7 Days and 3 Miracles

Day One, Wednesday:  I had surgery Tuesday to remove what doctor's believed to be a benign fiber adoma from my left breast. Even after surgery my doctor said it looked liked what they suspected fiber adoma, but of course they always send it off to pathology, but he "wasn't worried about it".  The next day I got the phone call that nobody ever wants to get..."I don't have good news for you.", "what do you mean?", "I don't understand."..."you need to come into our office tomorrow to discuss your options with the doctor.", "wait....what? what options?" Total shock. Tears, my parents were standing right next to me when the phone call came, hugs and tears as Brett walks in the door and can tell something "big" just happened. The journey begins...

Since the birth of my baby girl "Brooke" 12 weeks ago, I have been suffering with severe post-pardom depression and anxiety. I've even been sleeping on an air-mattress in a separate room in order to be able sleep.You'd think after getting this diagnosis, it'd be one more really restless night...after all I'm already having restless nights! "NO, NO way Satan...I'm not sleeping one more night in a separate bed from my husband and baby, life is too short and I will not be chased from my bed anymore!" I moved myself back into our bedroom that night and said "God, I am sleeping in this bed with my husband and my baby and I'm trusting you for sleep".... and I slept....great!!!  Miracle #1, Praise Jesus!!!!! For He is faithful!!!!

Day Two, Thursday:  My dad and husband went with me to my appointment. The doctor walks in the room very somber and says "I'm shocked", "I'm just shocked". Yaaaaah, us too! Medical terms are flying and my mind is trying to keep up. I need to decide between lumpectomy with radiation or mastectomy. Ok, then he starts talking about "her 2 nu" positive. What's that? "Well it what we used to pray would always be negative", it the hormonal status of the cancer, good news is it is now treatable, bad news is it requires chemotherapy. "WHAT?" are you sure?  Tears...trying to listen and hold it together. We set up an MRI for Monday and surgery for lumpectomy/possible mastectomy for Friday and mapping/possible removal of my lymph nodes. I go home and began to pray and make phone calls...is this what I should be doing? Is this the doctor I should go with? Question after question fills my mind. I talk with my Bible Study Teaching Leader and she gives me the phone number of 2 ladies from her neighborhood who just went through this and loved their surgeon.

Day Three, Friday: First thing in the morning, I call one of the ladies to ask about the surgeon she went to. She raves about this surgeon Dr. Cox, one of the few in the country that can perform a skin saving/nipple saving mastectomy and he is a Christian! Wow, awesome! Bad news is he is very hard to get into, but worth the wait...well I'm not sure how long I can wait, but we'll call and see what God does.I call the number and Trudy his secretary answers, I'm immediately filled with tears and explain my new diagnosis. She says to me (without knowing my faith), God has you in his hands, let me see what I can do. Puts me on hold....comes back and says "how soon can you get here?". JESUS!!!!! Miracle #2. Saw Doctor, Got MRI and was scheduled for surgery on Monday by the time I left that night!

P.S. Still sleeping great, even getting up with my baby in the night and able to fall back asleep (something that was not possible for me up until now!)

Day 6, Monday:  Had to go for some extra pictures before surgery....decided to do lumpectomy with lymph node "mapping" and have cells rechecked to make sure chemo will be absolutely necessary. If so, then I have made the decision to have a mastectomy with reconstructive surgery.  If have to go through chemotherapy I never want the risk of having to do it again 5, 10, 20 years down the road. As I'm waking up from the anesthesia I hear the doctor say "your lymph nodes were negative!" Miracle #3, GOD IS SOOO GOOD, His mercy endures forever!

"For I know the plans I have for you, "declares the Lord," plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11