From a One-Star to a Five-Star

Surgeon Visit (if you’re in a hurry just skip ahead to the bold letters)

This blog is to inform all the people who want to keep up on my progress upon this journey.

There are six sections, not always covered in every blog, they are Perspective, Promises, Prayer, People, Praise, and Progress.

So, if you just want just the progress, skip to that.  If you want to see my perspective, or any of the other six things then just jump to that section.  Otherwise, this is a story about our journey.

Prognosis.

Wednesday, I went to my first breast surgeon appointment.  Today was going to be the day that I find out about what kind of treatment would be suggested. Finally, I will get some dates on the calendar and get moving with this breast cancer thing.

Before this day came, I had looked up the surgeon to see some reviews, since he was going to cut me up I wanted to see what kind of doctor people thought he was.  None of my breast cancer friends had heard of him.  To me this wasn’t really a great sign.

To my surprise, he only had one star, one review.

Well, I now was beginning to see why an HMO was cheaper than a PPO. No choices.

The day before, Tuesday, I was going to see if I could switch my HMO to a PPO, then I could pick the great surgeons and plastic surgeons.  Yes, they said I could switch and that it would cost me $500 more a month. 

At first, I thought, well that’s out of the question.  Way too much money.  But after talking with Greg, he said go for it.

I was just was going to my one-star doctor for one-star information.  I really didn’t even want to go. In fact, when I was working Tuesday I asked Carol to save the books and I could finish when I came in on Wednesday.  She told me that I was going to the doctors.  Oh yah, I forgot.

On my way to the doctor’s I got lost and was 15 minutes late.  As a side note. I really believe that the GP’s make you stupid.  Because I went right by the Wildomar sign and kept driving because the GP’s said so.

Fast forward, and I walking down the hallway, thinking this is a loser place. (yes, not a very good attitude)

Sitting in the waiting room, a patient comes out and says, “Well, that didn’t make any sense”.  So, yes, this confirms that I am definitely not having this surgeon.

So, we wait an hour and we finally see this one-star doctor.  He walks in with his scrubs on looking ready for surgery.

He was kind, low key, patient, informative, gentle.  Little by little my one-star doctor was becoming a five-star doctor.

By the end of the visit both Greg and I had peace.

This would be my surgeon. (so much for one-star reviews)

Needless to say, that we are very thankful that we didn’t have to switch and that we wouldn’t have to pay another $500 a month. 

God took care of this for us.

So, the plan now is to get a scan on the rest of my body to check for more cancer, which is next week. Then to do a biopsy on my lymph nodes to see if the cancer has spread.  I am waiting for the authorization for this procedure.  Then start chemo to shrink the tumor.  After that we will talk about surgery.  Surgery would not be until 4-6 chemo treatments, possibly more.  I won’t know the chemo schedule until next Wednesday.

It seems like my life is a constant “next Wednesday”.  But, it’s okay, just another piece of the puzzle that leads to the road that I have to take.

People (my heart is full of thanksgiving)

This week has been one of the most amazing weeks of my life.  My workmates put together a gift basket with all sorts of gift cards. Carol, thanks so much for putting all this together. You are very thoughtful.

So many gift cards for so many needs. My family and I are very humbled by the kindness of so many people.

My Chemo Bag with all sorts of goodies.

Lip gloss, candy, straws (?), Blanket, wipes,

dry shampoo (if I have any hair)          

For the cards, and well wishes.

The books and resources.

Anonymous givers.

For the help with my homework, thanks Jen.

My teachers looking past many assignments, giving me full credit when the assignment was only a quarter done.

Our landlords calling to say don’t worry about rent for the next few months.

For all the hugs and kind words.

The phone calls, the promises, the songs.

The flowers and plants. That are so beautiful.

If you turn on the news its all about hatred and division. 

This past few weeks have shown me that the news is only a small slice of what is really going on.  

There are so many kind and compassionate people out there.  It’s so refreshing.

So, from the bottom of my heart and my family’s heart we truly thank all of you. Thank you for being part of this journey. It really is….Our Journey.

Perspective (Judges 6)

This past week or so God has put on my heart to read the book of Judges, in the Bible.

As I was reading, I had to stop at the story of Gideon.  It’s one of my favorites.

A little background, probably better if you read it yourselves.  But I will try to give a full picture.

The Israelites were in a bad way, they were far from God and the Midianites were terrorizing them.

The Midianites would come into their fields and destroy everything.  An angel appeared to a man named Gideon…

^11-12 One day the angel of God came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, whose son Gideon was threshing wheat in the wine press, out of sight of the Midianites. The angel of God appeared to him and said, “God is with you, O mighty warrior!”

…..Think about it…I’m what?

…..I just see Gideon shaking his head, like what are you talking about?

¹³ Gideon replied, “With me, my master? If God is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracle-wonders our parents and grandparents told us about, telling us, ‘Didn’t God deliver us from Egypt?’ The fact is, God has nothing to do with us—he has turned us over to Midian.”

…..Sometimes we can look at the situation and not realize what God is doing.

…..Gideon summed up God’s involvement by what he saw.  It was a bleak situation…so, how in the world is God with us?...

¹⁴ But God faced him directly: “Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven’t I just sent you?”

…..I love how God isn’t fazed by Gideon and how he perceives the situation …He looks Gideon right in eyes, right in the face and speaks what is true.

…..Gideon still doesn’t hear what God is trying to say. God is patient.

¹⁵ Gideon said to him, “Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan’s the weakest in Manasseh and I’m the runt of the litter.”

…..it doesn’t matter….your status, ….your abilities, …your fears…. When God wants to do something it’s really not anything about who you are.  It’s all about who God is.

…..this has been so true for me.  God has given me joy, strength, faith.  He meets me daily with songs and scriptures.

“If God be for us who can be against us” (Romans 8:31)

¹⁶ God said to him, “I’ll be with you. Believe me, you’ll defeat Midian as one man.”

There’s more to read of this story, read it if you can.  God is not stumped, he knows all about our insecurities.  He’s not discouraged.  My strength is this….That God is with me.