Update

I just wanted to post and let you know that I am doing well.  I have been working this week and going about "normal"  life.  I am looking forward to the cooler temperatures coming this weekend.  I will have lab work again on Sunday.  Thanks for checking in.

Lab Results

I just heard from my doctor's office that my labs are good.  I wasted some much time worrying about them for nothing.  Good reminder.  Good lesson.  I also got to thinking, that something may be going on in the life on the nurse who failed to call as she promised.  We never know what all is going on in someone's life by looking at them.  So I pray that God will bless her today and meet her every need.  Thanks for checking in.

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 2:3

³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,

Patience

pa·tience

1 .the quality of being patient,  as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint,   loss of temper, irritation, or the like.

2 .an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay: to have patience with a slow learner.

3. quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence: to work with patience.

I am feeling frustrated today.  There is no other reason, but my lack of patience.  I am feeling pretty well today.  I had a few times of feeling rough over the weekend, but it has passed.  Yet, I still feel annoyed.  I had my weekly labs done yesterday and they told me they would call me last night.  I still haven't heard from them.  I tried to call them and they said that they will have someone call me.  I am frustrated because I need to know the results, so that I can plan my week.  Will I be able to work this week or not?  I have other people who need to now if they need to work this week.  As I read the definition of patience, I realize how self centered I am being.  Things are not going the way I want and I don't like it.  I am focused too much on "ME".  Patience is something that the Lord is teaching me through this journey and today I realize how far I have to go.  Patience is a fruit of the Spirit that I want God to develop in my life.  However, I know that desire will bring about trying circumstances.  James 1:2-4 says:  

 ²My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
 ³Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
 ⁴But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

If I let patience have her perfect work I will be complete, lacking nothing.  This sounds like something I want to attain to.  I want to be able to do all things without complaining.  When I take time to refocus on what really matters and who God is,  the little things that frustrate me no longer matter so much.  I want to spend my  time being thankful instead of complaining.   Lord please help me to do this today and everyday.  Help me to focus on you and wait patiently.

This Seems to be a Pattern

I am now on day five post my second treatment.  Yesterday, I felt a little more fatigued and started experiencing pain again.  I have pain medicine from the last time this happened and I am trying to stay ahead of it.  The pattern seems to be that I feel pretty well for the first few days and then start having trouble on days four and five.  This is good to know for future planning.  I am thankful that my side effects for the most part,  have been minimal.

Every Day is a Gift

One thing I have learned on this journey is a greater appreciation of the beauty of life.  Every day is truly a gift from God and I want to make the most of every day.  I am thankful for all the blessings in my life.  I heard someone say the other day that their cancer was a gift.  I have been pondering that statement and I believe that it is a gift.  It is a difficult thing to go through, but God has allowed this to happen for a reason and He will use this for His glory. Furthermore, if we allow it to, it brings us closer to God.  We have a choice.  We can rejoice in the midst of difficult circumstances or we can allow it to make us bitter.  It's all about having the right perspective.  I am feeling well today.  We all know that it easier to rejoice and be thankful when are having a good day.  My desire is to be that way all the time.  How is that possible?  By fixing our eyes on Jesus and who He is instead of focusing on our circumstances.  I realize that this is a learning process.  It requires practice and I will fail sometimes, but I am thankful that God is is with me and will help me try again.

I hope you enjoy your day and make the most of it. Thanks for checking in.

Hebrews 12:1-3
 ¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Colossians 3:15-17
¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

James 1:2-4
² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:17
¹⁷Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Philippians 4:4-9
 ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
 ⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Two Down and Four to Go

I had my second round of Chemo today and things went well.  They had to stick me twice to access the port, but that is a great improvement from the trouble they have had in the past. I was also finished five hours sooner than my first treatment.  I am feeling good tonight. I only have four more treatments to go.  Please continue to pray that my counts would stay good,  that I will not get sick, and that there would be no delays. Thanks for reading.

Good News

I had blood work done today and my white blood cell count and my potassium level went up.  Therefore I will have my second round of chemo tomorrow morning.  My CA 125 test, which is a test that measures cancer antigens in the blood went from 57 before my surgery to 11.  Anything less than 35 is considered normal.  This is definitely an answer to prayer. 

My husband and I went to support groups for the first time tonight.  They have one for cancer patients and survivors and another group for caregivers.  We both enjoyed it and were encouraged.

A dear friend came over Friday and cut my hair for me.  It is very short and continues to come out, but it is much more manageable now.  It will probably be completely gone in a few more days. 

Please pray that they will be able to access my port tomorrow with no trouble.  Thank you so much for taking the time to follow my journey and for praying for me.  I am so blessed to have so many friends to support me during this time. 

