Gleaning From Cancer

It's been almost a month since I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Triple Negative Ductal Carcinoma Breast Cancer. The doctor said that I would have 3 to 6 months of chemo before surgery would be discussed. There is no other option but chemo. When I found out I had cancer, I cried; when I found out chemo was my cure, I sobbed.

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strides-against-breast-cancer-walk/

I had many women doing their best to encourage me that chemo was going to be fine...that I would do great...and that I had nothing to fear. I was told many stories of other survivors and miracles that happened along the way. However, it didn't change anything for me.

I have been diligently seeking a cure that did not involve chemotherapy. The first thing I did was change my diet to predominantly plant-based foods. I found supplements that would help boost my immune system. I researched alternative medicines that had a proven track record for killing cancer.

I went to a naturopathic doctor last week to look at by body on a cellular level. The technology was amazing! According to the test, the cancer in my body is fungal based and there are supplements that can kill the fungus. The doctor thought I should see results in 4 to 6 weeks by taking these supplements.

I applied for a clinical drug study for women with Triple Negative Breast Cancer but had to wait for my gene test results before I could be approved. If this drug works it would give a future option for women with this type of cancer. Still waiting for my results to come through. I even sent my medical records to an Oncologist in another country hoping for a different protocol; one that didn't include chemo, but he reported back that I needed chemo immediately.

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Janie asked me if I was willing to do whatever was needed, even if it was chemo. It was a hard question that I had to take to the Lord. I had to admit that I was afraid of my cure and stop running, so I decided to trust God with my cure as well as my disease. I chose not to wait the 4 to 6 weeks for the supplemental results and move forward with chemotherapy.

I have had all my tests; breast MRI, CT scan, bone scan, and echo cardiogram. The port has been put in place and chemotherapy starts next week. I will have a two-drug (Adriamycin and Cyclophosphamide) combination drip for the next 8 weeks. Then the drug will change to Paclitaxel for 12 weeks. Total treatment of 5 months.

Gleaning life lessons from cancer has taught me to look beyond my physical adversity to find the Spiritual strength that will be with me on the other side. My prayers are more intimate; they are less about me and more about Him. The Psalms have been a great encouragement for me because it is there I find that The Lord is my light and my salvation; of whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" 27:1.

I didn't realize that I was running scared or that I had let fear dominate my decisions. Now that chemo is only a few days away I can face it in faith; trusting the Lord with all my heart and leaning not on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:4-5).

Cancer is NOT the Big "C"

Coming to the reality that you have cancer can take a little bit to sink in. Fighting all the emotions of fear, anxiety, and desperation can be exhausting. The key is to fight and the reality is that God is sufficient.

During this battle, I have been reminded that cancer is not the big "C"! Christ is the Big C and he has promised, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you" Hebrews 13:5. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever" Hebrews 13:8. I can boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me" Hebrews 13:6. 

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God is not perplexed about what He is going to do. He is not surprised by the news, so I am allowing Him to guide me each day; even when I can't see the next step in front of me. I have been educating myself on cancer fighting foods and foods that will increase my immune system. I have cut out all sugars and I am eating mostly plant-based foods. I have also added some supplements to help me be stronger for the battle I am facing in the near future.

I will say that giving up my yummy hazelnut coffee was probably the most difficult. I overcame temptation my imagining the cancer cells eating and growing bigger as I fed it the delicious "sugary" goodness. 

God continues to answer prayers. The cancer has not spread to my lymph nodes, which is a huge praise. I am still waiting for the BRCA gene test to come back. If I understand things correctly, if I am positive for the gene, then I will be required to take a chemo drug for the next 10 years, but only after my original treatment and surgery. 

Please continue to pray for me and my family. I desire to grow stronger in the Lord through this trial and give Him praise every day while I'm in it. 

It's Chemo

I was wrong about cancer being the only word in the world that could churn the stomach to the point of vomiting ~ chemo is another.  Those of you who have been through this process probably have some insight to a few more words that I have not heard yet which will do the same.

The diagnosis is Stage II Triple Negative Ductal Carcinoma. The triple negative means that the cancer is estrogen negative, progesterone negative, and HER2 (a protein on the cell surface that stimulates growth) negative. This limits the treatment options to chemo ~ 3 to 6 months of chemo before any surgery is considered.

