Well yesterday was my last day of Radiation. How in the world did we finish this already? I am so blessed. I remember starting my treatment and thinking the end is so far away… So it’s amazing to see how fast we got here. I am so blessed… Thank you.
I have been surrounded by so many wonderful people. From my treatment team and everyone who has encouraged me during these 31 treatments. In May I never envisioned this as part of my summer. Never imagined that I would be battling cancer so soon in my life. But – here we are.
When I walked back to the back yesterday, I got to hug one my fellow cancer patients John who is 90 years old. He has been so sweet to me and has prayed with me. He was a former fire fighter and I can tell he is wearing down. Please pray for him. He only has a few treatments left. Pray for energy and strength…I am thankful that we will be together for eternity… very thankful for that.
As I headed back I got to say hi to all of my people in the back and head to where I would take off my jewelry and then walk through the doors for my final treatment. I took my hat and sunglasses off and walked over to the table. I got up on the table and laid down and pulled my pink blanket up and adjusted my head so we could put the mask on.
Leslie and Gina put the mask on and turned my music up and said, “last time!” I laid there for a bit listening to my worship music and I started to pray and as I thought about the staff there, tears started to roll down my cheek. Course my next thought was, “am I going to get burned if my tears go the wrong direction…” But God was good and kept my left eye from tearing too much…so I went on praying.
Having been there so many times I knew the movement of the machine and the table and the turns we would take… the number of times the machine would turn on and “shoot me…” When I knew there was only two left and then one… the tears came again. My mask was undone and taken off and it was hard for me to speak. The crew has become so much a part of my life that I am blessed. They were so sweet and got a soccer ball and they all signed it and wrote sweet messages on it. It was a very blessed gift. Love you guys and I am so thankful that we got to journey together through this battle!
When I finished we took a few family photos and I wanted to get the gifts for the team in the back that were out front. I was in such a mission to get all the stuff and was wondering why no one was quickly moving to get the gifts and cookies…but when I went out of the hallway to grab the stuff WOW. This is what I saw:
Such a great surprise to see all these girls I’ve coached and their families and some of the teens from church and their families. So thankful. I love to coach and I love teens. They are just so amazing. The staff said they had never had so many people out front.
Thankful that these guys were able to come up and give me a hug and so thankful for their parents who have been so supportive through all of my treatments and this time. Love you guys and I know there were others that wanted to be there and I love you too!
I am very thankful for our shirts we had made. The thought and heart behind the shirts are to bring hope to others because of the words on the shirt. I never wanted the shirt to focus on me, I wanted them to point to the Lord because HE IS MY HOPE and HE HAS BEEN MY STRENGTH and SHIELD. I am blessed by so many who desired to support my heart and ordered shirts. We need this Truth in our world…there are so many hurting people.
I have been blessed by seeing so many of you wearing your shirts and I hope it gives you an opportunity to share HOPE and to be HOPE to people the Lord will bring into your life. I have been so blessed by sharing my story and His Love with others during this journey. It has been just amazing.
So when we got done seeing everyone who came, I got to go give blood and see my oncologist. Nothing too exciting here. But, basically I am off of radiation and chemo today. Radiation is done. Chemo will continue every 28 days for 5 days. in a row. So basically I am off of my chemo pill until the end August. I will take 1/4 more of mg than I am taking now and then in September I double what I am taking now. I will be asking for prayers as I up the dosage that the Lord just lines my stomach and continues to allow me to feel good. Once I have doubled my dosage I will stay at that level.
So when am I getting scans? My scans will be determined by my doctors and will occur somewhere between 4-8 weeks from now. Basically they want my brain to have time to not be swollen and allow all the radiation fragments to do what they were sent in there to do. So please continue to pray that the side effects are not a part of my story and that the swelling goes down and tumors are gone!
I will have follow up appointments in September and continuing to take a couple of my pills but a lot less. So YEAH! We have done some research and have put our name in at Duke and MD Anderson if and when that becomes the next step.
Was so blessed with Great cookies from Robyn Wolf that turned out perfectly for the staff and all those crazy people in the lobby! I think we set a new record on people in the waiting room. My Sister-in-love sent me a sweet and perfect cup – Thanks Cindy and Erik and of course Landyn.
