More of the Same

Since being out of rehab, I have been enduring in-home physical therapy. Honestly, this can be just as brutal (if not more so) as in-patient therapy. The therapists have to be as creative as possible to make in-home therapy work. Everyone's home is different and there may not be enough space to do some of the exercises. On the other hand, you may have plenty of places that supply the therapist with a plethora of options to torture you, I mean work with you, no...I really mean TORTURE you.

In my case, I have plenty of places for the therapist to torture me.

The trade-off? I have already progressed back to crutches. Each day my strength gets better and better. My endurance, however, is another issue. After so much time in bed from the fracture and then surgery, my endurance is shot. Little by little, as we work three times a week, my endurance is slowly getting better. I have been able to do our normal walking routine without having to take a break part way through. This is a huge answer to prayer for me to get to this point.

If therapy wasn't enough to get through, there are side effects to the new cancer drug. The side effects got so bad for me, I had to go off the drug for five days to let my body recover over Thanksgiving weekend (not much to give thanks for then, I was miserable). Once I got back on the drug, the doctor had decided to drop the dose by one pill a day. Since we altered the dose that way, the side effects waned. It's amazing that one pill can make a difference between feeling okay and feeling as though the world is coming to an end just for me.

I also had been waiting to meet with the radiation oncologist to see if/when we can begin a radiation therapy on my tailbone. That one spot of cancer seems to cause me the most severe and constant pain, along with the ongoing pain from my right leg and prosthetic. No amount of pain medication has been able to touch that area long enough to be considered relief by any stretch of the imagination. Anyhow, unfortunately after finally meeting with the radiation oncologist he advised radiation was NOT an option due to the location of the tumor.

This was very disappointing to hear. After all the things we have tried, my pain is getting worse and the increase of prescription drug dosages is not helping.

Because of this news, mom and I left CA two days after Christmas heading back to CO. We have to stop several times along the way because I can only sit for so long. So, we stay a couple of nights in hotels along the way. By the time we get home, I still hurt bad enough that I need a couple of days to recuperate from the traveling. This time, mom and I had 4 nights home before I had to go back to work. I must say that even the 4 days did not help this time. My first day back still hurt me pretty bad.

To this day, I am still having issues with the pain at fairly great levels.

Next..."An Unexpected Phone Call"

Reflection:
"But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction." Job 36:15