Rejoicing!

I had another visit yesterday with the plastic surgeon.  We are continuing with the “reconstruction” process.  It sounds so funny to call it that.  Right now we are just filling up the tissue expanders that they placed during the surgery.  I am having some pain and discomfort this time as well, but I have been taking more pain medication than last time, so I am doing alright.  I still have two drains left, and hopefully they can come out next week.  I was not anticipating them being in for so long.  We will finish filling up the expanders next week, and then the following week I will start radiation.  It’s been about two months now that I have been off of the bad chemo drugs, and I am still having a few lingering side effects, but for the most part, I am getting back to normal.  I never thought I would be so excited to pluck my eyebrows and shave my legs.  The hair on my head has been coming in also.  It looks a little lighter than what I had before, but I can’t tell yet if it will be curly or straight.  Here lately, I have been sportin my short short hair when I go out.  I love it!  I always wanted to have really short hair, but I was too scared to cut it, so I really want to have fun with the short hair styles.  I saw a girl over the weekend who had a Mohawk, and it looked awesome!  I don’t know if I could pull it off, but I’m contemplating it!  I know it’s not very professional, so maybe I’ll plan my Mohawk over a long weekend or something. This week was my first week back to work since the surgery, and it went pretty well.  I am so incredibly thankful for the people that I work with.  It’s like they are just an extension of my family.  I was really enjoying my time off with my husband and babies, but I was excited to come back and see everyone at work too.  I want to say thank you to everyone who has offered their time, sent cards and flowers and money and food, and especially for the prayers.  I know I keep saying this, but the support we have received has been monumental, and I am so incredibly thankful!  The Mother’s Day Out program that my children are involved with has especially blessed us.  They have been so flexible and accommodating with our crazy schedule, and my oldest tells me how she loves to be there.  One of the pastors at our church has a wife that works as a nurse at Brookwood, and the day of my surgery, she made special arrangements so that she could take care of me and do all the prep work for me as I was going in to surgery.  Having her there brought me so much peace to what could otherwise have been a very anxious time.  As soon as I saw her and realized who she was, and that she had come specifically to take care of me, I just knew that God had orchestrated this entire day out, and that He was with me.  What a blessing.  Jonni and I were watching American Idol last night and there was a girl on there who had a tattoo of a feather on her wrist.  The host asked her what it meant, and she said it was there to remind her that her problems are as light as a feather because God holds them for her.  I can totally relate to what she said and I thought it was so profound.  Perspective is paramount.  Cancer seems so insignificant in light of who God is, and in light of how much suffering Jesus went through for me.  From the moment I was diagnosed with cancer, to the moment they told me I am cancer free, to this very moment now, I feel so incredibly blessed.  Going through this trial has actually become an honor for me.  Battling cancer is scary and unpleasant and extremely difficult, unless you are a child of God.  With Him, and through Him, we can do all things, even things that seem impossible.  My prayer and hope is that for the rest of my life here, I will never rejoice more over anything than over the fact that I am a child of God and that my name is written in Heaven.                             

Recovering from Surgery

My apologies for not updating you all sooner.  These past two weeks have gone by so fast for me.  I can hardly remember anything from the first week becuase of all the meds I was on.  The surgery went very well.  It actually went better than expected by the surgeons.  Friday after the surgery we recieved the pathology report on all of the stuff they took out of me.  There was no cancer anywhere!!  Not even in the lymph nodes.  I have been healed by the Great Physician!!  I have so much more to share about what God has done through all of this, not just in my body.  He has done so much more than just take cancer away from my body.  He has healed me in my mind and my spirit.  He has healed relationships that were broken.  He has built up my faith.  He has revived my vision and purpose.  I was telling someone the other day that it is like my life before cancer was lived in black and white, and now I am living in color.  I am so thankful for that. 

Jonni and I went this past weekend to pick up our children from SC.  We are so thankful to have them back with us at home.  It has been really hard for me to not pick them up too much.  I just want to squeeze them and love on them, but I am still too sore, and I still have some of the drains in.  I had five when I came out of surgery and now I have two left.  Hopefully they will come out next week.  I had an appointment this past Wednesday with the plastic surgeon.  They have started the reconstruction process, and I was not anticipating this, but it has been very painful.  Before Wednesday, I had been off of all my pain meds for a few days, but now I am taking them again.  We have to finish the initial phase of reconstruction in the next two weeks, and then the following week they want to start radiation.  I am supposed to have radiation everyday, Monday through Friday, for five and half weeks. 

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support.  People ask me all of the time if I have a good support group, and I just smile.  I have been so blessed by so many people throughout all of this.  I just can't possibly say how thankful I am for all of you.     

Surgery Tomorrow

Tomorrow is surgery day!!  I am going in at 5 a.m. and my doctor said my procedure is the first on his schedule.  I will try to get an update on here soon after the surgery.  This past week has been a whirlwind.  So much going on at work, at home, in my crazy head!  I just wanted to say thank you sooooo much to all of you who are praying and doing so much to support us during this time.  So thankful to God for all of the support that He has provided for me through all of you.  What a wonderful Savior.  What a wonderful Healer.  Good night everyone!!