It's Only Hair

My hair has started to come out.  As I sat holding a handful of hair I began to cry.  Some may say, "It's only hair, it will grow back," and while this is true in the grand scheme of things,  it is still difficult to go through.  A woman's hair means a lot to her.  That is why we spend so much time, energy, and money cutting, coloring, and styling it.   The Bible even says that a woman's long hair is her glory. (1 Corinthians 11:15)  Hair gives us a sense of femininity. When a chemo patient loses their hair, it is a constant reminder of what they are going through and a public sign that something is wrong.  Thankfully, there are wigs, hats, scarves, and turbans to help women cope with losing their hair.  There is a lady in Williamsburg called the Hat Trader.  She is a cancer survivor who has dozens of wigs and hats that she loans out to cancer patients.  I went to see her and she found a wig for me that I like.  She is truly a special lady and a great source of help and comfort to many in their time of need.  I plan to have my hair cut very short in the next few days.  I believe it will be freeing to go ahead and mostly finish the job instead of just waiting for the rest to come out.  I also know that my true identity is in Christ and that true beauty comes from within. 

1 Peter 3:3-4

³ Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. ⁴ Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

Lab Results

I received a call this morning about my lab results.  They said that my Potassium level is low and they are calling in a prescription for me.  They also informed me that my white blood cell count has fallen.  This means I am at greater risk of infection and that I need to avoid crowds and avoid eating raw fruits and vegetables. I work with children at a private school, so this means I will be taking the week off.  If the counts are still off next week this could delay treatments.  Please pray that these counts will be better soon and that I would not get any infections.  I have an appointment with my oncologist tomorrow.

Life is Good

I have been feeling great the last couple of days.  I am enjoying the last days of summer.  Today I went to the beach and had a fabulous time.  Tomorrow I will have blood work done again to make sure everything looks good.  I have also been trying to prepare myself for losing my hair.  I have accepted it, but I am  not looking forward to when it starts to happen.  Unless God intervenes it could be this week.  I know that God will give me grace to handle it when the time comes. 

To God Be The Glory

September 7, 2011

I had my LAST physical therapy appointment today for my brachial plexus injury.  I am very happy to report that I have made amazing progress and know that God has answered the many prayers that have gone up on my behalf.  I left my first therapy appointment holding back tears because of the realization of how great a deficit I had in my right hand and the news that this injury could take months or even a year to heal and it may never be completely the way it was.  I left today's appointment feeling thrilled.  My grip in my right hand has gone from  11 pounds of force to 55 pounds.  My left hand grip went from 51 pounds of force to 75 pounds.  There were also huge improvements on the other tests he did as well.  I still have some numbness and will continue to work on strength training at home but these results are considered functional for most things.

I have also felt really good today.  I was actually away from home today from nine to six doing various things and did well.

Thanks for all of the love and support.

One Week Post First Treatment

Today marks one week since my first treatment.  I have had a stomach ache off and on since yesterday, but I woke up this morning feeling more "normal"  than I have felt in the past week.  My nurse called yesterday and said that my blood work looked good.  I am thankful. 

Psalm 121

 ¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
   where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.
 ³ He will not let your foot slip—
   he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep.
 ⁵ The LORD watches over you—
   the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
   nor the moon by night.
 ⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm—
   he will watch over your life;
⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
   both now and forevermore.

Feeling a Little Better

The pain medicine is helping.  I was able to go to church today.  However, I had to leave the service a little early because I wasn't feeling well.  I think I just needed to eat something.  I just woke up from a nap and am feeling pretty good.  I am headed to Williamsburg for my weekly labs and then to a dear friend's house for dinner.  Thanks for checking in. 

One Day at a Time

I have been in a lot of pain for the last 12 hours or so.  I called the infusion center this morning and they are going to call in a prescription for pain medicine. I am trying to keep things in perspective.  I know that this too shall pass.  Be blessed.

1 Peter 5:6-11
 ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
 ⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
 ¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Day Four

I am feeling some joint and muscle pain today.  This is a common side effect for a few days after treatment.  Overall, I am still doing pretty well.  I am going to work today.  Thanks for your continued prayers.

Day Three

Good Morning.  I am happy to report I am feeling well today.  Thanks for checking in.  I woke up this morning with the first verse of Psalm 34 on my mind.  After reading the whole chapter, I wanted to share it with you today.  Have a blessed day.

Psalm 34

 ¹ I will extol the LORD at all times;
   his praise will always be on my lips.
² I will glory in the LORD;
   let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
³ Glorify the LORD with me;
   let us exalt his name together.
 ⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
   he delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;
   their faces are never covered with shame.
⁶ This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
   he saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
   and he delivers them.
 ⁸ Taste and see that the LORD is good;
   blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
⁹ Fear the LORD, you his holy people,
   for those who fear him lack nothing.
¹⁰ The lions may grow weak and hungry,
   but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
¹¹ Come, my children, listen to me;
   I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
¹² Whoever of you loves life
   and desires to see many good days,
¹³ keep your tongue from evil
   and your lips from telling lies.
¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good;
   seek peace and pursue it.
 ¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
   and his ears are attentive to their cry;
¹⁶ but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
   to blot out their name from the earth.
 ¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
   he delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸ The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
   and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
 ¹⁹ The righteous person may have many troubles,
   but the LORD delivers him from them all;
²⁰ he protects all his bones,
   not one of them will be broken.
 ²¹ Evil will slay the wicked;
   the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
²² The LORD will rescue his servants;
   no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.