From Sharon -
As I reported with the last blog entry, the day following Ruth's chemoembolization procedure at Chapel Hill, she felt great. Two days after, however, reality hit hard. Ruth has suffered from shoulder and right side pain (where her liver is located), emotional swings, and fatigue. Gradually, most of that has subsided, improving each day. The pain in her shoulder still lingers, making it difficult to sleep at night. Daily naps have become a necessity. She can now eat a full meal, her blood tests indicate that the treatment has had the desired affect on her cancer, and she has gained back two of the three pounds she lost immediately following treatment.
The congregation of Ruth's former church, Centenary United Methodist, created and presented a prayer shawl to her. It's an incredible symbol of protection around her shoulders and was a tremendous emotional boost. Thank you!
Our gratitude also goes out to the people of Trinity United Church who have provided healthy meals and snack foods during the past couple of weeks. People always ask if they can do anything to help and the congregation really came through when I emailed Pastor Charlene Pierce Guider with a suggestion. John appreciated the break from cooking and Ruth enjoyed the variety of choices as her appetite returned.
Unfortunately, Ruth found out that one of side effects of the cancer is pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in her lungs), which is related to the tricuspid regurgitation (faulty valve) in her heart. It doesn't appear to be serious though and after the testing done by the pulmonologist, she was told that she also has asthma. This might explain why her voice doesn't project very loudly. The asthma apparently is NOT related to the cancer. So she now has an inhaler and is training to run a 5K. Kidding. Have you ever seen Ruth run? It's not pretty.
I'll sign off now before I get in trouble......Sharon
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