The Roller Coaster

This week Alycia and I are celebrating our 14^th anniversary. We were discussing how the first seven years really flew by, but the last seven seemed to have taken 14 years themselves. Having kids has definitely slowed our perception of time, at least on a day-to-day basis. The saying that with kids the days go slow but the years go fast is very true. For me, that’s how the last two and half weeks have felt, slow but also fast.

Alycia’s next treatment is on Thursday, so we’ve almost finished the first cycle. We experienced a lot of what we were told to expect. The three weeks has felt a little bit like a roller coaster with Alycia bottoming out and feeling her worst last weekend. Four or five days after the treatment, Alycia began feeling more nauseous. Most foods started tasting bad and, even the thought of eating added to her nausea. Along with not wanting to eat, drinking water also made her nauseous, until she found out that Smart Water doesn’t make her sick. In the past few days, Alycia’s hair really began falling out.

So, a lot of the side effects that she was expecting happened. Like I wrote, they were at their worst last weekend, but she started feeling better last week and had a good weekend. The biggest side effect is that Alycia is just tired all the time. Thankfully she’s been sleeping well, but even with that her body is just tired, which makes sense because it’s fighting cancer. She usually has about 30-60 minutes of energy and then, after that, she needs to take a break.

Along with all of that, our kids also started school two weeks ago. Clara is loving the third grade and Josiah is getting more comfortable in kindergarten. Thankfully, Alycia has been able to take the kids to school, which she enjoys and has made the transition a lot easier for Josiah. Usually, by the afternoon, Alycia is pretty tired, so we are eternally thankful to both of our mothers who have taken on the responsibility of picking up the kids from school.

We got through this cycle with a lot of help and support from our family and friends. Looking ahead, we know that’s how we’ll get through all of the remaining cycles. Alycia has expressed that looking ahead is challenging during this season. When she looks ahead, she sees three more hours sitting in a chair receiving her treatment. And, after that, she’ll contend with all of the same side effects that she just got past. Apart from the physical challenges of chemotherapy, I’m beginning to see the emotional and psychological challenges as well. Alycia’s just starting to feel better from her last treatment, and now she has to start it all over again. I’ve told her, though, that she is incredibly strong and can persevere through this season. All of your support and encouragement constantly remind us that we are not alone in this.

Here are some ways that you can be praying for us:

• Pray that the treatment kills the cancer in Alycia’s body and cures her of the disease.
• Pray for Alycia’s spirit and attitude, that she wouldn’t get too discouraged and that she would continue to face this journey with strength and resolve.
• Pray that the side effects during this next cycle would not be too bad and that she would get more energy back.
• Pray for Clara and Josiah as they are navigating a new school year and their mom’s journey.
• Alycia had three weeks of medical leave to start her time off work, and now we need to navigate all of the disability stuff. Please pray for wisdom in that part of the journey and that it wouldn’t be too confusing.

Again, thank you for journeying with us. Now that we’ve almost made it through the first cycle, we know some specific ways that you can support us. Later this week we’ll be setting up a Meal Train, to help us out on those days when Alycia isn’t feeling her best. We’ll share that link when we get it.