Blessings

When we started this year's cancer battle they gave us booklets on each of the drugs and on chemotherapy in general. When you start a cancer battle there are an awful lot of emotions, thoughts and fears. This was our third time through but it doesn't matter. Whenever you start a new cancer battle you end up processing all of the emotions, thoughts and fears. So I scanned through all of the booklets but I didn't really read them. Most of the chemo info was the same as last year so I didn't spend much time with them. Since the main drug of choice, right now, is Erbitux I thought it would be a good idea if I read through the Erbitux booklet ----- after 11 months. So yesterday I took the time to, finally, read about Erbitux. I hadn't been completely ignorant. I read several on-line articles just not the booklet. What I found was some interesting information -- -- go figure. In clinical trials 1 in 1000 died in an infusion reaction to Erbitux. One in 1570 experienced a fatal lung disorder. Many developed a skin rash, dry skin and fissuring. Several experienced electrolyte depletion, diarrhea, nausea, headache and infection. Some experienced sepsis, renal failure, abdominal pain, fatigue, dyspnea, pulmonary embolus, leukopenia and malaise.
So out of these possibilities I am dealing with diarrhea (it is a balancing act and right now it seems to be in check but it requires constant attention), fatigue - comes and goes, electrolyte depletion (in my case magnesium - they give me an IV bag of mag every Tuesday), the occasional abdominal pain, the skin rash and dry splitting skin.
Considering some of the other possibilities I'm feeling pretty blessed.
God is good all the time!!
jim

Psalms 128:1-4 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. ESV