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Honestly, I was very surprised that I only have one option. I thought with all the research facilities and extensive studies that have been taking place over the past several years that there would have been multiple options for treating cancer by now.

In all reality, I suppose there are, unfortunately, there are no other options for me. This was very disappointing because I know the effects chemo can have on the total health of the body. I do not want to do chemo and was hoping for a different option.

Of course, at this point they do not know if the cancer has spread anywhere else in my body or if the cancer originated from somewhere else. The doctor took a sample from swollen lymph nodes under my arm to send off for testing which will not be back for several days. If I understand things correctly, my stage II will be increased to stage III if the results come back positive.

Before chemo can begin I must have a series of tests done. While waiting, I will be making every effort to increase my immune system and overall health. I am spending lots of time in God's word to make His promises ever present in my heart and mind. "Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might" Ephesians 6:10. He is my Strength, my Fortress, my Deliverer, my Strong Tower; in Him will I place all my trust. He is sufficient for my life.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me" Psalm 23:4. I love this verse because I am walking through a valley but death is a mere shadow. I have nothing to fear because God is with me every step of the way.

It's Cancer

It's cancer. Hearing those words brought an overwhelming flood of emotions; but mostly fear. I could hardly sort through my own thoughts to hear anything else the doctor said. Cancer? Cancer! What? I don't think any other word in all the world could churn a stomach to the point of vomiting. For those of you who have experienced this moment, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I can say that until you hear it, and I hope you never do, no imagination can bring you to that place.

My journey has just begun and my first response was to keep it quiet. I didn't want to tell anyone because I had no idea how to share the news. I wouldn't know what to say or how to answer any questions. I was gripped by fear even to reach out. I came to the conclusion that I would rather share for prayers than to stay silent and face this monster alone. 

My phone rang from an unknown number and I answered expecting to hear a doctors office or hospital representative on the other end. Instead, it was the sweet sound of an unknown saint soon to be my dear friend, Norma Gibe. She had just finished her treatment for breast cancer and tracked down my number to call and share encouragement with me. She found me at a time I needed her the most. 

It is scary to share those secret fears and speaking of scary ~ my cryie face ~ now that's scary! LOL. I did not want people to see me cry and if they ask me something, I might (most definitely) cry. Norma shared her heart and opened my eyes to see past my own vanity. She helped me see how important it is to share my struggles even in the midst of them. 

It is easier to share the hard times once your on the other side of them, but sharing while your still vulnerable is not as simple. It takes something more than I had a week ago. Today, I am being vulnerable in the most difficult battle of my life because my new friend Norma taught me that sharing, even when you don't know someone, blesses others lives. 

School Day Devotions

When the 2018-2019 school year began, I wanted to do something extra to prepare my children for public school. In addition to many of the text book changes taking place in school, there is a big change in the cultural values and the way society views Christianity. I thought it was important to help my children stay strong in their faith, grow closer to the Lord, and not be drawn away by the influences of other beliefs.

After reading "Praying Circles around Your Children" by Mark Batterson, I decided that a devotion every morning would be the perfect solution to starting their day. Mark Batterson also suggested to send something with your children to school that reminds them that you are praying for them. A card or a text message with the scripture verse(s) you will be praying over your children each day.

Proverbs was the perfect place to begin instilling wisdom, warnings, promises, and understanding the fear of the Lord. So I began writing devotions from Proverbs specifically geared toward children and we started the first day of school. Ten minutes before we were scheduled to leave for school, we gathered in the living room to read the verses, use the devotion as talking points, and pray. I put the cards in their lunch box so they would see them at least once during the day.

I had positive responses from them and was so excited that I shared this endeavor with the ladies in my Sunday School class. The ones who have children asked if they could share the devotions with their children, others asked for copies to send for their grandchildren.

Mornings didn't work for one family so she decided to give the prayer card in the morning and do the devotions before bed. I liked the idea of having extra time to talk at night so I tried it and our family likes it better because they feel free to share, ask questions, and discuss scriptures. I also found that I learned more about how their day was at school in the evenings.