When we finished all our blood work and everything Nikki and I went to go find our friend Elizabeth and her family, I coached her daughter. Her mother was coming up there for for her scan results…so we hung out for awhile and just laughed and shared life. Love visiting with people. I had to put this pic of Nikki in here. She’s going to kill me…but, she has been out looking for scarves for me and this is one of the photos she sent me. What would we do without technology for shopping!!! HA HA!
Some people have asked what I am going to do with my mask. Well, the plan is to bring it to my soccer office as a reminder for me and to keep my players “level headed..” Life could always be different…enjoy the moment and don’t complain. I’m sure they will do what my kids did…they said they didn’t like it too much..ha!
Thank you everyone again for making my last treatment so memorable. The staff enjoyed it and I’m sure the patients there smiled as well. I am a blessed lady!
As I have pressed on in this journey, the Lord has held me and held my head up. It’s not me putting on a show, it’s Him living through me. This has been so important because my kids have been watching me. They have been warriors and stayed focused on the Lord because they have developed a relationship with Him and with Him as their foundation, this time has been a time I have seen Jesus in them. As a parent, there is nothing I want more. I am very thankful. I pray that their faith stays strong and they do not follow the paths of many of the Kings of Judah….
Since i wrote so much already and had such an amazing day yesterday… you would think I would just say that’s it…But without the Word, I’m useless. 🙂
Looking at these kings and how some were hard hearted, some started out following the Lord and then going their own way, and then there were some who chose the Lord their whole lives and the Kingdom and people were trained in the ways of the Lord – and the results were amazing.
One Guy… and sometimes a kid were the ones who would bring great blessings on a kingdom or doom. When we think about who our lives influence… do we consider our conduct to have consequences that could effect generations after us? That’s serious stuff…but, it’s true.
King Hezekiah – you know I love him! In 2 Chronicles 32 and 33 he was busy fortifying walls and preparing the city against the Assyrians. Here’s what he said starting in verse 7…
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.
The Assyrian king sent letters to the people against Hezekiah and their “god” is how he saw the Lord God. God was referred to as a normal god they served – nothing special. This got Hezekiah and Isaiah praying to God… now I have to tell you when I read what came next I was like – “Lord sent this angel to me!”
21 And the Lord sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the commanders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace. And when he went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.
So the arrogant king was killed by his own kids. A king who thought he had it all, had nothing. King Hezekiah became highly respected and many people sent him gifts. But, then something happened….
24 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. 25 But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the Lord’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. 26 Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the Lord’s wrath did not come on them during the days of Hezekiah.
Hezekiah had been living a great life with many blessings from the Lord. Yet when he became ill and the Lord cared for him, he became a proud individual. This should cause us to pause and think… is my heart one that is proud or humbled? No matter what we are facing or going through… a proud heart does not please the Lord. What I love to read though, is that his conviction from his pridefulness changed his direction and he REPENTED! Meaning he sought the Lord’s forgiveness. And Got it.
When we choose to go against the Lord we have a choice to make… continue on and reap the consequences that WILL come or humble ourselves and repent and HE IS FAITHFUL and desires to FORGIVE US! He doesn’t want His people punished or out of His presence. He desires to BE with US and teach us and love us!
What I love is that the Lord loves us and desires to be with us. He doesn’t wake up everyday and wonder how He can ruin our lives. Our response to Him in our Heart and the growth that comes from their into our lives is life changing. King Hezekiah could’ve thrown himself a party and celebrated his victories like HE was the victor, but he humbled himself when he got caught up in the fame and success.
We ALL need to live humbled lives that SCREAM out “we know Jesus and that’s how I can live this way…it’s not me!!!” If you want to see what happens next read about Hezekiah’s son… Manasseh, he started weak and evil, but in the end it says he “finally realized that the Lord alone is God!” He finally realized… it took going into enemy camp and being beat up and humiliated… let us pray that our hearts are never that stone cold that we endure that much before we finally turn to the Lord. But, if that’s where we are… you are NEVER TOO FAR gone to NOT be LOVED by the Lord himself. Reach out to Him and let Him forgive you and fill you. Your life will never be the same.
If you all will be praying for what I mentioned above that would be great!!!! Blessings Warriors!
So thankful! Love you!
Bless you! Praying so!