Aubrey's Visit

Nothing is Impossible

As I open my heart and eyes more and more to see God working in my life, I am amazed at the unique way that He puts all of the pieces together. From the crazy twisting of events that led my mom to her early detection of lung cancer to the amazing life changes that Brad and I have been through over the past two years on our spiritual walk, God is definitely at work. And last week He gave me the best gift - it was exactly what I needed. In fact, He used a negative situation for someone else to encourage me in a way that I thought was impossible.

Out of the blue, I got a text message from Aubrey that she and Jarrod were on their way into town. How does He do it? I had been quietly sulking for a couple of weeks, wishing that I could somehow spend some time with Aubrey. It is hard to explain through words the kind of friendship that we have. Throughout college we spent practically every waking moment together. But more than that, we seem to have an unspoken understanding. She can finish my sentences for me, we thrive on each other's sarcasm, and we always seem to reconnect like no time is lost even when months go by without seeing each other. She and Jarrod live in Illinois, though, and it seems like we are lucky if we get to see each other once a year. So I sulked, wishing that I could see her, but knowing that it was impossible because of the distance between us.

What I didn't consider was that NOTHING is impossible with God. You see, Aubrey and Jarrod are also being challenged now with some very difficult decisions. In fact, they are struggling with a very similar situation to where Brad and I were a year and a half ago. And so God once again took a negative situation and used it for good. While seeking God's plan for their future, He brought Aubrey and Jarrod to Texas for a couple of days. We were able to spend a few hours together talking, laughing, and catching up. And most importantly we were able to spend time sharing our struggles and praying together. It was a time of healing and of comfort. What an awesome God we serve!

My Mom . . . the Blogger?

I spent a few hours at my mom's house tonight helping her journey farther into the world of technology. Now that she has texting down, it was time to move on to the final frontier . . . blogging.

She has decided to create a blog page where she can share her journey with friends and family. For those of you who are interested, you can check it out at www.mimijoyce.blogspot.com. She hopes to share her thoughts and feelings up to this point along with updates as she undergoes treatment. So, take a look and (if you have time) leave her a post. I know that your support and prayers will be an encouragement to her.

Feelin' The Love

Lily and I have been back at school for a week now. All of our teachers came back on Monday and (finally) the daycare was open again. My school district actually has daycare for teachers, which has been wonderful the past seven years, especially now that both girls and I are finally on the same campus. One stop in the morning is great compared to the years that I had to drop each girl off at a different campus and then fight the high school traffic to get across town to my own school.

Yesterday morning, after I dropped her off and had started working, two of the teachers came walking down the hall toward me laughing. They also have daughters in the preschool class, and had just come in from dropping them off. They said that while they were out there, I made an announcement over the intercom to the teachers. One of them said to Lily, "Hey, Lily, did you hear your mom talking? Isn't that cool that you can hear her while you are at school?" Lily's response . . . she rolled her eyes and said (completely unimpressed with me), "Yea, that was my mom. She talks a lot." Leave it to my precious three-year-old to show me the love!

While Lily and I have been at school, SuperDad (a.k.a Brad) has been picking up Gracie each morning on his way home from work, (He is working midnight to 8:00 right now.) and watching her all day until I get home. The only problem has been that I haven't been home earlier than 8:00 at night all week. (With a new secretary and office receptionist, life has been pretty hectic trying to get ready for the first day of school.) Needless to say, SuperDad is pretty sleepy today.

My mom has an appointment with her oncologist on Monday. After that we should know the treatment plan and when she will begin chemo. Please continue your prayers for her complete healing and recovery. I am confident that God's warriors are fervently lifting her up and that His healing has already begun.

Mixed Emotions

Alright, I am starting to feel like there is some sort of hormone imbalance going on. One minute I feel elated and hopeful for the future, and the next I am looking for an isolated place to fall apart. What a roller coaster!

Just a few hours ago, I posted about the pathology results for my mom. And honestly, at the time, I felt very hopeful. The news was not ideal, but was still extremely relieving. God is truly at work helping us to catch this cancer very early! I felt good . . . relieved . . . in control of my emotions.

My mom called me a little later and told me that the oncologist had already come by her room to talk to her. He recommends that they wait 4-6 weeks to let her body heal from this surgery and then he will start her on 4 months of chemotherapy.

I knew that this was more than likely what he was going to say. I knew that it was necessary for her to undergo treatment. But when the words came out of her mouth, it was like the world slowed down and everything was in slow motion. Chemo . . . . it makes it feel so real. You would think that the diagnosis last week (which I have already admitted did not go over too well for me) and the major surgery a few days later would have made it feel "real" to me. But the thought of her undergoing chemo (being sick . . . losing her hair) for the next several months cut deeply.

And as I sit here now, letting it all sink in, I still don't know how to express how I feel about it. I don't doubt that God will take care of us. He already has. After all, I am surrounded by an obvious chain of events that have led us to this moment in time. I truly feel God's presence - His comfort and His peace. He has answered prayers - not exactly how I had hoped, but He has delivered her from what could have been a much worse situation. And I praise Him and thank Him for all that He has done. And in the next breath I feel lost, sad, and alone. Such a mix of emotions!

I guess that sometimes you just need a good cry, a big margarita, and a blog page to vent through . . . sorry!

The Results Are In

The doctor came in with the pathology results today. The cancer had barely started to spread to one of the nearby lymph nodes. He said that it was also trying to get into a nearby blood vessel, but hadn't made it through yet. So, they were able to catch it before it had spread too much. What a blessing! She will meet with an oncologist next, who will determine how much and what kind of treatment she will require. The lung doctor said that she would most likely need some sort of chemo (at least) because it had spread some. She is still in the hospital, but may get to go home tomorrow or the next day.

Thanks again to all of you for your continued prayers and support!

Short and Sweet

I thought that I ought to give a brief update on my mom. The surgery went well yesterday - no surprises. The doctor removed the lower left lobe of her lung and the surrounding lymph nodes. He said that the pathology results would be in (hopefully) by Tuesday. These tests will determine if the cancer cells have spread outside of the spot on her lung. She is still in CVICU (not sure what the CV stands for), but was sitting up (sort of) in a recliner tonight. She was awake most of the day today and able to enjoy several visitors. Hopefully she will be moved to a room tomorrow if she continues to recover well.

I will keep you posted between hospital visits. Keep up the prayers!