It is finished! IT IS FINISHED! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah, Amen! Those three words have a profoundly powerful and emotional significance to me on March 3rd, 2017! In fact, it has been 298 days ago that I received the phone call from my doctor's office stating that I had breast cancer!
Since then, I have endured 5 months of chemotherapy that caused many side effects.
I've gone from pretty long brown hair to shaved to completely bald to growing back in grey! And on July 4, 2016 I had a hair cutting party to make the best of it.
Then before long, I experienced peeling feet with the change in chemo drugs.
There was also the constant metal mouth, chronic fatigue and nausea.
Besides the loss of my job, there was the loss of a couple friends.
On December 1, 2016 I lost half my left boob and all my left armpit lymph nodes. And this is a friend, Dr. Zak Thurman, who visited me while on his work shift!
I experienced pain in my arm as it adjusted to lymphedema symptoms, am still dealing with the forever loss of hormones that threw me into full menopause, and unfortunately had the change in sex drive that comes with it, and the gain of weight from steroids that I can't seem to shed. Then the radiation that burned my skin, increased my fatigue, and hopefully killed off any cancer cells that
might have escaped the devastating effects of chemo and surgery! Cancer
changed my life. Forever.
Yet, yesterday as I laid on the treatment bed and received my very last dose of radiation, I whispered a prayer of thanks to my Lord and Savior!
It was thanks for giving me life. Thanks for giving me so many friends, family and loved ones that supported me emotionally, spiritually, physically, and financially! Here are just a few!!
My prayer in those few seconds was also one of thanks for having the opportunity to boldly share with so many people about the real presence of a loving God who is closer than we realize, wants to be in a personal relationship with each of us, and has revealed to me a gift in the cancer. These are the nurses that I got to share with after my surgery.
I gave thanks that He showed me a new perspective on death and dying and the joy that awaits those who know and trust in His son, Jesus, where there is no death. Thanks for Dr. Mary Neal whose story rocked my world and opened my eyes about God in a way I can never forget!
Thanks for a tender, loving , kind, and gentle husband who was by my side fully supporting me every step of the way.
Thanks for my children who went to doctors appointments with me, got tattooed because of me, sent me special gifts and flew from California to visit me!
Thanks for my step grand-daugthers who prayed every night for me and who sweetly tell me they love and miss me!
Thanks for so many people who reached out to call on me and send dozens of cards, flowers, and thoughtful gifts.
Thanks for neighbors, dental patients, strangers, friends, sisters, parents, aunt and uncles, cousins, and co-workers for thousands of prayers and well-wishes! I am a very blessed woman!
So on my last day of radiation, I was a bit surprised as I got dressed after getting zapped for the last 12 second Boost, when I felt a surge of tears well up within me and the tears just flowed. I felt the relief of being done. The big exhale! The ladies at the office were so sweet and got a little teary too. And they gave me a certificate of completion!!
Then my sweetheart of a husband took me to our special lunch place, Cobblestone Cafe, and treated me to a delicious lunch.
After that, I got to have a special night with some of my dearest friends from Red Door. These are just some of the ladies that have shown me much love and support, but these are definitely the ones who rocked it out with me at aerial yoga and Meadowlark Restaurant, then followed up with dessert at Bills Donuts! A beautiful way to celebrate my life.
So as I wind down on this blog, it is with immense gratitude that I can say that cancer wasn't as bad with all the loved ones God put in my life and all the adventure I had in the midst of treatment.
I could never have done it with this awesome of an attitude if I did not know and love my sweet Jesus who gave me hope and purpose in it all! So Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of my life.
For anyone who wishes to continue hearing about my progress, or if anyone wants to contact me for any reason, feel free to contact me: 937-608-2444. Otherwise, a deep and tender hug to everyone who has followed my journey and has shown me your love.
