A Recap and Update from Initial Diagnosis April 2022

I can easily start this post with such a full heart! Here I am, after 4 months since my diagnosis, having had port surgery, two biopsy surgeries, multiple chemo infusions, way more medications than I can imagine, initial struggles with life threatening respiration issues and out of control blood to oxygen change, loss of work and no income for 3 months till disability kicks in, 3 hour drives RT to The James Cancer Center every 3 weeks for the rest of my life, managing minor chemo side effects AND yet… so much beauty has come from this unexpected, crazy adventure! 

(The initial PET scan in April 2022 showing metastatic breast cancer everywhere: lungs, bones, lymph nodes and liver)

(First biopsy)

(Port insertion surgery)

(On oxygen 24/7)

(Second biopsy)

And yet the best way to explain my joyful heart is only to point up! Not that my loving, healing, comforting Heavenly Father is only up, because I know He’s with me, in me, around me & for me. But it’s truly His doing, His gift to me, His miracles literally overflowing in my life! I see His hands touching my life everywhere: people, my body healing, beauty all around me, a faithful, adoring, attentive husband, family and friends supporting me, thousands of prayers, gifts and cards, the songs that deeply and profoundly move me like Gratitude and Million Little Miracles, The Passion Translation of the Bible that makes me LOVE reading His Word again, the increase in my faith in His plans, loss of fear, and I could go on and on!

(So many generous friends giving gifts from their deep wells of love)

Here is a small photo montage of just a very few of these miracles!

(The most faithful and loving hubby!)

(A very hard Mother’s Day with my amazing adult kids)

(Supportive daughter and a very hard goodbye)

again!

(The Passion Translation of one of my promises)

My point in all that is to say that although I sometimes feel kinda weird telling people how awesome I’m doing because it doesn’t really “feel” like I have a health problem anymore,

I was recently reminded in my conversation with God that THAT IS my gift! Regardless of what may or may not be actually happening inside my body, I’ve been gifted with “feeling” great! In fact, I often explain it to people when they ask how this happened, that I truly believe I’m the recipient of a modern day miracle! So instead of feeling anything negative about telling folks how awesome I’m really feeling, I am learning to graciously receive God’s gift and say thank You and I accept this gift! To God be all the glory!

(God IS my healer!)

So what’s happening next? I have another round of chemo on September 16th, 2022. This one will be my typical 3 drugs: Taxotere (the chemo drug), Perjeta and Herceptin (called antibodies, but not true chemo drugs). And thankfully this will also be my last dose of the Taxotere so the worst of the side effects should go away including hair loss. I actually could care less about the hair thing but it is the most obvious outward sign of cancer physically. So in about 2 months my hair will start growing back in. There are pros and cons to that too!! Not having to shave my body or bleach my Italian female mustache has been quite lovely! Maybe TMI for some of you who’ve never had to deal with that, but for those of you who have ever had to do this every month or two, you’ll get a chuckle from it! 

I unfortunately will have these antibody drugs administered IV every 3 weeks for the rest of my life because of being given an advanced metastatic breast cancer diagnosis with two different t types of breast cancer (triple negative and ER+,PR+, HER2-)! That’s a lot to take in but it doesn’t feel as bad as it sounds to me anyway! Praise God for that!

As for my work, I’ve decided that as a dental hygienist it would be foolish to return to an environment where I produce aerosols from people’s disease-ridden mouths that I’d breathe in and around where my more damaged and fragile lungs are desperately healing from life threatening cancer in them. So my husband and I agreed that since we don’t know just how long either of us have on earth, we want to live our lives as fully as we can. So we are building out a Sprinter van to live in and drive around the country in while looking for the best places for Mountain Biking, Wilderness camping, paddling our canoe, visiting beautiful places, seeing family and friends, helping with Special Olympics events, and serving our mighty God wherever He puts us! We won’t be rich monetarily, but we will be rich bring together as long as the Lord allows and so we are both officially retiring when his last staircase is built at the end of this year then off into the great unknown in our WonderVan that John is feverishly building out as our last home. Here’s a sneak peek as to the most recent progress!

(Windows put in last weekend)

(Massive new bumpers and storage boxes with bike rack and vanity plates that say ‘1DERVAN”!

That’s really only scratching the surface of all that’s happened in the past 4 months but it is a decent overview. I have much to look forward to including the coming of my first grand daughter this Fall, celebrating 10 years of marriage to John Wonderly and living life fully each day as I wait and watch to see what my loving God is doing next! My love is deeper, my faith is stronger, my gratitude is in everything, and I don’t take one breath for granted! So yes, I’m thankful for my cancer diagnosis once again!

(My zinnia Garden that brings me much joy!)

(The miracle of my gifted prayer bench with an olive wood cross from Bethlehem from my dearest Tina M)

(Grand child #1 on the way!)

His mercies are new every morning if I only look!