Finished radiation #17 today & the doctor is still pleased with the condition of my skin (thank you, Lord!) Some of the first signs of burning the doctor saw today are reactions to the radiation & actually the results of childhood sunshine - back before we used sunscreen or even knew what it was. Back in the day when we used baby oil on our skin to lay out for those golden brown tans! (All us Texas girls did that!) No big deal, just the aftermath of growing up in the sunshine! Doctor said it's the V-shaped neckline that shows up first. Just an interesting detail, I think.
I got really tired the end of last week & weekend. The doctor said that's to be expected. So, as much as I want to be up & going full-steam, it's just not going to happen right now. I can feel pretty good one day & be exhausted the next. Patience & pacing myself is still a must. Chemo will be in my system for 12 to 18 more months & still causes some aches & pains & radiation adds to the fatigue, so the journey continues. Eventhough radiation is difficult, it's more tolerable than chemo, for me. I'm still not even close to my "normal self" by any means, but all in all, I'm doing really well, all things considered.
God still answers prayers! He consistently loves! He never grows weary!
Blessings!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
#16 Radiation Today
Quick update that radiation #16 is today. The hospital had trouble with the machinery yesterday & sent me on home instead of being able to complete the session. It turned out to be a blessing for me to get some rest. The radiation damages the good cells along with the bad, so fatigue comes until the body can rebuild the good cells. I'm a bit tired & have to pace myself throughout the day & Mike lets me just rest in the evenings by fixing dinner, cleaning up, etc. So, I'm still pretty much the spoiled Diva! LOL!
Continued thanks for all the prayers & support. We're blessed by you!
Blessings!
Continued thanks for all the prayers & support. We're blessed by you!
Blessings!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
All Scarred Up... in Victory!
7 new scars & 3 tiny tattoos have made their mark on my body now that I've had 3 surgeries & radiation this year. There will be more surgeries to come & these scars will be with me the rest of my life. I'm choosing to look at these scars as reminders of the "battles" of physical wellness instead of illness. Of strength instead of weakness. But, nevertheless, I'm all scarred up.
Got to thinking about these scars this week because I look at them everyday. I realize there are other kind of scars, too. Scars of the heart. These are not nearly as easily defined but just as real as the outward bodily ones. Several people I love have reminded me this week about how painful scars of the heart can be. The old saying, "Sticks & stones my break my bones but words can never hurt me," is just not true! Words can hurt! They can be as sharp as a knife & leave painful scars! The way we talk to each other can cut deeply & leave wounds that may take a long, long time to heal. Husbands & wives, parents & children, families, co-workers, friends, neighbors & even strangers all have the ability to heal or hurt with words.
So, what happens with all the scars? Medicines with vitamins can help heal the body's scars. They remain visible, but usually cease to be painful. We're fearfully & wonderfully made by an incredibly creative God who designed the body to heal! I'm thankful these bodies of ours can & do heal! I'm even more thankful the scars on our hearts can heal, too. The Holy Spirit comforts & heals us from within- when we let Him.
When Jesus rose from the dead, he chose to keep the physical scars of the cross! Wow! He could have been completely whole, but the scars remained. Maybe He kept them just for Thomas & the ones who would need proof it was Him. I think He looked at His scars & knew they meant victory!
Bodily scars can be reminders of wellness! They don't have to be hurtful, but can mean victory! Same is true of our hearts. God heals the hurts & can use the scars to remind us of His love, which is victory over the things of this 'ole world.
Sure, I'm all scarred up. I need healing & victory & know just the God to give it!
Blessings!
Got to thinking about these scars this week because I look at them everyday. I realize there are other kind of scars, too. Scars of the heart. These are not nearly as easily defined but just as real as the outward bodily ones. Several people I love have reminded me this week about how painful scars of the heart can be. The old saying, "Sticks & stones my break my bones but words can never hurt me," is just not true! Words can hurt! They can be as sharp as a knife & leave painful scars! The way we talk to each other can cut deeply & leave wounds that may take a long, long time to heal. Husbands & wives, parents & children, families, co-workers, friends, neighbors & even strangers all have the ability to heal or hurt with words.
