2/28/08
Psalm 106:1. "Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!"
There are never enough words to praise the Lord. How can we ever understand his love for us? When we cry out, he is there. Even when we do not have the words, he prays for us. David certainly understood this, and the Psalms are there for our comfort because we have someone who has gone through so much and recorded his prayers to the Lord. The Psalms are my source of comfort.
I have a doctors appointment today. I am looking forward to finding out my tumor level. I will let you know. I have chemo tomorrow. I feel so good, it is amazing to me that I am going thru Chemo and feel so good. Praise God!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Psalm 127:2
2/25/08
Psalm 1272. "It is vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep."
My infusion well well on Friday. It is amazing to me that my chemo is not causing me ill health. I feel comfortable the entire time I am there,and it has always taken at least 4 hours. I have had no nausia, and I asked if Benedryl would help me sleep at night, and I was told to take some...and I slept just fine, thank you very much!!! I also asked for some type of medication for my rash/acne and filled the perscription on Saturday. It is almost healed.
I have so much to be thankful for. God is so good to me. He answers all my prayers and gives me increadible peace. Thank you for your prayers, they lift me up, I know you are praying for me and I hope that each of you have prayer support as well. All you have to do is ask.
Psalm 1272. "It is vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep."
My infusion well well on Friday. It is amazing to me that my chemo is not causing me ill health. I feel comfortable the entire time I am there,and it has always taken at least 4 hours. I have had no nausia, and I asked if Benedryl would help me sleep at night, and I was told to take some...and I slept just fine, thank you very much!!! I also asked for some type of medication for my rash/acne and filled the perscription on Saturday. It is almost healed.
I have so much to be thankful for. God is so good to me. He answers all my prayers and gives me increadible peace. Thank you for your prayers, they lift me up, I know you are praying for me and I hope that each of you have prayer support as well. All you have to do is ask.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Romans 12:12
2/21/08
Romans 12:12. "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
I admit that I am not constant in prayer. I let my day to day activities get in the way of doing what I know that I should do. I talk to God daily, but I do not always pray as I should. This is why I need the prayers of others. I do not want to take for granted my circumstances or become accustomed to my situation.
I will have chemo tomorrow. I ask that it go well and that I do not have any side effects. I have noticed that I cannot sleep the first night after chemo, and I need to rest. My rash is getting out of hand, so I hope I can get relief with some type of medication.
Romans 12:12. "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
I admit that I am not constant in prayer. I let my day to day activities get in the way of doing what I know that I should do. I talk to God daily, but I do not always pray as I should. This is why I need the prayers of others. I do not want to take for granted my circumstances or become accustomed to my situation.
I will have chemo tomorrow. I ask that it go well and that I do not have any side effects. I have noticed that I cannot sleep the first night after chemo, and I need to rest. My rash is getting out of hand, so I hope I can get relief with some type of medication.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Psalm 9:1-2
2/19/08
Psalm 9:1-2. "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."
I had a wonderful few days off. No chemo...no Mayo clinic...no doctors appointments. Health is something we take for granted until we have issues. I thank God for the wonderful health he has given me all my life. God uses all things, especially the hard things in our life so that we can comfort others going through the same thing. This is what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflication, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
What a great thing God does...he uses all our hurts, but we must be willing to share with others how he lifted us up in our darkest of times.
I have been reminded of this by many of you who have commented to me personally about my blog, and I give God all the credit for using my life experiences to speak to you. We do not need to have cancer to have these bible verses speak to our soul. I would love to hear from you. Please take the time to make comments. You may just bless the next reader in a way that will encourage them through a difficult time, and I know it will encourage me. Thank you for your prayers.
Psalm 9:1-2. "I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."
I had a wonderful few days off. No chemo...no Mayo clinic...no doctors appointments. Health is something we take for granted until we have issues. I thank God for the wonderful health he has given me all my life. God uses all things, especially the hard things in our life so that we can comfort others going through the same thing. This is what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our afflication, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
What a great thing God does...he uses all our hurts, but we must be willing to share with others how he lifted us up in our darkest of times.
I have been reminded of this by many of you who have commented to me personally about my blog, and I give God all the credit for using my life experiences to speak to you. We do not need to have cancer to have these bible verses speak to our soul. I would love to hear from you. Please take the time to make comments. You may just bless the next reader in a way that will encourage them through a difficult time, and I know it will encourage me. Thank you for your prayers.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Proverbs 3:5-6
2/15/08
Proverbs 3:5-6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on you own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths".
