wall I put an easel mirror I have and that room is close to my back door. What I plan to do is stop there each day, after I am dressed, and decide which hat, scarf, wrap or wig I am going to wear! Oh yeah, I also have my wigs in there on a small table. I have 2 wigs, both are beautiful, and I bought these weird looking artificial flowers that have like a 14" stem and are a huge POOF at the time of these pretty white flowers. I was going to use them for something else but, guess what?! Because they are artificial and the stems are very strong, and the poof is about the size of a human head, they have become perfect wig holders!!!!! Consequently they were $3 a piece at a discount store! The vase itself is worth more than $3!!!!!0
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Adey-I've had two rounds of AC and they've both been very different. First time I threw up for hours starting around 6:00 at night. Second round, never got nauseous...even my food aversions were different. First time I didn't eat for the first two or three days. Second one I ate right away. Weird. But this second round, I had much worse nulasta pain. I'm hoping to take claritin this time. THe first time I had virtually none. For me, Treatment Monday, Wednesday is the "bad" day. Thursday it has started to turn around slowly and I'm feeling a bit better by Friday. At least that's how it's been so far.
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Lizzie---Good luck for this upcoming week.
I am a week post chemo#2--feeling real tired this week--I think that I did too much in the couple of days post-chemo when the meds were working full-force--need to dial it back next time. Both my kids are playing hockey and I took my oldest to his tournament yesterday with another kid and survived a hockey arena and lunch with 15 11year old boys--by the time I got home, I was exhausted. Energy levels just are not what they used to be. My next chemo is Sept 24th and my sister will be coming for the weekend as my hubbie is off with my oldest for hockey tournament out of town. Will be the first one where he isn't here so my sister will be filling his shoes! My hair is almost all out now and it was HURTING last night (my scalp) and I am looking forward to it all being gone--have a few strands that don't seem to want to go.
I read everyone's postings--I get lots of information. Thanks! I have to say that I am a little worried for my 4th-6th treatment of the "T" in my treatment. I heard lots of horror stories at the support group centre where I am taking Yoga etc. Hoping for better results....fingers crossed.
Take care everyone!
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Lizzy you are right...there are some beautiful scarves etc out there. Now the summer colors are on sale so I have a new teal and purple one for the outrageous price of 3.50 each. I think the baldness is a process. At first you want to gnash and scream, but now it feels oddly liberating looking like a Telly Savalas clone. As time goes on it seems "normal". I thought I would never leave the house without wiggy, but have done the doorag and baseball cap this weekend. libray lil0
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rachel- its hard to judge how the tx will effect us each personally, i have heard horror stories too and it makes me nervous but hten there are some that go through 6 tx without mny SE at all!!
Lizzy- I used to wear bandanas occationally pre-hairloss, sorta in a retro look, it doesnt look good without hair that way though lol.... hats- never, scarves, once for a costume
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Going to be running in the Komen Race for the Cure tomorrow morning in Central Park as a survivor (I had DCIS in 2008 and have had 8 surgeries in less than two years). Fighting this beast now, the Komen folks thought I qualified. Sooo....pink survivor shirt, bald head with baseball cap, here I come!
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Beau: Just to let you know there is a "starting chemo in Sept group". You might want to join
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ps- although I am a Sept group person, I follow your group as well, because I started Sept 1 and you all are so good at helping me know what to expect AND because this group has such great spirit:)
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Zachsmom - Good for you!!! Have fun in the race!
Elizabeth27 - you are welcome to hang out with us whenever you want.
I just got home from Jerry Springer, The Opera! We had a sold out performance, filled with press people. (Apparently there were 37 critics in the audience.) But it went great!!! I'm really proud of the whole cast and crew. It was a really hard week (32 hours of rehearsal and 18 hours in performance in 7 days), but totally worth it to see the audience on its feet at the end. :-) The big test will be the next couple of weeks - I get TCH on Thursday and have performances Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday.
The great thing was last night, a friend saw the show. I hadn't seen him in a while and after the show he ran up to me and hugged me really tight and was very emotional. He kept saying, "I haven't seen you!:" It took me a couple of minutes to realize he was so emotional because I had cancer. I had totally forgotten about it in the midst of the show. That is the great gift of doing something I love.
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Zachsmom- Good for you, have fun!!!
Lisasinglem-Congrats on your performance, sounds like it went really well! I hope those performances at the end of the week are easy for you. Its amazing that you can go through all this and still make all those performances and rehearsals! And that you were able to forget about the whole ordeal, even for a little while, is truly a blessing!
Debbi
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I nominate Zachsmom and lisasinglem for capes this week -- Zachsmom for running the Komen Race, and lisa for getting through all those grueling hours of rehearsal culminating in a sold-out show!
