So superstition is my daddy’s middle name. Black cats, the number 13, taking different routes to and from locations, standing under ladders, umbrellas open inside....but number 13 was uneventful and I’m glad. He sat in his chair and timed the first 15 minutes of Taxol which is when the reactions have occurred and I know prayed lots to make sure his girl was going to be ok! J was right beside me too, grabbing blankets when I’m cold or a delicious snack when I need a little sweet in my life!
My day started at school decorating for Christmas with my students and ended with a delicious bowl of soup made with love by my friend Meagan and bed. My treatment was super easy, with another wonderful nurse, and I had the sweetest surprise visitor stop by. Mrs. Sharon saw me during my Benadryl drip, so I think she saw more of my eyelids and tons of yawning, but I so enjoyed our time together.
A friend of mine posted something on Facebook the other day that I truly believed and it was this... find joy in the journey and y’all, I found it.
I have seen it from the very beginning of this diagnosis and with God’s abundant grace, His love, and you ALL, each day I’ve been able to see the joy. Just this week one of my former students organized a fundraiser for me. He’s a senior at Mauldin High School and has developed a go-cart racing club to raise money to help others AND his first fundraiser is for me. He approached his principal at Open House in September with this idea and told him about me being his former 2nd grade teacher and my diagnosis. He explained that he wanted to form a club that would continue each year, allowing students to have fun racing, but also helping others in the community. The principal immediately emailed me to explain Will’s proposal and shared that his wife had had breast cancer and was cancer free after 6 years. Talk about an awesome kid and school leader serving others and bringing JOY to the world! And as we were eating lunch today, who walked in but Will’s parents. How proud they must be of their son and his giving heart. So come join us this coming Monday night at 6:30 at Frankie’s Fun Park. Boogity-boogity-let’s go racing, y’all! Here’s some more info...
And the joy just never ends... when we walk into the cancer center building, the staff knows our names, gives the best hugs, and makes each visit as pleasant as can be. We always begin with the lab girls who are adorable and keep me
Laughing, and then the scales, temperature and blood pressure (today mine was near perfect, which never happens), and then the nurse always ask if I’ve felt hopeless or depressed in the last week. I’ve been so fortunate to answer “no” to that question each time. God has blessed our family with so much, placed this speed bump in our life to bring us closer to Him, and I can count on that to get me through the hard times. So hopeless...never! Sometimes sad and fearful. But that’s natural, right? Emotional roller coaster is more like it! Tears come quite often. Joyful ones and sad ones, but never have I felt hopeless. As we were walking up the huge staircase, I couldn’t help but smile and cry in the same breath as J literally held me up as we climbed each step. My friends at school can testify to seeing me happy and fine one minute, to full on ugly tears the next second when telling a story or pouring my heart out. And I can’t end a prayer without crying. Sometimes I have to just so much to say and I just have to stop. I try to always remember that God knows my prayers without even hearing them, but saying how grateful I am and praying for so many of my friends and family is important to me. So He’s ok with my crazy self, I’m sure.
Today’s devotion on Our Daily Bread app was perfect! My friend Sommer texted me and asked if she could bring french toast (one of my favs) and bacon for breakfast....so when the title for the devotion was another breakfast combo, “Ham and Eggs”, I had to chuckle. The short jist was about the fable of the chicken and the pig choosing a meal at a restaurant, when the chicken suggests that they have ham and eggs and the pig objects, not caring to put himself on the platter. He said he wanted to be “committed, but not fully involved”. The Bible story that was tied in was about Asa and Hanani and how Asa tried to rely on human help of delivering treasures from the Lord’s temple to secure help, over trusting in God’s complete help, to break up a treaty between two Kings, one of Israel and one of Aram. This little lesson was perfect as we see two things...we must be totally committed to Him, and also FULLY involved in our daily walk!
Jett boy has been so good this week, getting ready for school and listening! His elf has left him several treats and the official countdown to Christmas is on and we can’t wait!
As I’m typing this, it’s 3 am, and it’s truly the first time in a very long time I’ve had an almost sleepless Friday night, after chemo...and that usually doesn’t happen after a sleepless Thursday night on steroids. Maybe I’m just excited about a little ACC championship game we’ve got coming up! Go Tigers! Don’t know how much of this late game I’ll see, but hoping for a big win!
I’ll end with this card that a parent sent in today with the sweetest message...
How true is that!? God allows us to fall down and get right back up, standing tall like a cactus in the desert, blooming. He provides us with the strength each day and I’m so thankful.
Oh and mark your calendars! They’ve changed my last chemo time on Friday, December 22 to 8 in the morning so we’re hoping for our NO “MO” CHEMO- HO HO
HO celebration to take place right after that around 11. Christmas carols around the beautiful statue of Jesus, Santa and his sleigh, and bells! We’ve got lots to ring for during this season of the year, and what better way to celebrate than a little ringing and singing “Happy Birthday”to our Savior.
Here’s some prayer requests for the upcoming weeks ahead...
-prayers for my uncle currently fighting for his life with pancreatic cancer
-prayers for all others living each day with this terrible “c” word and their strength and caregivers
-prayers for 13 more school wake ups as these days are fun, exciting, but exhausting
-prayers for wellness and that the winter yuckies stay away
-prayers for 3 more treatments and upcoming MRI and surgeon visit
-pray for my fingers...the Taxol causes a crazy fingernail issue that’s painful and I’m about to loose two of my fingernails
-prayers for all of my wonderful caretakers (Special shout out to the two unbelievable MOMs in my life! My mother-in-law wrapped all my Christmas presents for me, and my mom who takes care of Jett whenever I need her and helps me with so much!)
Find your joy, friends! Love to all!
“The eyes of the Lord range throughout the Earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” Chronicles 16:9
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