Skip to main content

The Real End of Cycle One

I was actually confused when I first wrote that I had finished the first cycle, since a cycle consists of a few drugs for two weeks, and then different drugs for two weeks. This means I have now completed the first month of treatment - which is the first cycle.

I got to go snowboarding two Thursdays ago for the first time after missing a ski season last year. It was really fun, and I saw my six year old brother ski for the first time. We didn't stay too long, since when we got there we were worn out by long ski lines, and when it thinned out for night skiing, my leg which has been bothering me was a bit tired. After skiing, we made our way down the canyon to get ramen, in a pretty authentic restaurant that started as a hole-in-wall in Salt Lake. Also a good time, and the soup was great!

New Years eve night was spent in the hospital, with my family, and we hung out and played games a lot of the night. We had treats, hung out together, and had a good time all in all. My family had to leave before we actually got to midnight - since they had a 45 minute drive home. I stayed up to 11:30 before going to bed....I wish I had stayed up.

We've been keeping pretty busy since I wasn't able to do too much immediately after the end of my last round of Chemo. But we have done things like put our Christmas stuff away, go to the hospital to check out my recent infection of MRSA (so inconvenient), and then got to go to the cabin once. Although, I have admittedly had plenty of time, sometimes I don't prepare myself and find that I am in a situation where I lack resources to be productive for a time.....but it is really still my fault. I still plan on learning a programming language, but I haven't looked at the course that I started for about a week... reading the scriptures have been good though. I have been reading about where king Limhi in the Book of Mormon meets with Ammon and recounts his history. I am impressed with his faith in the Lord that, with Ammon there, he will be able to help them be delivered from their enemies. 

I just want to bear my testimony that I know the church is true. I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers, and that He can and will communicate with us. I know that Thomas S Monson was an inspired man and that we will still have inspired leadership in this Church. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that we can get closer to God as we read it. I know that God loves us and is mindful of each one of us. I know He cares about us. I know he has given us all the unique paths that we are on to lead us to become like Him. I know that we can find peace through him, through the means that He has set for us to find it. 

I hope you all have a great week.

Nathan Allen

Also, I did shave my head... I was tired of seeing my hair fall out. 



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

A Shift in Treatment

Thanks again to all of those who read these emails and think about me. I occasionally realize, or am told, about the kind acts that someone has done for me without my knowing, even by people who I don't know very well. This is a long and hard journey, but I have many great people who go through it with me. I have been getting chemotherapy for the past 8 months, and during that time I had a 7 week period where I got radiation. There have been times where the treatment has given me pain, and sickness. I am happy to report that I am now shifting from a harder part of treatment, to an easier one. This shift in treatment is not a recent decision, but has been planned in my regiment since the beginning. Where I have previously had a five-day stay, a two day stay, and an outpatient day each month, I now only have a handful of two day stays and a lot of outpatient stays.  When I first was learning about my treatment for cancer, I was told that I qualified for a c...

A Permanent Return Home

After returning home, and being home for just over two weeks, I was told I will not be returning to my mission. My service of 16 months is, at least for the time being, complete. This was told to me by my stake president today, two days after receiving word from my doctor. I was told by the doctor in the Huntsman building for cancer that I do have cancer. It is a rare, childhood cancer that normally is found in children under the age of five. It is treatable, and I will be starting on either Tuesday, or Wednesday. The expected treatment time is about one year. My family has been here for me, and it has been wonderful. Due to my a family situation, and people being gone, yesterday was the first day that all of my immediate family was together. They will be able to support me as I get care at Primary Children's Hospital. I definitely have been blessed with great parents and a great family. I will have the help of doctors here, and specialists, who deal with 99 % of the cases of ...

Settling In

Well, the past few weeks I have kind of been settling into my schedule, working at my new job 10 minutes away from me, going into the hospital, and other activities. I have been having a good amount of fun recently, and have been feeling fulfilled with things I do at work. I feel pretty good these days, but some days are better than others. The biggest thing I face is nausea, and just not wanting to eat... but I know that I need to and so I make sure that I do :). I have a pretty good set up here, and can save for college with no real expenses :). My schedule is every day I wake up and go to work, and then come home and hang out with my family, or go to institute on Wednesdays. Lot of times, I do physical therapy (just the exercises they gave me, I don't go anywhere) when I come home on my foot that has been bothering me a little bit recently.  I have been feeling pretty good recently, with certainly enough energy to drive to work and sit down in a chair for 8 hours. This c...