Mornings or evenings is really up to the individual family.

I want to invite you to share in these devotions as well. There are typically 180 days of school each year. We are only on about day 30 so picking up at day one will not put you too far behind. The scripture at the end of each devotion is the one written on the card along with a note to say, "I love you" or "I'm proud of you" or something special from you heart to them.

School Day Devotions ~ Day 1 to Day 32

I am writing these as we go so I can only share what is completed.

Updates will be made each week to the School Day Devotions page in the menu bar so that all completed devotions are available to you.

The School Day Devotions are available to download and share with your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Tell your friends, family, and neighbors where they can find it to download for their children.

Coming of Age

Every year, my daughter, Rachel has always started planning her summer birthday in January. She would pick the theme, location, date of celebration, and agenda; that is until this year. She didn't have any interest in having a party at all. She was turning 14 and maybe parties had become too "little girl" for her.

While listening to the radio one day, I heard a man talk about how he had made an event of each of his son's thirteenth birthday. He called it a "Coming of Age Ceremony" and invited other men who had had an influence on his son's life to take part of the event.


My ears perked and my heart jumped, I wanted to do something for my daughter. I searched the Internet for ideas but could only find the Bat Mitzvah and Quinceanera, which did not fit our heritage or culture.

I decided to take the idea and tailor it to a girl. I asked Rachel to pick some women who had impacted her life that we could invite to this celebration. She was super excited and in her eyes it became a celebration of these 10 women she named (two are not pictured).

                             
       
She made a special gift for each one of them and shared to each of them individually how they made a difference in her life. In return, they gave her a gift and shared words of encouragement and wisdom for her journey forward into the next stage of her life.

                              

One of Rachel's favorite stories in the Bible is Esther, so we used the theme: "For Such A Time As This" and hosted a tea party in a friend's home. We had special tea mugs made with the theme printed on them to give to each woman.

                          

My heart swelled with joy as I listened to Rachel share her heart to some amazing women. Some of them shared in her life as a young girl, while others were recent relationships. I was filled with overwhelming gratefulness that God had placed these amazing women in my daughters life at the very moment she needed them the most (for such a time as this).

                          

This was an amazing event; the best "birthday party" I have ever plannned. I thought this would be great to repeat when she graduates High School and takes the next step into adulthood. I know there will be new women she will meet over the next few years and she will have grown closer to these women as well.

I hope this will inspire you to celebrate your little girl as she turns into a young lady.

Mentoring Our Children

The arrival of Labor Day brings an awareness that the summer days are officially coming to a end. School is back in session for most of us and we have settled back into the routines of sports practice, music lessons, homework, dinner time, bath time, bed time, etc. I don't know about you, but around here, summertime is like one big long weekend. Other than our yearly vacation, we make no specific plans and just enjoy!

This year, however, I took some time to seriously consider homeschooling my children. I have been becoming increasingly concerned about the cultural things my children face at school. My oldest comes home with stories about the ideals and beliefs of her peers that blows my mind.

Listening to "Issues in Education" has taught me many things that I didn't know about the Public School System. It is alarming...shocking...baffling...ah...I'm not sure what word adequately describes the brain doing a flip and the only intelligent word I can find is...NUTUHA?!?! when I hear what is going on in our world today.

Homeschooling is a huge decision and I took lots of time to pray, research, inspect, discuss, consult, and pray some more. It seems it would be the most logical option for a stay-at-home mom but in all reality that became part of the issue as well. We are a one income family and homeschooling is not cheap.

This led me to think about single moms and dads who couldn't possibly home school their children. What things can we do as parents to help our children stand in their faith and face great adversity at school? In the midst of my search, I found this book "Praying Circles around your Children" by Mark Batterson.

Once I started reading I couldn't stop! He gave many great ideas to encourage our children in God's word and how to pray specific prayers with them, emphasizing God's promises to them. He shares tips for communicating God's word to our children throughout the day; even while they are at school. 

I began this new year of school implementing many of his suggestions and was inspired to be creative in writing a devotion designed for my children. The time we spend together each morning has become the most rewarding time of the day. Mentoring my children on this level brings great fulfillment for the entire family. 

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for ways to mentor your children.