On Monday morning, I was in so much pain from a new fever, head ache and gut ache, that the doctor on call told Mark to take me to the Parkview ER for some help. I’ve been having a pretty serious problem with my bowels getting clogged up, and it had been several days since anything had moved. This has happened to me several times before, and I spent almost 15 days in the hospital last year for the same reason. I’ve tried to keep up with the problem by taking the medicine I have been prescribed, but sometimes it doesn’t keep up with the issue.

They ER staff learned that I also had an early bladder infection, which added to the pain and caused the fever. I was put on an IV antibiotic and given fluids and medicine for the bowel problems. Sometime over the day and night, there was some improvement, I started feeling better and had a little bit of movement in my bowels. They let me go home that afternoon, and I’ve been taking it easy this week. I’m also taking a stronger dose of medicine at home to keep things progressing. This is a constant battle that we have to work on every day.

I had my regular chemo treatment this week, and it is going well. My counts have been acceptable, and I’ve been feeling better again. My energy level is slowly getting better, too. Mark and I took a quick trip to the Mishawaka area last weekend to see a couple of hardware stores that we’ve heard about, and we stayed the night in a nice Inn just to relax. This was great therapy for us both, and I especially enjoyed the hot tub and jet bath in our room.

We always enjoy the chance to get away together, and we got several good ideas from our self-guided store tours. This March is our 5th anniversary of buying the hardware store in Markle, and we’re really excited to have been blessed with a good business that continues to grow. Mark has always made spending time with me during any doctor visits, treatments, or hospital stays his highest priority, and God has blessed this decision by providing the help and support we need from our church and family.

Thanks for supporting us by your encouragement and prayers, too. We are excited to be continuing this journey and preparing for our first grandson this May. Keep Whitney and Nick and the little one in your prayers too.

Love to all,

Sandy