Oncology Clinic Day July 30

God is keeping us close in his hands. This week, he even provided the groceries I forgot to buy! 

In our house, I have different set breakfasts for each day of the week--I know you're so shocked--and Thursdays are bagel days. On Wednesday, I noticed that I had forgotten to purchase bagels at all this week and knew the children would be disappointed the next day. Mid-morning, I was pruning bushes in my front yard, and then sitting to watch the children play, when a neighbor departed in her car and returned shortly thereafter: she walked across the cul-de-sac with a hefty bag of fresh Bruegger's bagels and cream cheese to gift to us!

I had to chuckle because God worked through that sweet lady even to provide us our bagels so we could eat them "on time" Thursday morning.

Thursday was Thomas's Clinic Day and all went well. In that first week after chemo, it is expected that his immune system is still pretty decent (which it was) and the blood counts (like platelets) are still pretty okay (which they were). Thomas's numbers were "good," which means for chemo standards, as they'd be alarming and scary for a healthy person. His numbers will drop much lower in the next week, as expected.

His blood pressure is not lowering yet, so they are doubling his anti-hypertensive medication.

We received two gifts, which is always so heartfelt. First was a sweet, custom made purse full of $200 worth of gift cards from Wren's Village. Wren is a little girl in remission from leukemia who is a patient at our very own cancer clinic. In fact, I met her mom at the oncology parental support group a couple of weeks ago! This isn't just a gift from anonymous corporate America . . . I was told that Wren's big brother holds lemonade stands to raise money to buy these gift cards, packs them himself, and the family drops them off at the clinic. Truly, what generosity!

• https://www.heraldonline.com/news/local/community/fort-mill-times/article109156292.html

• https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/wrens-village-7-year-old-who-beat-cancer-will-race-virtual-keep-pounding-5k/ELZLETXXQBEK3DPUHAQRTZ5FEQ/

Then the art therapist gave us six all-enclosed art packets to do at home with the siblings. These are from the charity Arts for Life.

Speaking of charities, our neighborhood will be hosting its annual blood drive on Saturday September 12 in honor of our Thomas and pediatric oncology awareness! Please mark your calendars and I will share marketing materials soon. Cancer patients use a tremendous amount of blood products and receiving them can mean the difference between being able to continue chemotherapy or not.