Holiday Bliss

Here I am again, a week after the infusion and two days after Christmas, and all is as it should be in life.  I have felt no ill effects from the infusion, which I must admit is a blessing as well as a worry--how could something that is supposed to be killing the bad guys leave me feeling pretty normal? Is it working? Is it fighting & destroying like it is programmed to do? I pray every day it is. I give my body its daily pep talk & encouragement, hoping and praying that my little army is further strengthened to complete its mission & press forward.
Christmas was (and continues to be) a wonder. On Christmas Eve, I received a surprise gift that was made possible from a number of family members & friends. As I read their names from the card that came with the gift, I could feel their individual love for me. It was overwhelming, to say the least. My sweet kids wanted me to have an iPad to take to treatments & doctor appts and "put out the word" for donations to the cause. Immediately, responses came pouring in--generous & kind & loving. The dream of the iPad was soon realized, and still the donations were coming in. Lindsey said it was an amazing experience for her to see how willing these " angels" were to give & give some more. Soon there was enough for generous gift cards to our local gas station & grocery store, and still more to add to a "cash box" for bills or whatever. I was completely speechless and absolutely humbled to be on the receiving end of such a glorious show of love. The blessings were not just the tangible ones I could hold and enjoy, but the great swelling of gratitude I felt for my precious family--how lucky I am to have this circle of love around me each and every minute. Wow. What more can I say, than thank you, thank you, thank you...

IPI Infusion, No. 2

Today is my 2nd IPI infusion at the Hunstman Center.  I know I've been absent from the blog for three weeks, but have been enjoying getting ready for the holidays and Chels and her family coming to stay for a while.  I haven't experienced any of the awful side effects--at least not to any degree that I couldn't carry on.  Itchy skin in places (could just be the dry winter skin syndrome and not a skin rash side effect) and the same ol' bowel troubles I've had since the Whipple surgery.  I get tired around dinnertime, but who doesn't, right??  So, things have really been okay.  The only thing I'm worried about with this 2nd infusion is that I'll get "double whammied" since I got off so well with the first...and here we are, only six days from Christmas.  That would NOT be the ideal.  But, I'll deal with that if and when it comes.
Chelsea is going with me through this long day of lab tests, a visit with Dr. Grossmann's nurse, Carolyn, and then the three-hour treatment.  We'll take our snacks and our projects and probably watch a little TV, but mainly we'll just relax and enjoy the view from the Infusion Center of the beautiful snow-covered valley.  It's cold today, but I know it will be warm and cozy there.  I'm grateful to Rob for holding down the fort here, which includes care of the three littles and the two dogs, and to Linds for doing chauffeur duty after school.  We are also receiving a meal from our neighbor tonight and that will help immensely.  Life is good and I am blessed.
I'll try to post again in a few days, just to report how things are going.  The holidays are in full swing, so I'm trying to get myself pulled together and get things done.  The gift-giving is meager this year, but no one seems to care.  We're together and that's what really matters any way.