Chemo Plan for Emily (Update #10: Emily Whiting)

FINALLY HOME!!

Emily came home on Tuesday after four nights and five days in the hospital for her first round of chemo. I left the hospital for the airport a couple of hours before they were released to go home. I’m traveling through Thursday AM. Emily and Sue have appointments most of the day on Wednesday and Friday at the hospital. But it looks like nothing is scheduled next week until just after Christmas. So that is good.

Let me share a bit more about Emily’s chemo treatments. There are three different chemo treatments she will receive. You can Google these if you want more information:

• Doxorubicin
• Cisplatin
• Methotrexate

This last week, she had a combination of Doxorubicin and Cisplatin.

Emily chemo is scheduled to be all in-patient chemo. It seems each will be four to five days long. We hope weekends will be at home.

To get an idea of what Emily’s (and Sue’s) life will look like over the next several months, here is the current plan for her:

Week 1: Chemo round 1: Doxorubicin and Cisplatin (DONE)
Week 2: no chemo
Week 3: no chemo
Week 4: Chemo round 2: Methotrexate
Week 5: Chemo round 3: Methotrexate
Week 6: Chemo round 4: Doxorubicin and Cisplatin
Week 7: no chemo
Week 8: no chemo
Week 9: Chemo round 5: Methotrexate
Week 10: Chemo round 6: Methotrexate
Week 11: Surgery to take out the cancerous bone
Week 12: Chemo round 7: Doxorubicin and Cisplatin
Week 13: no chemo
Week 14: no chemo
Week 15: Chemo round 8: Methotrexate
Week 16: Chemo round 9: Methotrexate
Week 17: Chemo round 10: Doxorubicin and Cisplatin
Week 18: no chemo
Week 19: no chemo
Week 20: Chemo round 11: Methotrexate
Week 21: Chemo round 12: Methotrexate
Week 22: Chemo round 13: Doxorubicin
Week 23: no chemo
Week 24: Chemo round 14: Methotrexate
Week 25: Chemo round 15: Methotrexate
Week 26: Chemo round 16: Doxorubicin
Week 27: no chemo
Week 28: Chemo round 17: Methotrexate
Week 29: Chemo round 18: Methotrexate

They told us there will certainly be delays. Emily will get sick. Her counts won’t be high enough to begin another round of chemo, etc… But that is what she is facing.

By that schedule, two-thirds of her life over the next 29 weeks will be in the hospital. That will be very long and difficult. We appreciate your prayers and encouragement.

The first round was tough – as expected. We had a little break down thinking about doing this 17 more times. We need God’s grace for today… then tomorrow… then the next day.

Here are a couple of photos from the last few days:

Because she is 19, she is in the children’s cancer unit. So, of course, it included a visit from Santa.

On Monday, Emily also had a visit from Brooke. Brooke is the daughter of one of my former co-workers. Brooke is battling brain cancer and brought a lot of joy into our room during her visit.

_______________

One time when Emly was really struggling and I was sitting close to her praying, this verse came to mind, and I kept praying it over and over. “You are good and what you do is good.” (Psalm 119:68)

As difficult as this is as a dad, I believe that. I’m sad and a bit scared, but I believe it. And I’m very proud of how Emily was a champ through week #1.

Thank you for your prayers!