Medical Update

Today I had my fifth of twelve treatments in my current round of chemo, so I’m almost halfway through! This round of chemo that I have been getting has not been nearly as bad as the round I had last Winter. I am so thankful for that. I have been able to keep up with the kids (for the most part) and have been able to remain active in our church activities, including the young adults Bible Study. It has been very encouraging to be able to continue with those things.

But at the same time, it has been hard thinking about how if February’s surgery had gone according to plan (that is, if my lymph node biopsy came back negative and they did the reconstruction) I would be just a few weeks away from being done with everything. But that is not what happened - the cancer did spread to my lymph nodes and so I could not have my reconstruction during that surgery. Yet this extended treatment process is what God has planned for me and I trust he is using it to grow my endurance, character, and hope (Romans 5:3-5).

In my first round of chemo, I was so nauseated and fatigued that I was not able to care for the kids at all for at least three days after each treatment. With this round, I have been able to care for the kids myself - but just barely. I still have a fair amount of fatigue and nausea, so it makes for a few quite hard and challenging days in dealing with my three little munchkins. Don’t get me wrong, they are a joy and most days they even make me forget that I am sick at all J But I still need prayer that I will have the physical, emotional, and spiritual strength as I go through these last 7 weeks of chemo then look on towards 35 days of radiation and surgery. 

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that
suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character,
and character produces hope,
and hope does not put us to shame, 
because God's love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 5:3-5