The Word of the Month: Friendlypraiseworthycomposurehallelujah!
July 31, 2020
I couldn’t choose just one measly word to describe this month, so I made up a humdingerdeedoodly one. Yes, you read that correctly. Humdingerdeedoodly.
Here’s the short version of the backstory. I had been having some female issues for awhile and had them checked out. In November, my little parts were declared perfect! All I needed was a little estrogen. Six months later, KABLAMAROONEY! Big issues! (Lesson number #1: Don’t use any hormone therapy in any form, especially if you have a family history of cancer, even when it’s not supposed to go “systemic”.) I needed a complete hysterectomy, including some lymph nodes. The surgery, was performed laparoscopically (praise Jesus) on July 14th and a few days later I learned that I had endometrial cancer and would need radiation therapy, which sounded quite horrible from what I read on the internet. (Lesson #2: Don’t search out medical therapy information on the internet before finding out details from the doctor who has recommended it.)
As soon as I learned that I needed a hysterectomy I began telling my friends and family and asking for prayer. When I learned that it was cancer, I passed on that information and asked for continued prayers. Here’s the deal. I am not normally a calm, serene, never-a-nervous-moment type of person. That would by my husband. I’m basically a crazo. I’ve grown a lot over the years and become better at talking myself down from the cliff with Bible verses and Jesus holding me by the scruff of the neck. It is completely weird for me to be calm in the face of anything the slightest bit out of my comfort zone, no matter how I try. The last six weeks have been a holy revelation to me of the power of prayer and friendship in the body of Christ! Not that I didn’t believe in prayer before, but this was a deep, personal experience of God’s love and power washing over me from all my wonderful friends and family that I FELT all over me. I didn’t lose sleep, I didn’t get sick to my stomach with anxiety, I didn’t even feel sorry for myself. I was content, calm, NOT NORMAL DEBBIE, through it all. That’s a full out MIRACLE! (Lesson #3: Prayers are powerful!!)
Ever since I was a little girl I had been hearing news of another family member with cancer. Nearly everyone on my mother’s side has had some kind of cancer and most have died from it, so my diagnosis was more of a “I knew this was coming” kind of thing. One very wise friend, who also has a family history of cancer, spoke my the next lesson into my life. (Lesson #4: My family history is not my destiny. Jesus is my destiny!)
Yesterday I met with the Radiation Oncology doctor. He was kind and went through all the reasons why I need this next therapy to reduce the risk of recurrence from 15% to 2%. The best part is this is a specialized type of radiation therapy that takes only five sessions over the course of two weeks. Each session lasts about five minutes and will cause little or no side effects, as opposed to the radiation therapy I read about on the internet. (Lesson #5: God is Crazy Good and Worthy of all our Praise, no matter what we are going through and no matter how it all turns out, because in the end, He Is Our Rock and Our Salvation! Jesus is our Destiny!!)
Feel free to do a little dance for me! I will refrain until my body gets a tad more used to jiggling around without those poor little missing parts.
