Chemo # 5 December 7

Tomorrow I go for my 5th chemo treatment, so keep me in your prayers. It is easy to get stuck in a dread this ordeal mindset. So pray that I will remember to take my focus off the negative things I endure and that I will be sensitive to the Lord. There are dozens of people in the chemo room who have needs. Obviously, the patients all have physical needs, but I have also met some nurses who were in need of a prayer or a word of encouragement. I have had special prayer times and even sang to some of the staff in the past. I'd like to give out some Gideon's Nurses New Testaments tomorrow if I get the chance.

The room where the chemo is administered reminds me of a small gym. No, the floor is not painted like a basketball court, but it is a large open area and the floor looks like a hard wood floor. I think it is a laminate wood floor that can be easily cleaned. There are recliners and IV poles against the wall on two sides of the room and a large nurses station in the middle. The third side of the room leads to private rooms with beds for the patients who are too ill to sit in a recliner, or who prefer privacy. The fourth side of the room has a counter with another nurses station, the entrance, a restroom, and a counter with refreshments. There are juices, sodas, and crackers with cheese or peanut butter available for those on chemo. It takes 3-4 hours for my chemo to drip into my veins and that seems to be average. The nurses do not want us to leave hungry. Fortunately, I have always had a friend or relative with me during my chemo who has brought real food for me to eat during my treatment. The nausea does not usually hit me in the first few hours so I have been able to eat lunch while I am at chemo. Some of the time I try to pass the time with a project of some type. I've tried to remember how to knit, but that has not worked out too good. The anti-nausea medications added to the IV tend to cloud your brain. Some knitters might be able to work without thinking but I am not one of them.

As I sit in the recliner there usually is a patient on my left and on my right who are also getting medications by IV. Some people get iron for severe anemia, but most of the people there are also getting some type of chemo for cancer. Since we sit beside each other for several hours, there is a chance for some conversation. So pray that I will not only listen to them as they speak, but I will also listen to the Holy Spirit to know how to respond and know how to be a blessing to them.