The cold caps, gloves, slippers, and eye masks have been placed in the freezer, Carrie-Anne’s medicine charts have been color-coded and reviewed,  and we are ready for tomorrow’s next phase of her chemotherapy treatments. As ready, I guess, as we can be. Medical professionals and breast cancer survivors call what Carrie-Anne is receiving tomorrow the “Red Devil.” The chemo cocktail is red in color and bad to the bone. The side effects are typically much worse and longer lasting, the impact to one’s heart and digestive system is more dangerous and, overall, it makes the patient feel really bad. All we’ve heard about this treatment is bad. C-A will be taking many pills before and after each of these infusions to mitigate the side effects – several pills every day over these two months. They’ve prepared us for the worst. And, yes, we’re a little anxious about it.

We’re refusing to call it “Red Devil.” We’re just calling it the Final Four.

The first infusion is tomorrow and a booster follows on Saturday, then two weeks later another infusion and booster, another treatment two weeks after that, and the fourth and final infusion two weeks later. We’ll be finished with it all June 16.

We are both grateful to our Lord for the relative ease with which C-A has endured the initial twelve-weeks of chemotherapy. The side effects have been minimal and short-lived. It’s almost become – dare I say – routine. But these next few weeks are going to be a different story. We are both committed to what’s in front of us, trusting in our God, and confident in our doctors and in the Lord’s care. We are thankful for the love and support of our family and our brothers and sisters at GCR Church.

Thank you for keeping up with us on this and for your prayers on our behalf and the continuous encouragement. May our Lord’s will be done in us and through us tomorrow and for the next eight weeks just as it is in heaven.

Peace,

Allan