The Coming Week

This will be a busy week. Tuesday holds five medical appointments and / or tests. Beginning at 8:00 a.m. it will be the phlebotomy lab, then chemo education, a B12 injection, then off to another location for an MRI followed by a CT scan without and with contrast ending at 3:00 p.m. Next is Thursday with a visit to hematology oncology and then to the chemo infusion. This begins at 10:00 a.m. and will end at 2:30 p.m. The chemo takes four hours.

Yes, a busy week indeed. I haven’t included a “fun” visit with a friend on Wednesday for lunch. This should prove to be a bit of respite and a break between medical procedures. I’ve packed myself a “busy bag” of things to keep me occupied on Thursday. It includes a journal for recording thoughts, doodles, and to write out prayers. I also have a “grown up” coloring book, color pencils, and word search puzzles. I will also throw in the current book I’m reading on Sabbath Keeping. Now that I’m thinking this through, I will also throw in my calligraphy pens.

I have two friends, actually, Sisters of Circumstance at church who are also facing their own cancer treatments. One is taking oral medications and the other was just changed from a two chemical regime to one chemical. She is doing much better with this treatment. She sang with the group Grace Multiplied Sunday and she looked so well. She was radiant and lovely. It was good to see her, hear her lovely harmony with the songs that were sung and to speak with her and hug on her!

Yes, Sisters of Circumstance. We can share our fears, each others strength, pray for one another and be encouragers. All too soon enough, there will be others who will join our ranks as Sisters of Circumstance. It is my desire to gather wisdom from this journey and then to be able to minister to the next set of sisters.

God knows, there are those who have shared their journey with me of what has and what has not helped. It has been my prayer, my desire that through all of this, God would “make it count” for the sake of eternity.

My sister, “She Who Walks in Prayer” was the epitome faithful endurance in the face of pancreatic cancer. My other sister, “She Who Walks in Grace” continues to be a testament of sustaining faith in her health crisis. So very much has befallen her, not the least of which has been a recent heart attack. She continues to exemplify grace and dignity in each step of her journey.

I am “She Who Walks in Faith” and I pray it is so. May my faith sustain me throughout this journey. May my attitude stay positive, even when I may not feel so. May prayer be always on my mind, upon my lips and in my heart. May praise be my stronghold.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
 Psalm 18:2 (NIV)