How many times in life do I think I know what is best for me, and then find out something totally different? The answer is obvious..... all the time. I have been saying that my prayer is that the tumor will totally shrink so that surgery is not necessary. I have found out that this may not be the best option for me. I had an appointment with the radiologist yesterday to discuss my treatment. He showed me the cat scan with the area of concern, and explained the process of radiation and surgery. He said that Mayo approaches cancer more agressively than most hospitals. They start with chemo, then radiation, then surgery combined with direct radiation to the area. After chemo, then I will have daily radiation for 5 weeks, then surgery about 3 weeks later. He said that this is the treatment no manner if the tumor completely shrinks or not. It is best if it shrinks, but it appears that my surgery last year left a cell or cells that grew in the same area. This form of treatment will do all possible to erase cancer from my body. I have a long road ahead of me but as Proverbs 3:6 says, "he will make straight your paths."
Proverbs 3:5-6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on you own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths".
How many times in life do I think I know what is best for me, and then find out something totally different? The answer is obvious..... all the time. I have been saying that my prayer is that the tumor will totally shrink so that surgery is not necessary. I have found out that this may not be the best option for me. I had an appointment with the radiologist yesterday to discuss my treatment. He showed me the cat scan with the area of concern, and explained the process of radiation and surgery. He said that Mayo approaches cancer more agressively than most hospitals. They start with chemo, then radiation, then surgery combined with direct radiation to the area. After chemo, then I will have daily radiation for 5 weeks, then surgery about 3 weeks later. He said that this is the treatment no manner if the tumor completely shrinks or not. It is best if it shrinks, but it appears that my surgery last year left a cell or cells that grew in the same area. This form of treatment will do all possible to erase cancer from my body. I have a long road ahead of me but as Proverbs 3:6 says, "he will make straight your paths."
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Psalm 100:1-2
2/14/08
Psalm 100:1-2. "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!"
I feel like singing today. I was told yesterday that I will be skipping my infusions tomorrow. My doctor is concernced about the stomach cramps that I have had the last few days and she does not want to complicate the situation. She told me last week that I would skip this week, then added the infusion for the tumor. I am glad that I will have the weekend plus a vacation day that I have planned for Monday.
Today is Valentines Day and another reason to celebrate God's love. I know that I will never comprehend how much he loves me, but his word says so,and he does not lie.
Psalm 100:1-2. "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!"
I feel like singing today. I was told yesterday that I will be skipping my infusions tomorrow. My doctor is concernced about the stomach cramps that I have had the last few days and she does not want to complicate the situation. She told me last week that I would skip this week, then added the infusion for the tumor. I am glad that I will have the weekend plus a vacation day that I have planned for Monday.
Today is Valentines Day and another reason to celebrate God's love. I know that I will never comprehend how much he loves me, but his word says so,and he does not lie.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Psalm 103:1-5
2/13/08
Psalm 103:1-5. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all you iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."
I had an appointment with a cardiologist yesterday at Mayo. He reviewed my health record for the past year and the results of my recent echo. He said that my heart has returned to normal capacity, which is very good, but he cannot explain why I still have some fluid around the heart. He ordered some blood tests and will ask Dr Parapati to also focus on the heart when I have my next cat scan. I will have a follow-up visit in a few months with him.
I have been a bit uncomfortable the past few days with stomach cramps, and shall I admit it, diarrhea. It is definately the chemo doing it's wicked thing. I let the doctor know and they are watching my blood levels which can tell them is something is really wrong. I also have trouble sleeping, which is unusual for me. My rash/acne is coming along just fine. My nose is beginning to look like a tulip bulb. I may regret saying that I welcome the rash even though it is an indicator that the tumor infusion is working.
Psalm 103:1-5. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all you iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."
I had an appointment with a cardiologist yesterday at Mayo. He reviewed my health record for the past year and the results of my recent echo. He said that my heart has returned to normal capacity, which is very good, but he cannot explain why I still have some fluid around the heart. He ordered some blood tests and will ask Dr Parapati to also focus on the heart when I have my next cat scan. I will have a follow-up visit in a few months with him.
