Living with cancer is like riding a roller coaster. You start by strapping yourself in for what will probably be the ride of your lifetime. You think you know what is up ahead when suddenly you are upside down...but you are still moving forward. You adapt...you learn to move your body to the right or to the left as the ride dictates and you grab hold tight when you anticipate a sudden drop in the direction of the car. And you find yourself looking forward to the straightway that will signal the end of the ride.
Some riders may even exit the ride saying, "That was fun! Let's do it again!". (OK, this is where cancer and roller coaster riding is NOT alike. I am sure no cancer survivor would ever say they wanted to do it again!) But what is it that makes the rider trust the ride? Why do we believe the roller coaster will hold up and not crater at the first turn? The foundation. It has to have a strong foundation. And that is exactly why living with cancer and riding a roller coaster are so much alike. You have to have faith. You have to believe in the creator and be confident that he knew ahead of the ride's completion all the twist and turns it would be making and trusting that the creator would give the rider all he would need to make this ride of his life end successfully.
Yep, my faith...my trust in God is what has made this ride so much more enjoyable. And I do mean enjoyable...because I have felt His peace every single day of these last four and one half years. It is hard to fear when you know that God has chosen this for you. The day before my initial surgery, I felt like God was sitting beside me in church and He said to me "I love you. You are my child. This cancer is from me. I want this for you." I knew then that He had and would continue to equip me for battle and that He would never leave me. I knew that I could hold on tight to the Lord God Almighty and that He would not let me go. And I know that there is a purpose in this cancer. And that something good will come from it. I just have to put one foot in front of the other and continue to walk in faith and continue to serve the Lord in what He has called me to do. So I have strapped myself in and I am holding on tight.
The news from MD Anderson this week was not good. The chemotherapy is no longer working. The cancer has outsmarted the drug. We will have to change strategies.
Bruce and I will meet with a new group of doctors at MD Anderson on Tuesday. The doctors of the Clinical Care for Targeted Therapy will educate us to any new drug therapies that are being researched at MD Anderson that might be beneficial in treating this cancer. That is option one. We will see Dr. Bevers again on Thursday to discuss if I want to remain on the standard treatment of care with a second line drug. (Think of it as retiring the A team and going with the B team.) That is the second option.
I believe that God has gathered all of you to be my/our support during this time and I thank you for your prayers and encouragement. Please continue to pray for us...
that God would lead us to the decision He would have us make regarding treatment.
that He will help us learn all He has for us in this next phase.
Love you all,
Dee Dee
Please pray for wisdom.
Please pray that Jesus will help me learn all He has for me in this next phase.
Please pray that each morning He will put a song on my heart. that I will spend the day singing His praises and glorifying Him in all I do.
Love you all,
Dee Dee
Some riders may even exit the ride saying, "That was fun! Let's do it again!". (OK, this is where cancer and roller coaster riding is NOT alike. I am sure no cancer survivor would ever say they wanted to do it again!) But what is it that makes the rider trust the ride? Why do we believe the roller coaster will hold up and not crater at the first turn? The foundation. It has to have a strong foundation. And that is exactly why living with cancer and riding a roller coaster are so much alike. You have to have faith. You have to believe in the creator and be confident that he knew ahead of the ride's completion all the twist and turns it would be making and trusting that the creator would give the rider all he would need to make this ride of his life end successfully.
Yep, my faith...my trust in God is what has made this ride so much more enjoyable. And I do mean enjoyable...because I have felt His peace every single day of these last four and one half years. It is hard to fear when you know that God has chosen this for you. The day before my initial surgery, I felt like God was sitting beside me in church and He said to me "I love you. You are my child. This cancer is from me. I want this for you." I knew then that He had and would continue to equip me for battle and that He would never leave me. I knew that I could hold on tight to the Lord God Almighty and that He would not let me go. And I know that there is a purpose in this cancer. And that something good will come from it. I just have to put one foot in front of the other and continue to walk in faith and continue to serve the Lord in what He has called me to do. So I have strapped myself in and I am holding on tight.
The news from MD Anderson this week was not good. The chemotherapy is no longer working. The cancer has outsmarted the drug. We will have to change strategies.
Bruce and I will meet with a new group of doctors at MD Anderson on Tuesday. The doctors of the Clinical Care for Targeted Therapy will educate us to any new drug therapies that are being researched at MD Anderson that might be beneficial in treating this cancer. That is option one. We will see Dr. Bevers again on Thursday to discuss if I want to remain on the standard treatment of care with a second line drug. (Think of it as retiring the A team and going with the B team.) That is the second option.
I believe that God has gathered all of you to be my/our support during this time and I thank you for your prayers and encouragement. Please continue to pray for us...
that God would lead us to the decision He would have us make regarding treatment.
that He will help us learn all He has for us in this next phase.
Love you all,
Dee Dee
Please pray for wisdom.
Please pray that Jesus will help me learn all He has for me in this next phase.
Please pray that each morning He will put a song on my heart. that I will spend the day singing His praises and glorifying Him in all I do.
Love you all,
Dee Dee
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