So, what happens with all the scars? Medicines with vitamins can help heal the body's scars. They remain visible, but usually cease to be painful. We're fearfully & wonderfully made by an incredibly creative God who designed the body to heal! I'm thankful these bodies of ours can & do heal! I'm even more thankful the scars on our hearts can heal, too. The Holy Spirit comforts & heals us from within- when we let Him.
When Jesus rose from the dead, he chose to keep the physical scars of the cross! Wow! He could have been completely whole, but the scars remained. Maybe He kept them just for Thomas & the ones who would need proof it was Him. I think He looked at His scars & knew they meant victory!
Bodily scars can be reminders of wellness! They don't have to be hurtful, but can mean victory! Same is true of our hearts. God heals the hurts & can use the scars to remind us of His love, which is victory over the things of this 'ole world.
Sure, I'm all scarred up. I need healing & victory & know just the God to give it!
Blessings!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Radiation #9- Update
Just a quick update... #9 of 25 done today & all is well. The Radiation Oncologist is happy with the way my skin is responding, so, thank you for your prayers & thank you, Lord, for answering! Treatments continue Monday thru Friday, so this schedule will take me thru mid-September. Please keep praying God's protection of me against fatigue & burn & that this treatment will damage any & all remaining cancer cells so they cannot reproduce.
I continue to be blessed by meeting people who are bald & "glowing" just like me! LOL! The main thing is that we ALL need the Lord - no matter what our life situation. We all matter to God!
Blessings!
I continue to be blessed by meeting people who are bald & "glowing" just like me! LOL! The main thing is that we ALL need the Lord - no matter what our life situation. We all matter to God!
Blessings!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
By Myself... But, Not Alone!
Years ago Mike & I took a Singles church group backpacking each summer & it was always great fun. (I've written about it before.) One summer we decided to take a few days & just the 2 of us make a trek. It was a different dynamic to have only each other to depend on up in those vast mountains of Colorado. We followed the trail way up in the mountains, & on the 2nd day it ran out. Just stopped. The mountains are vast & we felt incredibly insignificant in comparison. Mike read the map & knew the direction we were to go, so off we went without a trail (we don't ever recommend this!) We knew where we were & had plenty of supplies, but went about 3 days without seeing another soul. Not another hiker- no one. It's fine for a while, then it can get creepy because the mountains are so huge & seeing people & just knowing they were around would've brought such comfort.
Just recently Taylor was here off & on for a month to help care for me & brought her 2 dogs with her, so I enjoyed having the added activity around. Both dogs just love to be loved, made us laugh & followed Taylor everywhere she went. Lexie & Ruger just wanted to be around people & each other. They're very social & just don't like to be alone for very long if there are people around, even if it means laying around at our feet. They are great company to Taylor & I'm very thankful she has her "buddies" with her always. Watching their interaction with all of us & each other is sometimes not all that different than what I want. There's a lot of comfort in being near to someone... even if it's quiet... it's the presence that means the most, not only the words.
Got to thinking the other day just how much having cancer has forced me to be by myself. All the scans, labs & radiation treatments are especially a one-person event since the dressing room is for women patients only & no one can be in the room for actual radiation for obvious reasons. It's taking me about 40 minutes for each treatment after I drive to the hospital. Changing clothes, waiting, all the exact positioning & shooting each precise angle all take some time & I'm by myself most of that time. But, I'm never alone. Sound crazy? Maybe so, but it's true.
Psalms 145:18 says, "The Lord is close to all who call on Him. Yes, to all who call on Him sincerely." This means so much to me because I'm NEVER alone in any of the treatments. I mean, NEVER. He promises His presence at all times. This is an amazing promise & commitment to me! It takes a lot of love to always be present in another's life. And, He does it. The peace & comfort He brings into my life is an amazing gift & one I'll not take for granted anymore. So, as I teach my grandsons that God is always there & He's always with them, it is no myth. It's true. Sometimes, many times, we have to live life events by ourselves, but Believers are never alone!
Blessings!