Zachsmom: You go girl! I am very impressed that you'll be running today. My goal this year was to run in the Chicago marathon, but I wasn't far enough along in training by the time this cancer thing started, so I decided not to, but instead I decided to volunteer at the Breast Cancer Network of strength aid station. I've never volunteered at a race before, but I decided it would be a good way for me to give something to both the breast cancer cause and to the race I love so much, and I thought it would help me to feel like I'm still connected to running even if I can't do much of it myself right now. It's been nine years since I ran the Chi marathon, and was really excited about doing it this year, but now I know it will mean even more to me to run it next year after getting through all this. I usually run with Team in Training (which raises money for the leakemia/lymphoma society, but next year I think I'll run with a breast cancer group and raise money for that instead. Anyway, you probably won't read this before the race, but I wish you the best run of your life anyway!
lisasinglem: Wow! I didn't realize the show was starting so soon. You've been a real trooper! As tired as I feel these days, I can only imagine what stamina it has taken for you to be at all those rehearsals, being on your feet all that time, and having to be "on" and, I imagine, having to prove to everyone that you are strong enough to do what needs to be done. I'm proud of you! I bet you are probably somewhat on cloud nine after such a great show, but how are you holding up physically after all this? I do believe it's true that the more active your are, and the more you manage to live your life the way you usually would, the better you are in fighting the fatigue, but you have gone above and beyond! I am rooting for you next weekend with your Tx followed by three weekend shows! You have all of our support and confidence behind you! (But don't forget to come to us if it gets hard.)
As for me, I'm just trying to keep my emotional head above water. I'm not feeling bad about my cancer or Tx's. I've had a rough time with se's, but I still have a very positive attitude about the whole thing in general and the Tx's in particular. They're hard, but I've faced worse. It's other stuff (combined with the drain and discomfort of cancer Tx I suppose) going on that is making things particularly difficult for me. I find inspiration by thinking about all the millions of people in the world (and I think particularly of stories I've been told about my family and all my ancestors had to go through just to survive) who have had to deal with exponentially more difficult things. For example, my husband's grandfather was in Germany during WWI, and his troops were very close to the Russian front line. A battle broke out, and suddenly he found himself behind enemy lines with a bullet in his back after his troops had pulled back. He hid out with no food or water and a bullet in a pile of concrete from a fallen building. He hid there in a crevice for three days and nights before the Russian soldiers had pulled out, then set out walking by himself. He ended up making his way on foot all the the way to Poland where a farm woman found him and nursed him back to health over a few months time. Then I think of my grandmother whose husband suffered a stroke in the early fifties which paralyzed him almost completely from the neck down. At that time, there were no good options for long-term care, especially since she had only a very small pension from the railroad where my grandfather worked. So she took care of him almost single-handedly in their home for seven years before he finally died. Can you imagine? So I think of people like them, and so many more, and I say to myself, "If those people were strong enough to get through those things, then there's no reason why I can't be strong enough to get through this!"
Anyway, that's how I keep going, even now, when I'm not doing particularly well.
Best wishes to all for a good day!
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I nominate Zachsmom and lisasinglem for capes this week -- Zachsmom for running the Komen Race, and lisa for getting through all those grueling hours of rehearsal culminating in a sold-out show!
Zachsmom: You go girl! I am very impressed that you'll be running today. My goal this year was to run in the Chicago marathon, but I wasn't far enough along in training by the time this cancer thing started, so I decided not to, but instead I decided to volunteer at the Breast Cancer Network of strength aid station. I've never volunteered at a race before, but I decided it would be a good way for me to give something to both the breast cancer cause and to the race I love so much, and I thought it would help me to feel like I'm still connected to running even if I can't do much of it myself right now. It's been nine years since I ran the Chi marathon, and was really excited about doing it this year, but now I know it will mean even more to me to run it next year after getting through all this. I usually run with Team in Training (which raises money for the leakemia/lymphoma society, but next year I think I'll run with a breast cancer group and raise money for that instead. Anyway, you probably won't read this before the race, but I wish you the best run of your life anyway!
lisasinglem: Wow! I didn't realize the show was starting so soon. You've been a real trooper! As tired as I feel these days, I can only imagine what stamina it has taken for you to be at all those rehearsals, being on your feet all that time, and having to be "on" and, I imagine, having to prove to everyone that you are strong enough to do what needs to be done. I'm proud of you! I bet you are probably somewhat on cloud nine after such a great show, but how are you holding up physically after all this? I do believe it's true that the more active your are, and the more you manage to live your life the way you usually would, the better you are in fighting the fatigue, but you have gone above and beyond! I am rooting for you next weekend with your Tx followed by three weekend shows! You have all of our support and confidence behind you! (But don't forget to come to us if it gets hard.)
