Lung Surgery Update

Much too much credit has been attributed to me lately regarding strength & courage. If there's any strength you see in me, it is from the Lord. If there is courage, it is God's gift. When He tells me His grace is sufficient, He means He will provide just what I need exactly when I need it. Today, I lean on Him hard! I trust His faithfulness to see that I receive both strength & courage, in His time & in His way! I share with you the decision for lung surgery because since Day One, Holy Spirit has called me to sound the trumpets & have an open heart with all those I hold dearest, all the way to ones I've never even met. I admit, this vulnerability is not the way I would choose on my own, but I'm compelled to share this journey, for it MIGHT help one person to walk their own journey WITH the Lord instead of without Him. So, I write. Not one decision I share with you has been chosen without much prayer & counsel. Thank you for trusting & supporting Mike & me even if it's not the decision you woud make in your own journey- if you ever have to. Since February, the Pulmanologist has drained huge amounts of fluid off my lung three times. Between each draining, doctors watch closely, hoping the speed at which the fluid returns would have been much, much slower, allowing me respite between procedures. That has not happened. The fluid has re-filled my lung at an alarming speed, taking us to the next level of care & decision. The lung surgery I face tomorrow is a comfort/quality of life surgery & not one that deals with the cancer at all. If fluid is allowed to continually collapse my lung, it can "freeze" & breathing normally may not be recovered. Whether I live 2 months, 6 months, a year, or 30, this surgery- if successful- will allow free breathing & normal appetite to return. (Currently, I'm extemely short of breath, tired & have little appetite because the weight of my lung presses on my stomach, blocking any urge to eat.) Hopefully, it will give me quality in the living I have yet to do. Here's what I need: 1) Prayer! Ask God to provide me courage! I'm in need due to the possible painful recovery & I readily admit, I'm leaning hard on my God tonight! 2) No visitors or flowers in my hospital room (waiting room visitors for my family are great, but I need serious recovery time & ask for several days of focusing on what's needed for recovery / flowers sometimes smell strong & recovery of lung & breathing may be effected negatively with flowers.) 3) Whatever kind act you can think of doing for someone in our place would thrill our hearts! There's not a lot of physical needs anyone can do for us at this point, so I ask you to re-direct your incredibly generous hearts to others in your life that have need. Please email, text or inbox me about what you've chosen to do & Mike & Randi will read them to me during my hospital stay. This will bring such joy to us! We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the tenderness we've been shown, the hearts we've seen opened & the powerful prayers offered in love! Blessings!