I have been a bit uncomfortable the past few days with stomach cramps, and shall I admit it, diarrhea. It is definately the chemo doing it's wicked thing. I let the doctor know and they are watching my blood levels which can tell them is something is really wrong. I also have trouble sleeping, which is unusual for me. My rash/acne is coming along just fine. My nose is beginning to look like a tulip bulb. I may regret saying that I welcome the rash even though it is an indicator that the tumor infusion is working.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Psalm 146:1-2
2/11/08
Psalm 146:1-2. "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being."
I am thankful for so many things. The Lord is my helper and he lifts my head when I am down. I cannot forget to praise him in the mist of my current situation. He enables me to look beyond my circumstances to the prefect end that he has already set in motion for me. It is real and exists in the future for me by my God who hears my prayers.
There is a perfect example of praise in Luke 17:11-19. Jesus was on his way to Jersalem, and as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers and they all cried out to him for mercy. When he saw them, he said that they should go and show themselves to the priests...and a miracle occured...and it is recorded in this passage, "and as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Then Jesus answered, were there not ten cleansed?Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? And he said to him, Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."
This man turned back to give praise, he was the only one. We can all learn from this. When we see God's hand in our life, we need to show our thanks. I for one do not want to be seen as one of the nine that took God's healing for granted.
Thank you, Lord, for healing me!
Psalm 146:1-2. "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being."
I am thankful for so many things. The Lord is my helper and he lifts my head when I am down. I cannot forget to praise him in the mist of my current situation. He enables me to look beyond my circumstances to the prefect end that he has already set in motion for me. It is real and exists in the future for me by my God who hears my prayers.
There is a perfect example of praise in Luke 17:11-19. Jesus was on his way to Jersalem, and as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers and they all cried out to him for mercy. When he saw them, he said that they should go and show themselves to the priests...and a miracle occured...and it is recorded in this passage, "and as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Then Jesus answered, were there not ten cleansed?Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? And he said to him, Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well."
This man turned back to give praise, he was the only one. We can all learn from this. When we see God's hand in our life, we need to show our thanks. I for one do not want to be seen as one of the nine that took God's healing for granted.
Thank you, Lord, for healing me!
Friday, February 8, 2008
Phil 4:13
2/8/08
Phil 4:13. "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
Dr. Parapati and I were talking yesterday about my progress. She was very encouraged by my INR level ( I think I have that right) This is a blood test that measures the level of tumor activity in the body. She said that I am "trending down" from 8.8 to 5.5. (Thank you, Lord, for healing me). I have chemo today but will skip next week and then resume for 3 more weeks on Feb 22. A cat scan will be repeated the week of March 19th. It is not sure now if I will need to repeat this 7 week session of 3 weeks, 1 off, 3 weeks on.
Anyway, when she gave me my results, I said to her, "Dr Parapati, I have so many people praying for me, I know this has made a huge difference." She said that believing in a higher power has been known to help many people, and she has seen this in her practice many times. I told her that when I have chemo, I am relaxed and take a nap and just don't worry about what is going on. She had a slight look of amazement on her face. She must see so much fear and panic that my attitude is different. I hope that I have many opportunities to share my faith with her.
She also reconfirmed that the rash on my face is good!!!
Phil 4:13. "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
Dr. Parapati and I were talking yesterday about my progress. She was very encouraged by my INR level ( I think I have that right) This is a blood test that measures the level of tumor activity in the body. She said that I am "trending down" from 8.8 to 5.5. (Thank you, Lord, for healing me). I have chemo today but will skip next week and then resume for 3 more weeks on Feb 22. A cat scan will be repeated the week of March 19th. It is not sure now if I will need to repeat this 7 week session of 3 weeks, 1 off, 3 weeks on.
Anyway, when she gave me my results, I said to her, "Dr Parapati, I have so many people praying for me, I know this has made a huge difference." She said that believing in a higher power has been known to help many people, and she has seen this in her practice many times. I told her that when I have chemo, I am relaxed and take a nap and just don't worry about what is going on. She had a slight look of amazement on her face. She must see so much fear and panic that my attitude is different. I hope that I have many opportunities to share my faith with her.
She also reconfirmed that the rash on my face is good!!!
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Psalm 121
2/7/08
Psalm 121. "I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, not the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going in and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore."
I have always loved Psalm 121. My help comes from the Lord who is the maker of all things. He keeps me and watches over me every minute. He asks me to trust him. How could I not?
