Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Feeling better

Thought I should let you all know that I'm feeling much better this morning. My tendency is to apologize for that rather bleak post last night. But honestly, I needed your prayers. And the comments were so encouraging and uplifting. So thank you.

After I posted I went to bed. That is so unlike me. I slept on and off and when I woke up it was 9 pm and time to take my meds and go to bed. Where I slept great the whole night. I woke up and the bloating was gone. And I pooped (sorry... tmi) but that is a big deal because last round I had major diarrhea and stomach pains and this time the dr had me take Imodium the day before and it really helped. But then I was worried I'd be backed up for days. But it worked like a charm.

I am so thankful that although today I have some exhaustion, I'm not worried about poop or my stomach or lounging around for that matter. It is what it is today and it will pass.

I did want to share an encouraging story from yesterday's chemo. Not to brag on myself but to brag on where the Lord has brought me. Last chemo round I was so riddled with fear I couldn't tell you who else was in the chemo room with me. This round has been so much free-er. I can't even tell you what a world of difference that has made.

We were there about an hour as I was getting all my pre-chemo meds and some hydration. This lady, Cindy walked in. She looked terrible. Just really really sick. Turns out she was there to get hydrated and help because she was in fact really really sick. I felt burdened for Steve and I to pray for her at our chair. I over heard her counts are all very low and she needs a blood transfusion. She had to wait and get it today because she needed something that had to be ordered. Anyhow, over the next hour she got all kinds of drugs, including morphine to help her pain. She looked miserable. I finally heard her tell the nurse something about praying and trusting God. So when I was finally able, I got up and walked over to her and introduced myself. I let her know that I heard her talking about prayer and that I just wanted her to know that I had been praying for her all morning. She started crying. I asked if I could pray for her right there and she said of course. We held hands and prayed and asked God to deliver her from her pain and that her counts would be up in time for her surgery in three weeks (I have no idea what surgery.) We got done and she was crying again.

By the time she left she was stronger and able to walk and even grabbed a candy bar on the way out.

I share that not to say, "Oh look what a good person I am and how other's centered I am." Because believe me, I'm not. I just wanted to thank God that I am not so riddled with fear anymore that I can't look outside of my own situation. There are so many stories going on around us and so many times I'm so self-focused I miss the opportunities. That is one thing I hope cancer is changing about me!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love it E! Now thats what I'm talking about. I love to pray and run...and sometimes I imagine myself "running the race" but more importantly I love to run with weights or back pack w weights because I imagine not only "running the race" but God giving me strength to "carry others" too while I'm runnin :) I know I'm such a cheese ball. Great post! Praise God for using you to bless her day!

jenny from mommin' it up said...

E, I love everything about this post! thanks for keeping it real. thanks for sharing with us how God answers all of our prayers. Thanks for sharing how he can use us at anytime, anywhere.

greg and kara said...

Nice to hear how God is working through you even in a not fun place. Glad you had more peace and glad you pooped even if it is tmi :-)
Praying you have strength today

Meg said...

Hey girl. Just catching up. Am thankful to see God's grace in you. So encouraged. Will continue to pray for you all.

love you
Meg

The Hardy's said...

Great news to hear you are feeling better E!! Love to hear how God is near and continuing to work in your heart!

Sara@www.tablegrace.net said...

This is just the beginning of the gifts, my dear girl:)


So happy for you!

I've had no trouble since Monday. Fatigue is setting in but that is so not a big deal...kinda...I struggle with being ok with needing naps in the middle of the day. Call it a curse of my type A personality!

Continuing to pray for you dear friend.
Love you
Sara

Stacie@HobbitDoor said...

PTL!!! I just love it! So many answered prayers in one day! The Lord totally gets all the glory. I've been reading about Lazarus and how Jesus waited until the end to "show up" so-to-speak so they could see His glory. You've been at your end lately and boy did He show up. We'll keep praying.

P.S. The Lazarus Awakening: Finding Your Place in the Heart of God by Joanna Weaver is AWESOME. It's brought tons of perspective for with all the yucky stuff we went through last year.

Jenn Fasick said...

Elizabeth,
I've never met you, but Scott and I were Steve's first support couple in Ohio. We are praying so much for you guys and I am so blessed by Steve's letters and your posts. You are showing us how to walk through the valley with Jesus by your side in such a real way. It is so beautiful- not perfect, not easy, and not fun, but so beautiful. It is a gift you are letting us in on as God takes you through to the other side of this and shows us we could do it too. I have been doing Beth Moore's Patriarchs study and felt so strongly that this was speaking to your situation I had to write you. She was speaking on Jacob's wrestling with God for his blessing, and stated, "When God allows or even invites us to wrestle with Him, His constant goal is to make us overcomers. Even when God appears to be against us, He is for us. Few things define us more than how we struggle. When we struggle through the crisis with God all the way to the blessing, we are gloriously redefined." I feel like that is your story dear Elizabeth. Thank you for your honesty and showing off God in your life. I just heard a song called Blessings by Laura Story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz9irePc-iI and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ
I think you would identify with it. I am praying for you and your family daily.
Love, Jenn Fasick

Sally G. said...

Oh E,
I am so sorry. I just got an email from my mom that you have cancer. It's been a long time since I went to E. Asia with you and Steve and at that time you only had Olivia who I think was only 18mos old! Your family is lovely and I don't know if I ever got to share with you how pivotal in my spiritual growth that summer in E. Asia was for me. I even wrote about my experiences in my college essays and am currently a freshman at Wheaton College! I am going to be praying for healing for your beautiful body that enables you to bless the world, for you and Steve as you feel the repercussions of the fall manifested in the tragedy of cancer, that your relationship with one another would be deeply and wondrously strengthened, for your sweet children as they struggle and adjust to seeing their superb mother battle cancer, that through your faithfulness in this situation they will see a strong woman that recklessly casts all her anxieties upon God, that their souls will be encouraged when life troubles them in knowing that you honored God well in the midst of great sorrow. Continue to be encouraged and know that you are surrounded by love, both human love and divine.
~Sally Mindrebo

Heather Ruetschle said...

Way to see others in their pain and pray!!!

Barb Farley said...

That's amazing! God used you directly! Love it. Thanks for the word of encouragement to be looking outside our own situations. I am following your blog posts and praying for you!

Lisa Jackson said...

Oh sister this brought tears to my eyes at how great our God is and how He is working in you and through you...its been a blessing to see the Lord transform you through this!!