Update: Chemo 9 & Reflections-Abundant LIFE in the midst of

And the count down to completion of chemo treatments continues...God blessed me to receive treatment #9 on Thursday-more treatments behind me than in front of me. This time prior to chemo I was introduced to a new oncologist that was brought on board to assist with patient care as the oncologist I was seeing has taken on some different roles and responsibilities within the organization which allows less time for seeing patients. I'm really thankful for the new doctor though-very personable and highly spoken of. She did an exam on me and seemed pleased with the progress so far. I'm also still on the daily does of Tamoxifen (the anti-estrogen)-God is still keeping me:-) This time a nurse who I knew but had never seen working in the chemo area accessed my port. I told my daddy when I saw her walking towards me, I was thinking idk about her accessing my port-I've never seen her back here and don't know if she knows what she's doing lol-and you know I was not trying to be the guinea pig but she did a good job. She's one of the nurses that they can place anywhere help is needed. As usual I enjoyed my daddy-daughter time-laughing, talking, soaking up wisdom, and playing flow as a team on his notebook (I always get name mixed up-i-pad type device-yal know what I'm talking about though-lol). This time I did not get delirious afterwards but I was pretty wiped out energy wise. After we grabbed something to eat, I vegged out on my futon for a while. God blessed me to get a short nap in while sitting up (didn't want to lay down because I didn't want digestion to be hindered) and I remember thinking about a couple stops I needed to make before day 2 of the music and fine arts workshop that evening. Sometimes we have to push past the way we feel-this was definitely one of those times but God is faithful. Not only did He bless me to make the stops I needed to make but by the time I got to church He had given me a second wind-His grace is SUFFICIENT-not some of the time but ALL the time. The last time we had a guest clinician at my church was for our annual candlelight worship service. I remember being limited to sitting in and observing from the audience but thankful to be able to do that-that was back in December. Since then God has blessed me to get back in the choir and to be able to participate in the music and fine arts workshop in the choir and in my spot (back row, altos ;-)) I really feel a shift-God is not only restoring but lifting me even higher and blessing me to experience life more abundantly than before the diagnosis-from spiritual growth, to new people He's bringing into my life, to the book He blessed me to get published and that I've already had to start a new order list for just two weeks after getting in my 1st shipment of 300 books. As my daddy says, God just keeps on doing GREAT things! God's Grace, God's Grace, God's GRACE! I was sharing with someone the other day that God has brought so much good out of what He's taking me through-I don't look at this experience-this part of my journey as a negative thing. One of the questions that God placed on my heart in preparation for last Saturday's Single's Real Talk, is whether or not it is possible to experience abundant life-enjoying life to the full while we're yet going through and in the midst of a "storm". The answer is a resounding YES! John 16:33 where Jesus warns us that in this life we're going to have to go through some stuff-we will have trouble but to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world and John 10:10 where Jesus says that He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly, go hand in hand. Our going through; our storms do not silence God's voice; God still speaks in the midst of the storm, we still have God's presence in the midst of the storm. The storm does not change who God is and it cannot not limit Him in any way. The storm does not make us ineligible to be used by Him, and it surely does not mean that He loves us any less. Romans 8:28 still stands-God's word still stands and is not nullified by the trials and the hardships of this life. Glory to God in the HIGHEST!

Chemo #8

Yesterday was chemo # 8 of 17. Just 9 more to go-single digit count down! This time instead of meeting with the lady that assists my oncologist as well as my breast care doctor and is an DNP, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, before chemo, I met with my oncologist. He explained that since radiation was completed it was now time to start me on the anti-estrogen oral medicine, called Tamoxifen, which I will be on for 5yrs. He mentioned the importance of me not being on it during anytime that I could become pregnant or was planning to conceive and asked me he proceeded to ask me if I was planning to have kids in the next 5yrs. I told him well I have to get married first so as of now I was good-he just laughed and said ok. I asked him about side effects just as an fyi-blood clots(risk increases with sedentary lifestyle and smoking)were the most common. On to the chemo...as I was receiving treatment, a lady who seemed to often have the same chemo day as me came in and as we were talking mentioned that she remembered how weak I looked the first time she saw me when the treatment center was located in a different building. I shared with her that that was my first treatment(and TGBTG for all that He's done since then and the many ways that He has increased my strength). She mentioned that they told her back then that we had the same type of cancer (estrogen and her2 positive). However hers was at stage 3, which was more advanced than mine. She also mentioned that she had had to take a break and reschedule some of the treatments and was still undergoing the pre-surgery chemo which includes the Taxotere (which I too had to take pre-surgery). She'll have the same surgeon that I had too. I told her getting off the Taxotere makes a big difference explaining how it attacks everything that's dividing (which causes the hair loss, digestive issues, etc.) versus the Hercepton and Projeta that target cancer. Prayerfully she was encouraged. So... I was thinking I would be able to go to work after chemo since I didn't have radiation right before it like I did last time...well it didn't quite happen like that. I felt the pre-meds-kick in (that Benadryl is something else) and was fighting sleep for a good portion of the time that I was in there and when I was done,in straight chill mode, I said to my aunt I guess I have to get up now? Lol By the time we got to the car and I sat in the driver's seat with the door still opened I said that stuff (referring to the chemo) made me all giggly this time. No sooner than me getting those words out I started laughing, and laughing, and laughing and then my aunt started laughing and she asked me if I could drive. At first I told her yes but then I changed my mind and told her she'd better drive LOL. side note: it's a family trait on my daddy's side that when we get sleep and delirious we get real silly, goofy, giggly. So that in addition to the Benadryl that they add to the pre-meds did it. Anyway when my aunt started driving I told her she couldn't drive to fast because I had to have time to concentrate and think about which way to direct her while driving. If we were going straight back to my apartment she would have been able to make it without any help with directions but we had to go drop my new prescription off at CVS to be filled. God blessed us to get there and back to my apartment safely though I had to encourage her to use the breaks because around here we may have the right of way doesn't mean the other car would abide by that. Didn't take long for either one of us to get that nap in once we got back-lol. Tonight is her last night here but we've had so much FUN and I'm thankful. I know my daddy felt bad because he wasn't within driving distance this time but God worked it out-took care of His baby girl and all is still well:-)