We THINK It's Working

Every night for the past 7 nights, my dad injected my mom with Neupogen.

This is the REALLY expensive medication that helps to stimulate the growth of her blood cells.

When the blood cells start growing... they do so at a rapid rate. So much is developing that it's almost like there's no place for them to go. When that happens it's common for there to be bone pain. It's almost like the bones are "busting at the seams."

Last night Mommy began to have extreme pain. So, we think the Neupogen may be working. She had to go up to their bedroom at 7 pm -- hunched over in aches and pains. She's been experiencing pain in her lower back, the muscles in her upper thigh and in her sternum. The pain is so severe that it sometimes looks like she's having muscle spasms when she cringes from the "shocks."

She tried to sit downstairs this morning, but before lunchtime she was back upstairs in bed. She's been able to go to sleep now for the last couple of hours and has said that the pain has started to go away.

The pharmacist at CVS was in Oncology for several years and recommended taking Claritin along with Neupogen for the pain. We're waiting to hear back from her doctor with the "okay" for that remedy.

Her temperature has also gone up a little -- lingering around 99.6 or so. She's checking on it regularly to make sure it doesn't hit the magic number. Once it gets to 100.4 we need to get her to the emergency room as fevers are a sign of infection.

It's hard seeing her in pain. When she's in this much pain you think, "Ummm... do we have to give you the Neupogen tonight?" but then you have to think, if it's working and if it will help her in the long run...

Pray...

• for relief from the pain
• that the benefit of the Neupogen would outweigh the negative side effects (her blood counts would increase -- GOOD, CLEAN blood cells!)
• that there would be no illness or infection (her temperature would continue to go down)
• for my mom as she continues on this long road of treatment -- God's peace, comfort and grace throughout each phase