The Report is In

The caller ID said it was my surgeon calling, the Pathology Report was in. “I have a good report” says the surgeon to open the conversation.

“I like a good report” I reply.

The news is indeed all good. The margins are all clear and all three of the lymph nodes removed showed no signs of cancer. The final size of the tumor was almost the same as the initial ultrasound measurement, showing no significant growth. My report is Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, Stage 1a. More importantly, the cancer is gone from my body and I do not need any additional surgery.

For the next week or two, my job is to heal from surgery, and then the “preventive maintenance” as I am calling it will begin. I have appointments for the surgeon to give me the “all clear” from surgery and to meet my Oncologist for the first time. She will be the one to monitor me and my treatments for the next several years. Once I get the “all clear” from the surgeon, radiation treatment planning will begin. At that point, I’ll know exactly what the rest of my treatment plans will be.

God has been faithful and good through all of this. I have been supported and loved by so many people. I have been prayed for all over the country and even around the world. I am amazed at the outpouring of His love through His people. I have had peace when it seemed impossible. I am also the poster girl for early detection, something I fully believe He orchestrated.

Thank you all for your support, your kind words, food, and your prayers. I cannot begin to explain how much they have meant to me and lifted my spirits.

Choose Joy!

Two Days After Surgery

Well, it has been about 48 hours since surgery. I am doing amazingly well. I'm down to Tylenol for pain and most of the fuzziness has disappeared. I'm still sore and a bit tired, but I am up and can move around fairly well. I will even be allowed to shower later today!

We are waiting for the final pathology report to confirm that the cancer had not gotten into the lymph nodes. That will indeed be wonderful news. Otherwise, I need to heal before radiation begins, probably in about 3 weeks.

God has been very good during all of this. I also want to thank everyone for the prayers and support. I can't begin to explain how much it has lifted my spirits to know that you care.

Choose Joy!

Home from Surgery

Just a quick post, I am home from surgery, sore and groggy, but otherwise well. Surgery went well, and no cancer in lymph nodes.

Surgery Tomorrow

Well, surgery is tomorrow. The day will start early, but I should be home sometime in the afternoon if there are no delays. I'm off to my final pre-op appointment shortly. Hard to keep the nerves at bay today, but God is keeping the serious anxiety in check. Hopefully we will find a way to get an update here after surgery with the latest status. In the meantime, thank you for all the prayers you have made on my behalf so far and I know will continue to make.

I hope everyone had a joyous Easter. We certainly did.

Choose Joy!

He is Here

If you've talked to me, I've probably already shared this with you, but I want to put it on the blog so it won’t be forgotten.

They had just finished up my biopsy, and I was still lying on the examining table, to be sure I had recovered enough to for the next step in the procedure. At this point, everything was still an unknown. All I knew was there was something in my breast that wasn't supposed to be there. The procedure itself wasn't that bad, and I had made it through it fine. My doctor and ultrasound tech were wonderful, caring, gentle, and efficient. However, the anxiety over the unknown was certainly pulling on me.

As I lay there recovering, the technician asked if I was ok for her to step out of the room for a moment, and since I was fine, I consented. I hadn't realized due to the equipment, the paper shuffling, and general noise in the room that music had been playing very softly in the background. As she left the room and closed the door behind her, quiet began to settle in and I heard the soft melody. Then the very first words I heard were

“Holy is the Lord God Almighty”

God on His throne had announced His presence in the room with me. Granted he used Chris Tomlin’s voice to achieve this, but He took the time to perfectly orchestrate a chorus just for my ears alone. Tears formed in my eyes. I was not alone. I had His full attention. He was there with me then, He is here with me now.

He’s here for you too. I am no one special to have received this glimpse of Him. He wants to do the same for you. I received it because I was talking to Him and I was looking for Him. Simply look for Him. He is here, waiting for you to take notice.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,

Day and night they never stop saying:

“Holy, holy, holy

is the Lord God Almighty,

who was, and is, and is to come.”

Revelation 4:6b, 8b

Choose Joy!

Surgery Scheduled

This week I received my surgery date and then met once more with my surgeon to better understand exactly what will be happening now that we know how we are proceeding. My surgery will be on the morning of April 2 at Medical Park Hospital. It will be an outpatient procedure, so I should be home before the day is over. This was my heart’s first choice for a date, so that I could still get together with my family for Easter and also wrap up the Bible study classes I’m facilitating on time. God graciously scheduled everything perfectly.

Until then, this upcoming week will be much quieter. I will not have to go to any more appointments, and just have one telephone appointment to cover the pre-surgery anesthesia information gathering that is needed. So, waiting will be my biggest challenge. I need to keep my thoughts positive and my anxiety down. Since I don’t always wait with grace, this will be a big prayer request. Stress and fatigue have taken a toll on me this week, but God has blessed me with a couple of good night’s sleep, so I’m hoping that I will perk up some today. The other prayer request is that the surgery goes well and the cancer has not spread into my lymph nodes. This is the current expectation based on my test results, so no surprises in this area would be a big blessing. This will mean my post-surgery treatment will be pretty straightforward. This is where my current fears want to form.

The day of surgery will be a long day. I report to the Breast Clinic at 7:15 am (and I am not a morning girl) for placement of the guide wire to assist the surgeon in finding the tumor. From there I will go straight to the hospital where I will be for several hours to cover pre-surgery items, surgery itself and recovery. Of this, the surgery itself will only be about an hour. If all goes well, I will get to come home and sleep in my own bed.

Thank you again for all the love, support and prayers you have bestowed upon me. They are appreciated so very much. God is so gracious, loving and BIG!

Choose Joy!