Friends For The Journey

So much has happened since my last update…In November a door opened for me to go to Mayo Clinic, resulting in a confirmation of my oncologist’s prognosis and resulting chemotherapy. The Mayo doctor recommended an additional 12 weeks/once a week of a different type of chemo to attack the cancer from a different angle, so I completed chemo treatment #2 yesterday and have 10 more to go. The way the oncologist explained it is that the first round of chemo should have killed 99.9% of the cancer cells and the hope is that this new round of chemo will knock out the remaining .1%. I still hold to the knowledge that my life is in God’s hands and stand firm in my faith that God wants to heal me and that He alone knows how long my life will be. After all, each of us is only a heartbeat from eternity.

Joseph made a second trip to Brazil, in December, to finish up his research for his thesis and he has begun the process of writing it now. He defends his thesis proposal February 1st at FIU and should complete the actual writing of the thesis in May, and graduate in July with his Master’s degree. He has applied for the PhD program and is awaiting word on acceptance. After seeing all of the work he is putting into this I have decided that I am happy to be a supportive wife, mother and grandmother, period.

December 12th, during a walk around the neighborhood with my mom, I rounded a corner and a huge Pit Bull lunged at me over a 7ft wooden fence. He did not bite me or get over the fence (thank God!) but he got so close to me that I blacked out and hit the ground without breaking my fall. The result was not pretty. My mom said I was face down in the dirt. She rolled me over to find my face swollen and bleeding and it wasn’t until 911 came that we realized I had damaged my ribs, my whole right arm and my knees. I am grateful to report that the x-rays revealed no broken bones (the oncologist said it was a miracle because chemo makes the bones brittle), but it has taken several weeks to recover. I am only recently regaining the use of my hand/arm through physical therapy and pure grit. The bruises have faded and I only have two small knots on my cheek bone and chin where I hit the ground and I can now open my mouth without it locking on me.

Again, I ask you to keep me in your prayers as we walk though this difficult season. The fall actually took more out of me than the chemo in some ways. I found myself questioning the Lord again and wanting to give up. I told Him it was just too hard. Even my family was concerned because I had lost my “fight” for a time. But, He continued to encourage me through the pain each morning as I met with Him and gave me scriptures, such as Psalm 118:17-18, “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done. The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.” I am happy to say that I am on the other side of that incident now…I just had to get my eyes back on the Lord and remember His faithfulness through difficult times in the past. I am reading a wonderful book titled “The Hawk and The Dove” about an Abbot in a Monastery during the 1600’s. At one point he says, “I gazed at the crucified Christ, the bowed head, the hands splayed back against the cross, pinned with great, cruel nails, and shuddered. ‘My God, what a price! Follow you? The thought makes me sick. Lead me, then, lead me. I haven’t got what it takes to walk that path on my own.’” And that is my cry…Lead me, I haven’t got what it takes…

So, I continue…taking each day as it comes, thanking God for life each morning, enjoying my children and grandchildren as often as possible and enjoying the simple things in life, such as sitting with my beloved Joseph in the morning sipping our tea/coffee and thanking God together for such a wonderful life, and continuing to share the love of God with those around us.

Grateful for your friendship,
Debbie