One year ago today I had a surgery that changed my life forever. Has it been easy, nope. But SO good and I will never be the same. We take for granted our health. I have always taken care of my body to the best of my ability. On July 27, 2023 I went into surgery knowing that I had a mass by my left ovary/fallopian tube. They tested it when I was under and discovered it was cancerous. Going into surgery I had to sign that if it was, they would remove my ovaries/fallopian tubes and uterus. So that is what I awoke to…plus 21 lymph nodes. A few days later the pathology report determined it was stage 2 high grade serous ovarian cancer. I chose to work on many things naturally over the last year (too many things to write out). They wanted me to do chemo, it just isn’t right for me. Everyone has their own choices they have to make and you NEVER know until you go through something yourself. I unfortunately have had some stressors that I couldn’t avoid. I believe cancer had a HUGE emotional component. Starting in May the “numbers” they track started increasing. In late June I noted pressure in my lower abdomen. Then I had a ct scan on July 9th and they found many (they say “innumerable”, but the Lord knows!) tumors in my peritoneal cavity. Ovarian cancer often comes back as peritoneal Carcinomatosis. I wouldn’t change my decision on chemo (I know that is what people wonder!). What I do know is that the Lord is SO good! While there have been some REALLY hard days with lots of emotions, there have been MORE amazing days. Learning, growing, praying, seeking. He has spoken to me more than ever this year through His word, my quiet time, my friends and prayer warriors. I am a healer and caretaker. So when I almost lost my son at birth in 2006 and then my husband of a cardiac arrest in 2017, I just press on. “Put on my big girl pants” and get back to work taking care of others and not truly healing from those traumas. The Lord wants to heal us, fully and completely. This is possible BECAUSE of Jesus!
There is beautiful Japanese pottery that is called kintsukuroi. They take broken pottery and repair it with gold lacquer with the understanding that it is more beautiful for HAVING BEEN BROKEN!!! I LOVE this imagery. So I know that when the Lord sees my heart, I am more beautiful today! He uses ALL things for HIS glory. I have so much to say, but this is the start. I am going to start a blog for this journey. The plan is to go to Hope4healing in Mexico on August 11th. This is crazy expensive! So we are selling a car and our house in Florida (let me know if you know someone is interested, no realtor fees!!) NONE of those “things” matter! So we press on. Running this race, knowing the Lord is guiding every step! He has given me SO many verses, but the one I received right away is “All praises belong to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he is the Father of tender mercy and the God of endless comfort. He always comes alongside us to comfort us in every suffering so that we can come alongside those who are in any painful trial. We can bring them this same comfort that God has poured out upon us.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 TPT
“The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Exodus 14:14 NLT
“As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us.” Hebrews 12:1 TPT
So, what I am asking for is PRAYER, joy, love and laughter! Life has seemed serious this past year, but there is always JOY and suffering at the same time. It’s what we do with it! I believe that the Lord heals miraculously, because He is the same God, yesterday today and tomorrow! So I have hope overflowing.