Cancer Update

I am so grateful to be able to tell you that the test results came back as negative for cancer!!  Surgeon said it looked was scar tissue and part of the collagen sling they used under my skin in reconstruction.  Whew!!

Surgery went ok.  I was pretty down emotionally when I woke up this morning.  Kind of a “here we go again” attitude.  Pouting about more scars and more stitches and more soreness.  I had a rough weekend with the same ickyness emotionally, I got pretty down. 

 I did find it quite therapeutic Sunday to make some junk food for about 8 of my husbands CI junior high boys.  They came to watch the Superbowl and it was a party up in here!   

Todd and I were greeted this morning at St. Elizabeth Hospital by my neighbor, Jay.  He is the cancer nurse navigator there and is always a comfort to see him there.  He has such a calming way about him.  He had my back, answered questions, and even hunted down my PT to ask her about a concern I had.  Love him.  My dad got to meet him and commented on how amazing it is, all these people God put in my path to help me along the way..

As they took me into my short stay room, my dad was sitting there waiting for us.  Loved seeing his face, loved his company, loved that he was wearing his Green Bay Packers shirt to rub it into Todd 😉 He stayed with me most of the day, and bought me a healthy lunch from our local health food market. 

My friend and fellow cancer fighter, Nancy, had scans at St. E’s today, so I got to see her face right as they were wheeling me to surgery.  Would you lift her up in prayer?  She has completed chemo, and wants to move on with surgery, but it all depends what these scans say.  She is an amazing, Godly, women and such a great friend to me.

My sister, Julie, also came up.  She was in my room to greet me after surgery.  At first she was just a blurry blob:) but even blurry her beauty shined through and I knew who it was. 🙂  Todd was there and stayed until we got the test results call.  Then it was off to work for him.  

The only complication in surgery was a blown I.V.  The anesthesiologist put in 2 anti-nausea meds, my anti-biotic and sleepy meds.  He told me I would feel a slight burning.  Two seconds later, my arm felt like it was on fire.  I was groggy but awake enough to tell him several times that my arm HURT!!  Sure enough, my vein was blown and medication was leaking into my
arm.  My right wrist blew up all crazy large and is still swollen and crazy looking.  Nurse said I would have a bruise to brag about.  A positive from all of this is that it really motivates me to keep up on therapy with my left arm. A swollen wrist/arm is not fun and is very sore, so I will do whatever I can to keep  my left lymphodema free. 

My last memory was my surgeon telling the anesthesiologist that he was going to numb and use my port.  I was SO THANKFUL because I knew after a slight poke, the meds would go right in to a main vein on my neck, SUPER fast delivery.  I was out.  Or, at least I was in twilight and too happy to care what was happening.

I do remember saying several times…”wow, these drugs are great!” “I love these drugs” “No wonder people struggle with drugs”  🙂  I had just been so down emotionally that I really could not believe how happy and carefree I felt. Plus it took away the physical pain of my blown I.V.  It was too much fun:)  No worries, friends.. I’m not gonna do anything stupid!! 

I look back over this little bump in the road and I won’t lie, it was a tough one for me.  

But, again, God showed himself.

He showed himself through all the amazing people in my life who love me, send me facebook messages, sign this guestbook, texted me, prayed for me and who showed up at the hospital.  He shows His faithfulness to me all the time in the doctors and nurses I get to know.  

The last, but not least way God showed Himself to me today was through a verse. 

Yesterday I was struggling and the phrase “Why are you downcast oh my soul” kept going on in my head.  I sat down and looked it up on the computer, and the rest of the verse I just loved…here is the Message version, which I posted as my facebook status last night

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again–my Savior and my God! Psalm 43:5This morning, I woke up and ran around crazy trying to get my girls read for school —they didn’t know about this latest test, wanted to keep them worry free— and me to the hospital on time.

I kept passing the bag I threw my devotional “Steams In The Desert” into, which is the one I try to read every day.  I had not read it in at least 4 days. I felt a strong pull, and thought that I needed to stop and read it before leaving, knowing that it often gives me a tidbit of Scripture to lift my heart.  

I turned to February 7.  The verse for the day??

“Why Are You Downcast Oh My Soul” Psalm 43:5

Cool huh?  Yep, He is!!