Timing… Whose is it?

Posted on October 12, 2022 by Margaret

There are easy days and there are hard days, but the main thing I’ve learned over and over is that you won’t know in advance what type of day you’ll get. I’ve had days that start off good and by the end, I’m at the ICU. Not easy but reality for me lately.

So many times I’ve made plans to be somewhere or meet with someone only to cancel them and end up on the sidelines in some way. This is a reality that hasn’t been easy for me to adjust to. BUT, it’s one of the teachings I’ve read in the Bible all my life,

“Don’t worry about tomorrow, today has enough trouble of its own.” Ain’t that the truth? It’s one thing to read it.

It’s quite another to realize it’s actual value and live it out in real life.

There are things on our schedule like our house closing October 26. We go to church small group Thursday nights and attend a service on Sunday morning. We enjoy those things and want them to happen, but if they turn out to be impossible, then so be it.

Right now, Annso and Will are in Germany. She had planned on going in January depending on my health but her Grandmother had a resurgence of cancer so Annso, her Mom, and little Will went over on Monday. For me, a trip like that would have been fun, but probably too risky. I’ve been doing better than ever, so the timing is good for her to be gone and I was able to get my Mom to come up from Michigan and hang out with “her oldest” in the meantime. My Mom (Margaret) on the right and Annso’s (Astrid) on the left.

As it turns out, Annso’s grandmother passed away just before they arrived in Germany so they were not able to introduce her to her one and only great-grandchild.

It’s a bummer. That’s what her family has said over and over,

“Oh how she would have loved to meet little Will.”

Be that as it may, it’s still good they made it, can be a comfort in this time of grief and loss, and are introducing the baby to everyone else.

Having a little guy around is such a blessing because he doesn’t understand cancer or death and keeps a lighter vibe going for us here in Rochester and for the bereaved over in Germany.

We wonder about God’s timing and lots of the time, it’s not what I would choose, but we work with what we get.

I often wonder why I got cancer at almost the exact moment I had my first and only son. Why in the world did those to major life events happen at the exact same time? Not what I would have chosen, but the way it went.

It helps to know we are not as “in control” as we would like to be and that’s freeing in a way. If my health went downhill, Annso would be on a flight back in a day, but for now, I’m enjoying some time with my Mom while Annso enjoys her family and shows off our new “charge”.

We pray for favor and guidance but know that the timing is ultimately in God’s hands.

27 “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

34 …Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:27, 34

Many Layers…

Posted on July 13, 2022 by Margaret

Since a positive Covid reading came back for me the day before yesterday, I was told, no “in person” visits at the clinic for 10 days. That seems to have set me back as my next round of Chemo was set for July 20.

And even if they wanted to go ahead, it’s unsure if chemotherapy fits with the latest finding of a genetic mutation that would change the course of treatment going forward. Lots of layers to the onion and lots of teams working together but on separate, specific areas and methods of treatment working toward the goal of a cancer-free Nelson. Today, I was in touch with the folks in the radiology department but no treatment beyond that. They were just touching base to see if any areas had become problematic since my last meeting with them.

I asked about the mutations and a few other things, but they directed me to the general oncology folks.

Overall, my condition has some good and some challenging parts. There is rarely a report that comes back “all good”.

This time, the Platelet levels had gone up from 32 to 50 in a 24 hour period. That was the exact number Annso had asked the Lord for. She was stoked! I’m well enough to endure the next Chemo treatment.

However……. this latest set of tests showed my Neutrophil (white blood cell) levels being extremely low. On July 11, the reading was 1.15 and on July 13, down to 0.38. have to be extra careful not to cut myself or get sick in any way. They somehow passed the Covid rules and let me have a blood draw this morning and another one tomorrow to continue checking. If there’s one thing they are here it’s thorough. Always wanting to make sure they don’t miss anything, and for that, I’m thankful.

Please pray:

that I can stay out of the hospital if at all possible
nothing gets missed
swelling in feet goes down
resolution to the blood clot issue / swelling in the left arm
that we can grab a-hold of the spiritual side of things as we go through this

Seriously? Really?

Posted on July 12, 2022 by Margaret

Sometimes you get the kind of news that causes apprehension at first.

After all, mostly when I get a call saying, “Mr. Nyman, please call us back so we can talk something over with you.” I get more like anxious pains than excited anticipation about the news.

Well I got one of those a few minutes ago and my first reaction was more like:

“Can that really be true? Does that say what I think it says?”

I was nonchalantly checking my messages from the hospital and in the middle of one of the the ones with lengthy refreshers about Covid protocol (as I any of us needs more of that) is sandwiched this little bit here….

This next little blurb came from a nurse on the oncology team having to do with research and treatment.

“We have also received the final molecular testing from the cancer biopsy.

Testing shows a BRAF mutation. We can treat this mutation in the cancer with two oral medicines: dabrafenib and trametinib. I am going to start the pre-authorization process for these medicines. I anticipate you may receive a phone from the pharmacy about these medicines. Please do NOT pick up these medicines until you’ve had a return visit with our team to discuss treatment and side effects.”

Wait! What? Let me read that again. Is that saying what I think it’s saying?

If you remember, there is a mutation matching each type of cancer and to find this match means doctors can link it with the matching treatment. I was given a 40% chance that one of the “unreturned” samples of the biopsy would be a part of the cure. So this news, if it’s what I think it is, represents a complete game changer… especially for Annso, Will, and I.

The way they referred to it a couple months back, it went like this.