Having Cancer Is A full Time Job

A few quick updates first. This morning I weighed 124. Down from 125 yesterday, and 126 the day before. At this rate, I'll be down to zero by March 18th. I asked my wife this morning if I look like I've lost 6 pounds in the last month, and she said no. I said thanks a lot! Then she asked me if her jeans make her look fat, and I said yes! Not really. I do want to live.

I found a protein shake on Amazon, and ordered it today. It's MRM All Natural Gainer. It's supposed to be natural, healthy, and taste good. And it's chocolate! Very important. It won't get here for a couple of days, so I also picked up a six pack of Boost. I'll add ice cream to it to add calories.

After one day of going without a support sock on my left ankle, it's back on today. I felt a few twinges as the day went on yesterday, and my ankle feels less stable today. I should probably keep the sock on for a few more days at least.

I returned the electric car seat warmer I tried last week, and ordered another. The reviews of that one said it heats up fast. Not fast enough. It arrived yesterday, and I tried it out. Like the last one, it doesn't heat up as fast as my car engine. I guess there's no such thing as an electric car seat warmer that heats up in one minute. That's what I need.

It's amazing how, even though I'm not doing much in terms of paying work right now, my days are full. I find that, at least at this stage, having cancer is a full-time job. Between informing friends and family in the initial stages, going through treatment and dealing with its consequences, launching this site and the GoFundMe campaign, writing this journal and responding to comments, thanking contributors, doing research, and just receiving words of support and comfort from friends (lots of long phone conversations), I have no trouble finding things to do. Not to mention the fact that I do most of the cooking and cleaning around here. And I should. My wife is the one who works full time.

And not only are my days full, but they are full of joy and love. I'll repeat what I've said before. I had no idea how loved I am. Sharon and I had no clue about the network of support that would literally spring up overnight to help us. A dear friend of ours took us to lunch last Sunday (that's happening with increasing frequency these days - it's a wonderful thing), and while we ate two couples came up to our table, people we knew from our old church, both of whom told me they were praying for me. That happens everywhere I go. I'm still not sure how to process that, but I'm so thankful for it.

Philemon 1:7 says, "Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people." The love, prayers, and support that we have received from so many of you has given us joy and encouragement that we can't describe. You truly refresh our hearts. Thank you!