So, I’m skipping ahead here, but basically I got through the last two cycles with increasing pain, misery, and medications. Every cycle means that the pain comes quicker and the recovery is a little slower. It’s a mental battle every step of the way, there aren’t any single events that are impossible to get through by themselves. However, once they get stacked up over the days, it starts to feel like mountain climbing with fragile equipment. Any normal challenge could send you tumbling off the mountain.
The support from all of our friends and family made it possible to get through these trying times. We would not have made it without the tremendous outpouring, I can’t even begin to thank everyone.
The real recovery started after that fourth round ended. I kept getting monitored every two weeks, and the AFP marker just kept falling according to schedule.
Months rolled by slowly, the pandemic had everything shutdown tight, and only showed signs of getting more entrenched. The family kept to ourselves for the most part, trying to keep our risk low. We got through Christmas and New Years, mostly without event.
I am getting another blood test soon, then we will probably switch to a longer testing interval. The treatment is starting to look fairly successful.