Nine is fine

The countdown continues and my condition remains the same - a little worn out but feeling fine. My skin is protesting the rough treatments it's been receiving more anre more every day so it will be good to have a weekend break. Thanks be to God for his love and faithfulness and to my family and friends for their continued prayers.

10 to the 10th

Not 10 billion (10 ¹⁰⁾ , but the number of treatments remaining between now and May 10th - the date I finish up.

Only 11 treatments left

No change - still feeling fine. Wish I were sleeping better.

12 more

...7 of which will be standard treatments. The remaining 5 will be 'booster shots' directed at the site of the lumpectomy. Still feeling fine. Skin is bothering a bit more every day but still not too troublesome.

13 to go

13 more treatments and then I'm done; skin looks badly sunburned and itches some but no pain; feeling fine.

Count down

14 treatments to go; feeling fine

Halfway done

Yesterday, I received my 17th treatment of 33 which means I am halfway done. Praise God! And praise God that I'm not troubled by any side effects. My skin gets a little pinker every day but that's about it.

Prayer quilt pictures

My main support team

Cancer buddies - Aunt Joyce & me

Carrying one another's burden

I have found this blog to be a good outlet for me, helping me to face up to my breast cancer diagnosis and providing a way to share my story with people who care about me.

But it has been troubling, too, in that it is so me-centered - all about me and what I think and what I'm doing and how I'm doing and on and on.

I'd like to change the focus today by asking for prayer for two people who are facing much harder battles than mine.

First, my Aunt Joyce. Aunt Joyce is a tough, funny and very gracious lady who is fighting ovarian cancer for the second time, while continuning to care for Uncle Bob who is an invalid. She is undergoing chemo and is finding it hard to give the care needed. Pray that she would continue to be strong and of good courage.

Second, a man I work with named Mark Masterson. His son Conor was killed in Afghanistan. Here is a link to an article containing more information:

http://www.twincities.com/minnesota/ci_5628215

Mark is a very loving father and a kind and considerate co-worker. My heart is just aching for him. Pray that he would sense God's presence and find peace as he faces this terrible loss.

Thank you, dear blog readers. My family and I are continuallyblessed by your prayers.

Easter

On this Resurrection Day, with a heightened awareness of the vulnerable shell that houses my immortal soul, my outlook is best summed up in the words of the Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 1 (emphasis mine):

Q. What is your only comfort
in life and in death?

A. That I am not my own,
but belong—
body and soul,
in life and in death—
to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven:
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him,
Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for him.

Prayer quilt

Three well-known angels (Cindy, Dee and Rachel) got together recently to make me a prayer quilt. Tuesday night, two of them stopped by to give it to me. I had no idea what they were up to and I've seldom been so surprised and so moved.

It's a beautiful quilt pieced of bold floral patterns interspersed with reassuring verses about God's love. On the back, many friends from our church (Baldwin Christian Reformed) and the church Dan grew up in (Gethsemane Lutheran) have added their kind words and prayers.

I hope to post a picture of my beautiful prayer quilt here soon.