Frequent Coughing

Hello Dear Ones,
Since Sept.23 (Sat.) I've had a "very nagging consistent dry cough". Roosevelt almost always knows where I am because he hears me coughing. The cough is non-productive. My doctor had me go to the Cleve. Clinic yesterday (9/28,Thurs.)for a chest x-ray and to have blood drawn. He was going to admit me to the hospital over the weekend, however the chest x-ray came back and did not show any pneumonia, and my white blood count is up to 10,000 (this is a good report). I am showing some mild anemia, so he wants me to take 3 iron tablets a day on an empty stomach (which I started yesterday). "I JUST PRAISE & THANK THE LORD THAT I COULD STAY HOME, AND NOT BE ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL".
The strange thing about this cough is that it does not keep me awake at night. For this I am more than grateful (and so is Roosevelt).
I will be seeing my doctors again on Tues. Maybe we will have to look into this coughing a little further.
Well dear ones my prayer request is that the doctors will get to the bottom of this matter with the coughing, and that "EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY FOR MY NEXT CHEMO TREATMENT ON OCT.6TH.(FRI.).

I will keep you posted later in the week.

Loving each of you with the Love of the Lord Jesus,
(Isa.43:1-3; Dt.33:12)

Neulasta (filgrastim) shot

Today my "bou" (Dear Roosevelt)and I had a date to be at Cleveland Clinic downtown at 8:15am for this shot that I have to receive after each chemo treatment. The purpose of the shot is to stimulate the production of white blood cells. Hopefully to prevent infections due to low white blood cell counts.
I have to be careful during this period of time to avoid large crowds ( I won't be in church tomorrow), persons with colds can really be devastating, etc.
We enjoyed the ride downtown and each other. There was little traffic, lots of fog, the city was quiet, and I guess you could say the trip was rather romantic. If that darn console had not been in the middle we could have had a "cuddlie trip" :)
We were home by 9:00am and that included a stop at Marc's.

In my quietime this morning the prayer ended, "You give me life and breath, and every day is Your gift to me. thank You, Jesus". (How well do I relate to this).
One of the prayer ref. was: 2Cor.1:3-5 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Oraletta(for us both)

Chemo #1

Dear Friends,
My chemo treatment this morning (8:30am) went very well. It took about 2 1/2 hours. They gave me benadryl IV as one of my pre-meds, so I had a very good sleep. For a "real treat" I had Roosevelt buy me an "EGG MAC MUFFIN" for breaksfast. It must have been at least two years since I've had one. I just love eating the "JUNK FOOD" right now (since I don't have to watch my weight). Such fun you can have at times like these.

Most of you are probably saying, "well she is a real crazy one", but these are times to relax and enjoy some of the small things that you just never think of.

Praise God I had no ill effects from the treatment today. So now I will go and rest.
Thanks for all of your prayers for me.

In Him,
Oraletta
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again; Rejoice! (Phil.4:4)

Results of Pet Scan & CT Scan

Hello Dear Ones,
I'll get right to the point and then move on to other things. All of my doctors say that the results of the scans were good, they think I am doing very good, HOWEVER, they do believe that MAYBE there might be some cancer activity still around. So tomorrow, Sept.15th (Fri.) as previously scheduled, I will have my first of three chemo treatments. Each treatment will be three weeks apart.
These treatments are suppose to be like "the cleanup crew". They get whatever is left and unseem.
There is a spot yet showing on the lung, however it is greatly diminished in size. As a matter a fact the doctor said it could be necrotic tissue (dead tissue). At this point we/doctors don't know.

The doctors are all pleased with my physical condition, strength & attitude. Of course we all know where this all comes from (Ps. 121).

Many ask me what should they pray for at this point? Here are a couple of suggestions.
1. That physically I will be able to take ALL THREE of the chemo treatments. My doctors continues to say," If it makes you too sick, we will stop". We don't want to harm you more. So let's pray that I will be able to tolerate ALL THREE TREATMENTS.

2. That at the end of these three treatments we will get a clean bill of health "AS FAR AS THE MEDICAL TEAM CAN SEE". We will REST IN THE LORD for all else.

Well, Dear Ones,
I suppose I've said enough. I had planned to say more, but this looks like an awful lot to me. Thanks to each and everyone of you for ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT in every way.
Roosevelt & I appreciate you very much. Let's remember that in ALL OF THE TRIALS IN OUR LIVES, let's remember to honor & glorify our Lord Jesus. Remember, nothings comes to us that does not first come by him. 1Cor.10:31; Ps.73:25-26.

Loving You in His Love,
Oraletta (for us both)

Pet Scan/ CT Scan ( whole body scan)

Hello Everyone,
Not much has been going on with me lately, and I suppose that is good. However, Sept. seems to have quiet a bit of action coming up. Today I had a Pet Scan & Ct Scan of the whole body. This will show the doctors the outcome of the cancer after the treatments I have finished.
Would you join me in praying that there is no cancer left. However we will just have to wait and see. I don't know how long I will have to wait, but I will "have peace and wait".

It was interesting today how they put you in that "dark tunnel machine" ( I was in for about 17 to 20 minutes). The room was "ice cold" ( the kind techician gave me blankets), then they put a pillow on top of your head, and have you rest your hands above your head on the pillow. Then they give you several instruction " all of which means to RELAX", and do what you are told. They give you instructions on breathing via microphone into this tunnel. Then they insert medicine into the IV that they started prior to putting you in this tunnel, and I even had to drink two bottles of "white paste like drinks"prior to getting in the machine.
Well to make a long story short. I STARTED TO GO TO SLEEP AND SCARE THEM TO DEATH, BUT I THOUGH MAYBE NOT. So I just prayed my favorite verses Isa. 43: 1-3.
Then I came home and I looked up "darkness". I like this verse a lot and wish I had it on my mind when I was in the tunnel "Jn. 12 46: I have come into the world as a light, so that no-one who believes in me should stay in darkness". Of course we know that means spiritual darkness, however: for those that might have to have this procedure done, just remember:
YOU KNOW IT WILL NOT LAST LONG. HANG IN THERE FOR THE TIME WILL SOON BE OVER, AND THE TEST WILL BE FINISHED. You won't be in that dark tunnel for long. It also helps if you close your eyes.

I will see my doctors on Sept. 13th. and of course have some blood drawn, and then I will start my first of three more chemo treatments on Sept. 15th. The treatments will each be three weeks apart. It will depend on my physical condition how soon I will update you on the treatment.

Love In Christ,

Oraletta