Just recently Taylor was here off & on for a month to help care for me & brought her 2 dogs with her, so I enjoyed having the added activity around. Both dogs just love to be loved, made us laugh & followed Taylor everywhere she went. Lexie & Ruger just wanted to be around people & each other. They're very social & just don't like to be alone for very long if there are people around, even if it means laying around at our feet. They are great company to Taylor & I'm very thankful she has her "buddies" with her always. Watching their interaction with all of us & each other is sometimes not all that different than what I want. There's a lot of comfort in being near to someone... even if it's quiet... it's the presence that means the most, not only the words.
Got to thinking the other day just how much having cancer has forced me to be by myself. All the scans, labs & radiation treatments are especially a one-person event since the dressing room is for women patients only & no one can be in the room for actual radiation for obvious reasons. It's taking me about 40 minutes for each treatment after I drive to the hospital. Changing clothes, waiting, all the exact positioning & shooting each precise angle all take some time & I'm by myself most of that time. But, I'm never alone. Sound crazy? Maybe so, but it's true.
Psalms 145:18 says, "The Lord is close to all who call on Him. Yes, to all who call on Him sincerely." This means so much to me because I'm NEVER alone in any of the treatments. I mean, NEVER. He promises His presence at all times. This is an amazing promise & commitment to me! It takes a lot of love to always be present in another's life. And, He does it. The peace & comfort He brings into my life is an amazing gift & one I'll not take for granted anymore. So, as I teach my grandsons that God is always there & He's always with them, it is no myth. It's true. Sometimes, many times, we have to live life events by ourselves, but Believers are never alone!
Blessings!
Friday, August 14, 2009
So Far, So Great!
Today is radiation #7 of 25 & all is well! I've gone to work 3 to 4 hours each day before radiation & it's Friday & I'm still up & going! Yea! I also am seeing the surgeon twice a week right now for some post-op stuff going on, so pray my body will co-operate soon so these visits can come off the calendar. God continues to out-do Himself in taking care of my family & me! What can I say? He's just good every day!
Pray God will keep protecting me from high fatigue & burning. These are the 2 side-effects that will be most likely to effect me, so God's protection is so important! I'm blue-eyed & fair-skinned, so "sun-burning" is a concern of the doctors. The Radiation-Onocologist looks at me every Monday to give the "go" for another week. If she determines I'm too burned, she'll stop the treatments for a week to give time for some recovery before continuing. Also, since the area of the left breast is over the heart & partial lung, pray these vital organs are protected through all the treatments. Mike & I continue to feel blessed with this medical team (remember that was one of God's answers to us early on- 6 months ago now!) We trust their judgement & trust God more! We're in good hands!
Thank you a million times for praying for the Washburns, Freebys & Johnsons! We rely so heavily on your love, support & prayers! God is faithful in showing us daily He's listened all these months & has answered in powerful ways for us! Thank you!
Blessings!
Pray God will keep protecting me from high fatigue & burning. These are the 2 side-effects that will be most likely to effect me, so God's protection is so important! I'm blue-eyed & fair-skinned, so "sun-burning" is a concern of the doctors. The Radiation-Onocologist looks at me every Monday to give the "go" for another week. If she determines I'm too burned, she'll stop the treatments for a week to give time for some recovery before continuing. Also, since the area of the left breast is over the heart & partial lung, pray these vital organs are protected through all the treatments. Mike & I continue to feel blessed with this medical team (remember that was one of God's answers to us early on- 6 months ago now!) We trust their judgement & trust God more! We're in good hands!
Thank you a million times for praying for the Washburns, Freebys & Johnsons! We rely so heavily on your love, support & prayers! God is faithful in showing us daily He's listened all these months & has answered in powerful ways for us! Thank you!
Blessings!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
25 Years Blessed!
Okay- Mike & I admit it- we're the most blessed people in the world! We know & love a lot of people & that's what life is all about... people. 25 years with the Richland Hills Church of Christ is icing on the cake of life! Best church in the world with the most loving & caring people who love the Lord with everything they've got! What's amazing, too, is there's room for more! So much love to go around, & the Lord always has His arms wide open!
