Need Clarification

Since my last post about my chest X-ray, I received a copy of the report. Oh dear! My analytical mind began to go through each line and word.

I'm a bit baffled by the report. The indication for the test says 'chest pain and shortness of breath.' The final impression says 'no active cardiopulmonary disease.' Of course, I'm very happy to know that there's nothing wrong with my lungs. But chest pain and rib pain are two different things.

Here's my concern. What about the specific areas of rib pain? Only three words were mentioned about my bones in the findings section....'bones appear normal.' That is only slightly comforting to me. I want to know that the radiologist took a good look....a really good look....at those three areas of pain that I have.

From a distance a lot of things 'appear' normal. Even me. But a close look can be quite revealing. :)

So, at the encouragement of my Physical Therapist (wonderful lady!!), I've sent an email to my physiatrist asking for the chest x-ray to be re-read OR for a new x-ray. I've also asked for a more detailed test to rule out any spread of breast cancer. Before we start down the path of 'fixing' my pain, I really need to know what the source of pain is.

Being a pushy, self-advocate isn't what I signed up for, but apparently, it's what I've got to do. So, I appreciate your continued prayers about this, and will update you with what I find out.

Thank you, Barbara, my P.T., for being my voice of reason.

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Every prudent man acts out of knowledge....Proverbs 13:16a

Good News

Just wanted to update that my x-ray was normal!!! My ribs and my lungs looked good. Thank you to so many who have prayed with me and for me during these past two days.

It is amazing how many emotions one goes through in the waiting. Thank you, HoneySean, for helping me keep my thoughts captive AND for reminding me that no matter what, our hope is secure. It is an anchor, even when the waves of life feel like they are crashing all around us.

Thank you, Jesus.

No Matter What!

Recently, I've been wondering what the purpose of this blog is and I've come to the conclusion that what it all comes down to is hope and trust. Breast cancer and its treatments are difficult to walk through no matter who you are. But breast cancer isn't the only difficult thing to walk through. So if in some way, big or small, I can encourage someone out there who is walking through a difficult time, big or small, then I've accomplished the purpose of this blog.

Hope is something that every person needs. Of course, my hope is not in my doctors, or my treatments, or the people whom I love and cherish. My hope is in Jesus Christ. My hope tells me that no matter what may come, no matter what I may face, that He will never leave me.

What good is that? It's not just good. It is powerful. It is life changing. It is EVERYTHING!!!

Trust is something that only God can do 100% of the time. Trustworthiness. I trust a lot of people, but even so, those people will let me down from time to time. Not intentionally, of course, but by the sheer fact that they are imperfect human vessels, they will fail me now and then. (Just as I will fail them now and then). But God is 100% trustworthy. His Word provides a list of promises that He will keep, no matter what.

What good is that? It's not just good. It is powerful. It is life changing. It is EVERYTHING!!!!

So, today, I write this blog to encourage myself. To remind myself where my hope rests and to whom I can place my trust.

I had a chest X-ray on Wednesday, and have yet to get the results. I've had some chronic pain in three areas of my right rib cage and I've been experiencing a decline in my pulmonary function (which basically means, I'm getting short of breath with some basic tasks). It could be a number of reasons, and most have nothing to do with breast cancer.

But I wait, I hope, I trust. No matter what.

Personal Responsibility

Last week Sean gave my oldest two sons a writing assignment: write down, neatly and without spelling errors, twenty things that you can do to demonstrate personal responsibility. They took the assignment with much enthusiasm.

What a great idea! I was impressed. What I hadn't expected was that our third son, Parker, would be just as excited about it.

"Can I do one, too?" he asked me. Well, I wasn't going to rain on his parade! I also didn't want to interfere with his creative ideas, or overwhelm him with too big of a project.

"Alright, Parker, why don't you write down ten things? You don't have to worry about spelling, just put the words down the way they sound to you."

So here it is.....Ten Things Parker Can Do to Demonstrate Personal Responsibility:

1 U shoold be vere nis to uthrs.
2 Oba yor muthr and Fothr.
3 Oba The bibol
4 God Es Vere nis to us.
5 U shoold be nis to the speret.
6 U shoold not stel Dimens or uthr thes.
7 Brush yor teth.
8 Mak yor BeD.
9 Get Drest.
10 Klen yor room.

Some may look at this list and cringe at the spelling abilities of my 7 year old. That's okay. I was impressed that he got sixteen words right and that he punctuated each sentence. More than that, I was impressed that the first 5 things dealt with relationships. That wasn't really what daddy was referring to when he gave the assignment. Parker always has, and always will be, my 'out of the box' kind of thinker and doer.

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One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love, your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:28-31