Pathology is in!

"PROBLEMS ARE PART OF LIFE.  They are inescapable: woven into the very fabric of this fallen world.  You tend to go into problem-solving mode all too readily, acting as if you have the capacity to fix everything.  This is a habitual response, so automatic that it bypasses your conscious thinking.  Not only does this habit frustrate you, it also distances you from Me.  Do not let fixing things be your top priority.  You are ever so limited in your capacity to correct all that is wrong in the world around you.  Don't weigh yourself down with responsibilities that are not your own.  Instead, make your relationship with Me your primary concern.  Talk with Me about whatever is on your mind, seeking My perspective on the situation.  Rather than trying to fix everything that comes to your attention, ask Me to show you what is truly important.  Remember that you are en route to heaven, and let your problems fade in the Light of eternity."  (Jesus Calling)

Yesterday was my marathon day.  I got up at 4am to go head to the airport and fly to AZ for my appointments at CTCA.  Yesterday was to be the day that they checked my incision, gave me the pathology results and my treatment plan, meet with my oncology "team" for all of their recommendations and then I was to fly home.  My time at CTCA was pretty much an exercise in frustration as they forgot to schedule someone from surgery to take a look at my incision (which, thankfully, they were able to rectify) and I never got to meet at all with the dietician and barely got time w/the naturopathic doctor.  But the good news in the midst of all of the frustration is that they got clean margins on my tumor (meaning they got it all) and there is no cancer in my lymph nodes!!  Yay God!  My tumor was about 2.5 cm, which was about what they thought and that puts me in a stage IIa by 1/2 cm.  :-)

The problems for me yesterday were, in part, disorganization related (especially because I had flown into town just for this) but in larger part, they had to do with the proposed treatment plan.  Let me preface this by saying that, at least with cancer, the journey (especially the treatment) is a very personal one.  When someone is diagnosed, each person must research and decide and pray for themselves what they feel God is leading them to.  I know some wonderful, godly people who have felt led down a more "traditional" path and that is good, because they followed what the Lord led THEM to do.  For me, I have felt strongly that God laid a path for me before I even knew I had cancer.  Our problem has come from the fact that it goes against the traditional medical establishment but is very much in line with some amazing genius doctors who have been curing cancer using alternative methods (NOT fringe quacks).   The proposed treatment plan for me is chemo once every 2-3 weeks for a max. of 4 months and then a few weeks of radiation.  For some this may be a no-brainer but since we've felt like God has given me a different path, we've really been wrestling (and researching...Hello, book list!) over what other traditional treatments besides surgery would we do.  The irony once again is how God has given me answers before I even ask them.  He reminded me that morning before I left, in my devotional, to bring everything to Him and let Him show me.  So that is what we are doing.  Please pray for us as we bring this treatment plan to Him and ask for His wisdom and clear direction in what my next step is.  CTCA has given me a lot of mixed messages as to whether or not they will continue to treat me if I don't do EVERYTHING that is suggested so we will cross that bridge when we come to it.  The step in front of us is to determine what God's plan is for me next.

Praise God that He holds it ALL, including the plan!  We continue to praise God for His healing power on my life and cancer and for each of you who has chosen to walk through this with us.  We are so thankful that we don't have to walk this alone.  We love you.