Wednesday night, Mike shared his heart with this church by reading a letter on his heart that he felt Jesus would be saying to him. The letter written on his heart- on our hearts- are the people in our lives. The people God has put in our lives... Mike read from II Cor 3:2-3, where Paul says, " You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known & read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." God's word is powerful & true. It's all about people & God's saving grace!
We do love you, RHCC! Believe us when we say, we're the blessed ones! We're the fortunate! We're the stronger! We're the ones humbled! We're the blessed recipients of your love & God's amazing grace!
Blessings!
Wednesday night, Mike shared his heart with this church by reading a letter on his heart that he felt Jesus would be saying to him. The letter written on his heart- on our hearts- are the people in our lives. The people God has put in our lives... Mike read from II Cor 3:2-3, where Paul says, " You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known & read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." God's word is powerful & true. It's all about people & God's saving grace!
We do love you, RHCC! Believe us when we say, we're the blessed ones! We're the fortunate! We're the stronger! We're the ones humbled! We're the blessed recipients of your love & God's amazing grace!
Blessings!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Bring on Normal- Bring on Mundane!
Got the "go" from the Surgeon for Radiation to begin- so it's next. Much more to it than I ever imagined (like everything about cancer & treatment)! First treatment is Thursday after Similation on Wednesday. Whew! Pray God protects me from fatigue & burning. These are the 2 side-effects I dread the most & know He'll be with me no matter what the treatment brings my way. Thank Him for such medical knowledge these days!
This last week I've enjoyed feeling better & better since chemo is becoming more of the past. I've enjoyed more the daily routine of life. This may sound insignificant but it means the world to me. The "normal" & "mundane" daily comings & goings of life... the ones that are so many times taken for granted, mean more than ever right now! Getting out of bed, getting dressed for the day, breakfast, errands (still for me it's doctor's appts- LOL!), cooking a meal, putting a load of laundry in the washer, etc. I went to the grocery store alone for the first time in months. I was tired afterward, but nothing like during chemo, so am so very thankful!
I think I enjoy the mundane because it's just so simple. Sure, it's fun to make the big memories- the big parties & events with lots of family & friends... but the day to day is the thread through it all. It's the quiet times, the chores that contribute to the family's well-being. It's the thoughtful, small things that have to be done & bring us together as a family. I love a quiet Saturday morning with Mike & a hot cup of coffee (chemo took that taste away but I hope it returns someday- for now it's a glass of milk for me while Mike has the coffee!) Having the fresh strawberries ready for Cason or holding Braden when they come over to visit- things like that just make me smile.
All the little things add up to pure joy when I remember they're all done with & for those I love the most. So, bring on "normal" & bring on "mundane"! Thank you, Lord, for these things!
Blessings!
This last week I've enjoyed feeling better & better since chemo is becoming more of the past. I've enjoyed more the daily routine of life. This may sound insignificant but it means the world to me. The "normal" & "mundane" daily comings & goings of life... the ones that are so many times taken for granted, mean more than ever right now! Getting out of bed, getting dressed for the day, breakfast, errands (still for me it's doctor's appts- LOL!), cooking a meal, putting a load of laundry in the washer, etc. I went to the grocery store alone for the first time in months. I was tired afterward, but nothing like during chemo, so am so very thankful!
I think I enjoy the mundane because it's just so simple. Sure, it's fun to make the big memories- the big parties & events with lots of family & friends... but the day to day is the thread through it all. It's the quiet times, the chores that contribute to the family's well-being. It's the thoughtful, small things that have to be done & bring us together as a family. I love a quiet Saturday morning with Mike & a hot cup of coffee (chemo took that taste away but I hope it returns someday- for now it's a glass of milk for me while Mike has the coffee!) Having the fresh strawberries ready for Cason or holding Braden when they come over to visit- things like that just make me smile.
All the little things add up to pure joy when I remember they're all done with & for those I love the most. So, bring on "normal" & bring on "mundane"! Thank you, Lord, for these things!
Blessings!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
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