I had the appointment with the surgeon on Tuesday. He spoke with Dr Fitch in oncology and they agreed that after a few rounds of chemo, my scan would be repeated. I have another appointment with my oncology doctor today and I should know more about how long they intend to have me on chemo.
Good news..maybe....I have been told that the chemo drip that attacks the tumor can cause a rash on the face and some say this is the a good indicator that it is working. I'll ask the nurse when I go in for treatment tomorrow.
Thank you for your prayers. I feel good but need a daily nap. I need to excerise but can't seem to get beyond being tired. I am becoming aware of all the healthful changes I can make that can make a big difference in my life.
Psalm 121. "I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, not the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going in and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore."
I have always loved Psalm 121. My help comes from the Lord who is the maker of all things. He keeps me and watches over me every minute. He asks me to trust him. How could I not?
I had the appointment with the surgeon on Tuesday. He spoke with Dr Fitch in oncology and they agreed that after a few rounds of chemo, my scan would be repeated. I have another appointment with my oncology doctor today and I should know more about how long they intend to have me on chemo.
Good news..maybe....I have been told that the chemo drip that attacks the tumor can cause a rash on the face and some say this is the a good indicator that it is working. I'll ask the nurse when I go in for treatment tomorrow.
Thank you for your prayers. I feel good but need a daily nap. I need to excerise but can't seem to get beyond being tired. I am becoming aware of all the healthful changes I can make that can make a big difference in my life.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Psalm 119:105
2/5/08
Psalm 119:105. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path".
I have an appointment today to see a surgeon for consultation for possible surgery. My prayer is that surgery is not necessary. Please pray that the tumor will completly go away and that only radation will be necessary. I trust the Lord in all things, but I love Matthew 7:7-8 which says, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened ."
Psalm 119:105. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path".
I have an appointment today to see a surgeon for consultation for possible surgery. My prayer is that surgery is not necessary. Please pray that the tumor will completly go away and that only radation will be necessary. I trust the Lord in all things, but I love Matthew 7:7-8 which says, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened ."
Monday, February 4, 2008
Hebrews 11:1, 11:6
2/4/08
Hebrews 11:1, 11:6. verse 1. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. verse 6. "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."
This is one of my favorite verses. When I am unsure of my cirmstances or need comfort, God reminds me to dig deeper and know that he has given me faith to see the unseen, to trust that my prayers are heard and that he loves me more than I will ever know.
The infusion on Friday went well. My blood tests were good and the doctor gave the approval for the infusion. The nurses at Mayo are wonderful and the experience has been positive. It is very relaxing and the Benedryl that is given before the first chemo for any side effects makes me sleepy and I have been taking a nap for at least 2 hours or more. The time goes by quickly. I felt as good as possible this weekend, just a slight diziness, no nausia, but I did have touble sleeping. All in all, not a bad weekend.
Hebrews 11:1, 11:6. verse 1. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. verse 6. "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."
This is one of my favorite verses. When I am unsure of my cirmstances or need comfort, God reminds me to dig deeper and know that he has given me faith to see the unseen, to trust that my prayers are heard and that he loves me more than I will ever know.
The infusion on Friday went well. My blood tests were good and the doctor gave the approval for the infusion. The nurses at Mayo are wonderful and the experience has been positive. It is very relaxing and the Benedryl that is given before the first chemo for any side effects makes me sleepy and I have been taking a nap for at least 2 hours or more. The time goes by quickly. I felt as good as possible this weekend, just a slight diziness, no nausia, but I did have touble sleeping. All in all, not a bad weekend.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Isaiah 41:10
2/1/08
Isaiah 41:10. "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I wil strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
What a comfort this verse is to me, that the Lord God says he is with me, and do not fear. That means do not fear anything. Period. I just wanted to say how much better I feel today. It has been 3 days since I took the last dose of Zeloda, and it must be out of my system because I feel really good. I go for my second infusion today. I will have a blood draw before they start it just to make sure I am doing fine, a blood test will tell if my white blood cells are up.
Thank you as always for your support.
Isaiah 41:10. "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I wil strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
What a comfort this verse is to me, that the Lord God says he is with me, and do not fear. That means do not fear anything. Period. I just wanted to say how much better I feel today. It has been 3 days since I took the last dose of Zeloda, and it must be out of my system because I feel really good. I go for my second infusion today. I will have a blood draw before they start it just to make sure I am doing fine, a blood test will tell if my white blood cells are up.
Thank you as always for your support.
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