Freda Update

Well, I’ve teased about the Thursday curse in my life. It happened again. I had a tenth hospital visit (beginning with one in January 08) and they have all been on Thursdays. As I mentioned in my last blog, the cardiologist lowered the dose of the medication that controls atrial fibrillation to see if a lower dose would control the problem. Unfortunately, the atrial fibrillation has increased in frequency and duration as the weeks passed. Two of the chemo medications I take produce a lot of fluid retention. With the heart not working properly the fluid built up and the heart could not function well enough to pump it out. The week before the hospitalization, I was short of breath and knew something needed to be done, but I kept thinking the medications would stop producing so much fluid or the heart would begin to function correctly.

By last Thursday I was having difficulty breathing and walking. When I went in for blood counts my oncologist nurse immediately put me in a room and the doctor saw me. He called a cardiologist and the two of them decided I needed to be hospitalized. They ran a lot of tests and determined there was a little fluid around the heart and in the right lung and the left lung had a moderate amount of fluid. The pacemaker memory showed 17 episodes of atrial fibrillation in the last 23 days, several 3-5 hours in duration. They gave me medications to get rid of the fluid. I lost 17 pounds in 36 hours, but I do not recommend that weight loss program. The atrial fibrillation medication dose was raised and I was dismissed Saturday afternoon. The heart is adjusting and I have had episodes the last three days, but they have not been long and seem to be decreasing in strength and length.

As I was thinking about the “Thursday curse,” God brought a thought to my mind. There have been over 70 Thursdays since the first of January 08 and I have only been hospitalized 11 (one was long) Thursdays. That means I have had over 60 Thursdays that I was not in the hospital. Most of those hospitalizations were only 3-4 days. I think all the Thursdays I was not in the hospital and the shortness of the stays is something for which I can be thankful! As the Psalmist says, “Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put you hope in God for I will yet praise him my Savior and my God” (Psalm 43:4-5). Why would I be downcast about the few days in a year and a half that I have been in the hospital? I just need to go to God and He will give me great joy no matter where I am. I have so much for which I am grateful. After all, I am still here and have a wonderful quality of life.

Gary and I leave for a conference in Washington D.C. tomorrow. As always counts are low and I am appreciative of a doctor who gives me the necessary injections and pills to take with me. I am also grateful to be going with greater energy than I have experienced in weeks. The doctors have also stopped my chemo medications for the week to give my body a break. I am excited to be going with Gary and about the conference. I am concerned about our nation and pray for her leadership. We will be interacting with some congressional leaders and gaining insights about the Washington culture. We will hear several speakers and one I really look forward to hearing is Anne Graham Lotz (Billy Graham’s daughter). After my diagnosis in 2000, I read her book, Just Give Me Jesus, and found it insightful, encouraging, and inspirational. Since then I have read other of her books. We plan to be back on Saturday and look forward to a fantastic day of worship at Westside on Sunday.