Biochemo start date

Finally got my drain out of my stomach yesterday. Hooray! It actually feels really good to have it out. I kind of overdid it yesterday though. Have to be careful not to do so cause now the fluid doesn't have any way out of my body. My body has to figure out how to function without the lymph nodes for my left leg. Really actually pretty amazing that our bodies do figure stuff like that out. Also, pretty amazing that they we can get cut up by surgeries and other stuff and our bodies heal themselves. It's just like in the movies...just a little slower than wolverine :). I have an appointment with an oncology therapist tomorrow to help me figure out how to deal with swelling/lymphedema and also determine how much I can and should be doing.

So, after I got the drain out I called MD Anderson. I am set to start Biochemotherapy on July 31. I have to do some heart stress tests and some other things that morning and then I start treatments that night. How fun... Actually the sooner I start the sooner I can finish. So, I'll be in the hospital from Wednesday to Wednesday. Kara (Kristin's sister) has graciously offered to come to our home for that week. So grateful the kids will have the stability of being home during that time and have a loving aunt and uncle and 2 cousins here with them. I know it's not easy for Kara to uproot her family and I'm so grateful for her love and service in action. We are so blessed with so many loved ones. Hopefully, I'm learning in this process how to be better at that. I'm thankful that Kristin will be down at the hospital during that time. I was nervous to be alone. Just so much unknown.

Heading into the treatments, I am very anxious to see how I respond. I am praying for courage and strength to bear this suffering. I am hopeful that it can/will be a growing experience for me. I am so grateful to know about the atonement of Jesus Christ. Not only are we given opportunities to "start over" when we make mistakes and sins because of Him, but importantly, he also descended below all suffering and can help in those times to lift us up and make our burdens bearable. I really do believe that we won't be given anything we can't handle. I hope to remember that as they put the poison in my veins to root out the cancer and as all the good things in my body (immune system, organs, others systems) are struggling to do their jobs. I hope to keep my faith strong. I hope to remain open and vulnerable to my loved ones.

On a very side note... got this flashback picture from my good friend Ryan Cho via text message last night. Great memories. Shout out to diversity of growing up in California. We called ourselves the Rainbow Tribe - in our group of friends that hung out and played sports we had a Korean, Japanese, Philippino, couple Mexican, couple black, couple white, Columbian, Puerto Rican and Italian in our group. So grateful for those mind opening times to cultural diversity. It's been something Kristin and I relate in a deep way in and have both felt very strongly in our lives (and driven some of our desire to travel and live abroad as we want our kids to have cultural sensitivities).