Really Now?????

Ever feel like some days or weeks that the deck has been stacked against ya?  Satan tried every way he could this past week to steal my joy.  It started last weekend with the weather reports calling for snow last Wednesday………really?  Right in the middle of my home stretch?  I can promise you that being 26 treatments in – I wanted NOTHING to interfere with me making it to my next 4 appointments and getting those things DONE.  Add to that that I’m TOTALLY not a fan of winter (I’ll take the 70’s and flip flops ANY day)…..well, this chick was NOT a happy camper.

 

Thankfully – the snow didn’t start here until 5:30ish that morning.  My husband HAS to work no matter the weather…….and fortunately for me – my brother can’t really work when it snows – so he was at home and offered to get me to Duke.  The roads were not great – thank God he had 4-wheel drive and I’m even more thankful that, unlike me – he isn’t afraid of driving in that mess.  We made it to and from Duke without incident – but saw a lot of cars in the ditch and accidents along the way.  Treatment #27 – DONE!

After I got home – it continued to snow.  It snowed…….and snowed……and snowed……we had 12+ hours of snowfall here in little Siberia (aka Roxboro) and well over 12 inches of snow!  I admit it was absolutely beautiful coming down – and it creates a beautiful backdrop for all of God’s creation…….but golly gee – all this snow was surely going to make getting back to Duke on Thursday a royal pain in the butt.

Thankfully……Kippy said he would be glad to take me again on Thursday.  Because of the inclement weather, Radiation Oncology was not opening until 10:00 am on Thursday.  We made it back to Duke and I was in and out of my appointment in no time and headed back home.  Treatment #28 – DONE!

Friday my dad offered to take me to treatment.  They were opening at 9am Friday morning – so I was still able to go at my regular 9:45am time.  I checked in, sat down – well, I think my butt actually hit the seat of the chair and almost immediately I was called back for treatment.  Those girls were rocking us in and out of The Green Room on Friday!  Treatment #29 was IN THE BOOKS.

I know this is going to sound crazy to most of you – but I’m going to miss my girls in The Green Room.  When you spend 30 days with your radiation therapists – you really get to know them and they become like part of your family.  They have been soooo awesome to work with and have made this whole experience much more bearable.  They are 3 of the sweetest girls I’ve ever met.  So I gave them fair warning on  Friday that they had all weekend to wrap their brains about the fact that I would be breaking up with them on Monday!  Those girls NEVER know what I’m gonna say!  Monday would be my 30th and final treatment – and I just wanted them to prepare themselves! 🙂

Every Friday after treatment, I see my radiation oncologist.  This would be my last visit with her for awhile as well.  She came in the room with a certificate in her hand – kinda cool that I get a certificate for completing radiation!  So…..as she sat down to talk to me – she informed me that it turns out that Monday WON’T be my final radiation treatment.  WHAT???  She had decided to give me one additional “boost” treatment in order to get the amount of dosing of radiation she desired for me……..so while she had brought me a certificate of completion……upon more careful inspection, the date she had entered on the certificate was, indeed, Tuesday, January 23rd!

Well……what’s one more day?  And honestly – I have to be in Durham Tuesday am anyway for Hunter’s orthodontist appointment – so it wasn’t going to be a huge imposition.  Honestly……if she feels that one more dose was needed to keep that nasty cancer from coming back – by ALL MEANS, let’s do it.  The stinking treatment only lasts 20 seconds so it’s really not a big deal.

We discussed my follow up appointments……..I won’t see her again until the fall…..but she said that I won’t get much of a break from doctors appointments for the rest of this year….I’ll be in and out between return visits with the medical oncologist, my surgeon and the radiation oncologist……and follow up mammograms, etc.  She laughed and said I’d get a break from so many appointments NEXT year and should only see each of them once a year if all goes well.

So between the snow……the yucky roads……transportation worries……and an unexpected extra radiation treatment…….Satan tried to take up some real estate in my life……but we had no time for that.  As always……God provided…..Just what I needed……Just in time…..and brought me JOY!

Thankful that even in the midst of all of this…..God continues to reassure me that HE is in control……that HE has me…….and that He will see me through.

We’re ALMOST there………

Hugs!

Sonja

Psalm 94:19 New International Version (NIV)