Happy Mothers Day to all you mothers reading this. This day brings memories of my precious Mother who is home in heaven today. I know many of you don't have a Mom to hug today....but we can hug her in our hearts! As I received gifts and cards from our 2 daughters, I whispered a pray of thanksgiving that I'm here this year to receive them! Many who have been on this journey with me this year are no longer on earth today and being missed by many! I take my blessing of another year with much praise and thanksgiving.
We returned to the resort May 5th. I have to admit I had thoughts of dread to return to the site where I suffered so much last year.....but TYL (thank you Lord).....each day I'm praising God as I do each 'little" event and job and want to shout with joy "YEAH... I CAN DO IT TODAY!! It's truly a joy to be able to do the work and care for our guests when I couldn't last season!!! No dread here...TYL!!
May 4th was a visit to Dr. Baker, my plastic, who was very excited to see the end results of his hours of work and care. He thought my results and healing looked great! When discussing the remaining pain ...he is still baffled. His comment was, "I've never had a patient that had 1,000th the pain you have gone thru"! He will write an other prescription for therapy as soon as I can find someone in this area. I pray I can find someone who has lots of experience with breast reconstruction pain. As I watched a report last night on Fox, I was praising again the fact that I didn't get hooked on Oxycontin that they were reporting so many people have!!
We left Dr. Baker office to go the Skin Institute of Denver to get my "headlights" on!! That means tattooing the nipples! The disappointment occurred there! 1st. .they found a stitch that should have dissolved or come out and I will now see Dr. Baker to remove it May 18th. It will then have to heal before we can continue. 2nd...during the color and scratch test I didn't bleed!! Not good....you need blood flow to heal! They said I need 6 to 8 weeks to acclimate to the altitude!! Who would have thought that!! I see Dr. Sedlaeck, my oncologist, on May 18th when I go down to see Dr. Baker. In July I will have completed my 1st year of the 5 year medication treatment for my cancer drug....Arimidex. My biggest side effect is those awful hot flashes....but as someone told me.....they had never heard of anyone drying from a hot flash!! Some times I have to wonder about that!! Do you think anger could kill ya when you can't get a nights sleep!!
Well...that's the update here. It's always hard to express to you how much your love, prayers and concerns for me and my family have meant to us this past year. On the 18th of May will be the one year anniversary of the day I learned I had cancer. So much has happened since that day. As difficult as it has been, there have been so many awesome experiences I would never had know if this journey had not happened. The nearness of our loving Heavenly Father holding us... is at the top of the list along with family and friends like you that have prayed us through.
As I'm typing this I have the Gaither's tape playing and they are singing....Because He lives, all fear is gone....as fear gives way to victory... because I know he holds the future, My life if worth the living just because he lives!! I'll see the lights of glory and know He reigns!!
I have not seen the lights of glory yet...so pray He can use my life to serve others, and I can spend the rest of days of my life just giving Him the honor and glory! Our God is truly awesome!
Hug your loved ones often and watch for those "everyday" blessings He's sending your way!!
May God's blessing rain down on you and your precious families each day.
Joyfully His,
Donna
Joyfully His,
Donna
We can trust our loving Savior
To protect from life's alarms;
He's prepared a place of refuge
Safe within His mighty arms. ..Hess
Life's challenges are not designed to break us
but to bend us toward God!