As for me, I'm just trying to keep my emotional head above water. I'm not feeling bad about my cancer or Tx's. I've had a rough time with se's, but I still have a very positive attitude about the whole thing in general and the Tx's in particular. They're hard, but I've faced worse. It's other stuff (combined with the drain and discomfort of cancer Tx I suppose) going on that is making things particularly difficult for me. I find inspiration by thinking about all the millions of people in the world (and I think particularly of stories I've been told about my family and all my ancestors had to go through just to survive) who have had to deal with exponentially more difficult things. For example, my husband's grandfather was in Germany during WWI, and his troops were very close to the Russian front line. A battle broke out, and suddenly he found himself behind enemy lines with a bullet in his back after his troops had pulled back. He hid out with no food or water and a bullet in a pile of concrete from a fallen building. He hid there in a crevice for three days and nights before the Russian soldiers had pulled out, then set out walking by himself. He ended up making his way on foot all the the way to Poland where a farm woman found him and nursed him back to health over a few months time. Then I think of my grandmother whose husband suffered a stroke in the early fifties which paralyzed him almost completely from the neck down. At that time, there were no good options for long-term care, especially since she had only a very small pension from the railroad where my grandfather worked. So she took care of him almost single-handedly in their home for seven years before he finally died. Can you imagine? So I think of people like them, and so many more, and I say to myself, "If those people were strong enough to get through those things, then there's no reason why I can't be strong enough to get through this!"
Anyway, that's how I keep going, even now, when I'm not doing particularly well.
Best wishes to all for a good day!
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I nominate Zachsmom and lisasinglem for capes this week -- Zachsmom for running the Komen Race, and lisa for getting through all those grueling hours of rehearsal culminating in a sold-out show!
Zachsmom: You go girl! I am very impressed that you'll be running today. My goal this year was to run in the Chicago marathon, but I wasn't far enough along in training by the time this cancer thing started, so I decided not to, but instead I decided to volunteer at the Breast Cancer Network of strength aid station. I've never volunteered at a race before, but I decided it would be a good way for me to give something to both the breast cancer cause and to the race I love so much, and I thought it would help me to feel like I'm still connected to running even if I can't do much of it myself right now. It's been nine years since I ran the Chi marathon, and was really excited about doing it this year, but now I know it will mean even more to me to run it next year after getting through all this. I usually run with Team in Training (which raises money for the leakemia/lymphoma society, but next year I think I'll run with a breast cancer group and raise money for that instead. Anyway, you probably won't read this before the race, but I wish you the best run of your life anyway!
lisasinglem: Wow! I didn't realize the show was starting so soon. You've been a real trooper! As tired as I feel these days, I can only imagine what stamina it has taken for you to be at all those rehearsals, being on your feet all that time, and having to be "on" and, I imagine, having to prove to everyone that you are strong enough to do what needs to be done. I'm proud of you! I bet you are probably somewhat on cloud nine after such a great show, but how are you holding up physically after all this? I do believe it's true that the more active your are, and the more you manage to live your life the way you usually would, the better you are in fighting the fatigue, but you have gone above and beyond! I am rooting for you next weekend with your Tx followed by three weekend shows! You have all of our support and confidence behind you! (But don't forget to come to us if it gets hard.)
As for me, I'm just trying to keep my emotional head above water. I'm not feeling bad about my cancer or Tx's. I've had a rough time with se's, but I still have a very positive attitude about the whole thing in general and the Tx's in particular. They're hard, but I've faced worse. It's other stuff (combined with the drain and discomfort of cancer Tx I suppose) going on that is making things particularly difficult for me. I find inspiration by thinking about all the millions of people in the world (and I think particularly of stories I've been told about my family and all my ancestors had to go through just to survive) who have had to deal with exponentially more difficult things. For example, my husband's grandfather was in Germany during WWI, and his troops were very close to the Russian front line. A battle broke out, and suddenly he found himself behind enemy lines with a bullet in his back after his troops had pulled back. He hid out with no food or water and a bullet in a pile of concrete from a fallen building. He hid there in a crevice for three days and nights before the Russian soldiers had pulled out, then set out walking by himself. He ended up making his way on foot all the the way to Poland where a farm woman found him and nursed him back to health over a few months time. Then I think of my grandmother whose husband suffered a stroke in the early fifties which paralyzed him almost completely from the neck down. At that time, there were no good options for long-term care, especially since she had only a very small pension from the railroad where my grandfather worked. So she took care of him almost single-handedly in their home for seven years before he finally died. Can you imagine? So I think of people like them, and so many more, and I say to myself, "If those people were strong enough to get through those things, then there's no reason why I can't be strong enough to get through this!"
Anyway, that's how I keep going, even now, when I'm not doing particularly well.
Best wishes to all for a good day!
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Sorry for the repeats. Computer glitch!
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