"Therefore we do not lose heart, though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. This was the verse that jumped out at me yesterday morning, reminding me once again that the pain will end soon and where to focus my attention.
Mucositis is a common side effect of chemotherapy. It affects the mucosal cells lining the mouth, throat, stomach, and intestines. Chemotherapy destroys the cells quickly and they are not replaced right away. There may be sores in the mouth and throat causing pain and difficulty eating for a week or two until the tissues recover. This is what I am dealing with right now.
Thank you very much for your prayers. I really felt the power of your prayers. When I last posted to the blog, I had a big mouth sore on the side of my mouth, sore gums and sore throat that made it difficult to swallow. The left side of my tongue was swollen due to the mouth sores, causing the line down the middle of my tongue to curve. Interesting, huh? Now, the line is almost straight, and an hourly application of lidocaine has kept the pain under control. I still wake up many times at night to reapply lidocaine so I won't feel the stinging or throbbing pain, but I do get more sleep now. My throat and gums also feel better now. They still bother me from time to time, but not as often as before.
I am more creative with my food intake these days. Some of my latest creations: banana orange wheat grass smoothie, cream of arroz caldo con asparagus soup, pureed duck in chinese herb (si but) soup. I miss having real food, and spend a lot of time preparing food, but it is better and more nutritious than having the boxed or canned soup variety. Besides, this is just temporary. I hope that the sore will be gone by next Sunday - my birthday! It will be tough to really celebrate my birthday without having good food!
One more skill I picked up from mucositis is talking without moving my mouth and tongue much. This minimizes the risk of accidentally rubbing the sore on my tongue against a sharp part of my teeth. The stabbing pain I get when this happens is something I will never miss. Hey! Maybe I can try to be a ventriloquist when this is all over! :-)
The best news is that I do feel much better now in terms of dealing with the pain. It helps to refocus my attention on God and not on the pain. I don't feel so bad about it anymore, and I have regained my sense of humor. I just try to make the most of the situation. I spend most of my day preparing food, brushing and gargling with salt and baking soda solution every time I eat, and applying medication - what fun! :-/
My recent blood test is a little better than the last one, but it is still pretty low. I just had another blood and platelet transfusion on Friday. This time, I was able to have it in the outpatient facility. The mouth, throat and gum sores should heal by themselves in a week or two. However, I would need my white cells to go up for this to happen.
Please continue to pray for my complete healing, for my blood count to go back up to normal, for my sores to heal soon (before my birthday, please!). Also please continue to pray that my family and I will continue to be happy and positive throughout the journey, and that we will not catch any flu, especially the H1N1 (swine) flu. Lastly, Robert is fighting cold, so please also pray that the girls and I will not catch it.
As always, my family and I appreciate all your prayers and support. May God continue to bless you and your family!
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Dearest Val - Just wanted to share the following excerpt from one of Dr Norman Vincent Peale's writings: There is no difficulty you cannot overcome. A wise and philosophical man once said to me, when asked how he overcame his difficulties, "How do I get through a trouble? Well, first I try to go around it, and if I can't go around it, I try to get under it, and if I can't get under it, I try to go over it, and if I can't get over it, I just plow right through it." Then he added, "God and I plow right through it." Believe that Almighty God has put in you the power to lift yourself out of the rough by keeping your eye firmly fixed on the source of your power. Affirm to yourself that through this power you can do anything you have to do. Believe that this power is taking the tension out of you, that this power is flowing through you. Believe this, and a sense of victory will come.
ReplyDeleteHang in there, my friend!
Love, Nini
Dear Val,
ReplyDeleteThis blog is a source of inspiration for me. Thank you for your faith and strength. The posted prayers and encouragement are so powerful and heartfelt. We will keep praying for you until you are completely healed. You will win your small battles and eventually be victorious. Praise be to God!
Happy, happy birthday and may you enjoy the love that surrounds you and all the food that you're now craving for.
Vic
"You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You,Because he trusts in You."
1 Peter 3:12
ReplyDeleteFor the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and His ears are attentive to their prayer...
Lamentations 3:22-26
Because of the LORD's great love
we are not consumed,
for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.
I say to myself,
"The LORD is my portion;
therefore i will wait for Him."
The LORD is good
to those whose hope is in Him,
to the one who seeks Him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
1 Peter 5:10-11
And the God of all grace,
who called you to His eternal glory in Christ,
after you have suffered a little while,
will Himself restore you
and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
-Achie
We worship You, Almighty God, and give You all the glory and praise that is due Your name. We exalt you and thank you that you are Val's Healer. We lift her up to You and continue to pray for her:
ReplyDelete1. complete healing.
2. for her blood count to go back up to normal.
3. for her sores to heal fast before her birthday.
4. that she and her family will continue to be happy and positive throughout the journey.
5. that they will not catch any flu, especially the swine flu, H1N1.
6. to heal Robert from his cold and to boost his immune system.
7. to shield and protect Val and her daughters from any cold or sickness, and also to boost their immune system so they won't get sickly.
Thank you that You hear our prayers for her and will answer in Your time and in Your way. Thank you that You will rise up with healing for those who fear Your name (Malachi 4:2). Have mercy on Val, O God, have mercy on her, for in You her soul takes refuge. She will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. (Psalm 57:1). You said, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." Therefore we believe and trust You and thank you for the answered prayers. Help Val to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12). In Jesus Name we pray. Amen
-Achie
Achie, Nini and Vic, thank you for your words of encouragement and prayers. They have been very helpful to me. God bless you and your family!
ReplyDeleteChemotherapy has many side-effects, one is hair loss and also oral and throat ulcer, Mucositis. It is very painful, it becomes difficult to swallow food. There is no proper cure, but a oral mouthwash has introduced called Caphosol, which is beneficial for mucositis. It has calcium and phosphate which is beneficial for oral health.
ReplyDelete