Friday, October 15, 2010

As I embrace my daily cross, I shall find Jesus standing on the other side of it, willing to help, me carry it.  I shall not to have to carry it alone.  My daily life is a partnership with Jesus.  He walks every step of it with me.  As He provided His loved for me by embracing His cross, so do I prove my love for Him by embracing my daily trials.  Help me Lord embrace these trials.  I have failed miserably as of now

Thursday, October 14, 2010

I wish I did not have this friggin disease…I wish I could just feel normal again. I wish the pain would go away.  I wish I was not bloated or heavy feeling.  I wish I did not have to go to the bathroom and well it is not pleasant (I will leave it at that) every time I even look at food.   I know that I need to have the surgery..but the aftermath  and with my family well being my family, specifically my mom being back, I think that is  going to kill me if the cancer does not.  Reason for me being MIA is that I am not positive right now. i have my faith I am thankful for prayer for I have some solace in that.  The best thing that has happen to my spiritual life has been Cancer. 
 right now I need to schedule surgery but I can't.  I mean literally I tried calling again today and I went into panic attack.  Throat clog up...then went and threw up.  Not afraid of surgery more afraid of what they will find and maybe not find.  None of this is making sense I know and that is the reason why I have not written in a while.  Poor Brad does not know what to do with me. He finally said do whatever you want.  Ouch!!!
 Pray for him, Pray for Kiley. 
I called my internal medicine doc, Dr. House, to see if he can increase my happy drugs.  Oh but that does not solve the problem does it? so that is it.. That is the grand goings on.  Yes I will pray yes I have faith but I figured I would say what is going through my head. 

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

When Jesus challenges me to take up my cross and follow Him he is not talking about two planks of wood, but following even when I am struggling"  How many times have I jumped or dived right into self pity. I will honestly admit that I did do that yesterday.  I took Kiley to her doctor's appointment for her school physical.  No biggie but then the doctor found that she has a heart murmur which she felt was too loud. I immediately and this is actually scary for me I went to a self pity and said SERIOUSLY GOD Never have I been a person that questions or blames God even in my abuse I blamed myself not God.  Sure I left my faith but I did not blame God.  I left my faith as I did not feel that God cared for me.  I was OK with that as I believed and knew that no one else cared for me so why would God.  But I repeat never did I blame God so why now.  I don't know other than it involved Kiley.  So I emailed Sharon all of this and then the more I read what I wrote the worst I felt about myself.  I realized that God has always been there.  God will be there.  I realized I turned into my mother the queen of making everything about her.  I realized this is not about me.  This is Kiley.  Yes she has a hear mumour yes it sucks yes I have to deal with it while undergoing Chemo.  But guess what I am not alone for God is with me.  I need to suck it up and trust.  I cannot get on Look at me my daughter is sick crap.  That is what I hate about my mother.  She never asks me how I am feeling rather she tells me how terrible she feels because her daughter has cancer.  I refuse to do that.  So I began reading and low and behold this what I came across.  Now I know I am a tinker bell where I relate everything to God but seriously I read. Psalm 38 and it felt like it was my words.   
 Psalm 38
O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage!
Your arrows have struck deep, and your blows are crushing me.
My guilt overwhelms me— it is a burden too heavy to bear.
My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins.
I am bent over and racked with pain. All day long I walk around filled with grief.
I am exhausted and completely crushed. My groans come from an anguished heart.
You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh.
My heart beats wildly, my strength fails, and I am going blind
For I am waiting for you, O Lord. You must answer for me, O Lord my God.
But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done.
Do not abandon me, O Lord. Do not stand at a distance, my God.
Come quickly to help me, O Lord my savior. (NLT)

Then I read Peter 1:3-8 and it seemed like it was God's answers.  Peter 1:3-8 notes:
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.

So I rest in him and I am joyful. 

Friday, August 13, 2010

Update

I am feeling reallly crappy today.  Lots of nauseusness.  Lots of pain.  Extremely tired! I am now having panic attacks due to all of this lovely.  Maybe the attacks are more from everything else going on at work, home.  I'm in tears!

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Ok so today was a first.  You see I was trying to make my followup appointment with my primary care doctor.  Lets call him Dr. House.  Trust me he does not have the personaility of Dr. House but he does have the ego.   Love him though.  He is very caring, and sensitive. That is why though going to see him could be a whole day event.   Anyways, my oncologist is asking for my liver to be tested.  They want to make sure I do not have cancer in the liver.  So I have been doing the ultrasound thing blood work thing.  Anyways, I went to call to make my follow up appointment as I need to have all of this done before I can move on to the next step of treatment.  I.E., "the womb removal"  on side note do you think the doctor will find cobwebs I mean my uterus is in all serious barren.  I know sick sick Dennise Stop the madness.. Oh just humor me...So the lovely recptionist informs me that she cannot make my appointment as I have an outstanding balance from last month.  My legal mind immediately went to "liability".  How can you refuse treatment to a client that you know has Cancer who needs to see her doctor for medical treatment.  But nevettheless I know doctors need to get paid just like everyone else but really I can't schedule an appointment.  Couldn't  I just pay the balance at the appointment which really is in only two days.  Her response was sorry but "NO"   so she transfers me to the billing personnel.  Here is where the problems begin...Let me paraphase the conversation if you will  The biling deparmtnets response is in bold.
"Hello"
"yes hi, I was transferred to you as it appears I have an outstanding balance and I need to make an appointment and they will not schedule it until I resolve whatever issue with you"
"sure you have a really high balance"
"really"
"oh yeah like a really high balance"
."OK"
"OK"
"would you like to tell me the balance and what is for"
"do you not know"
"um NO"
"why not"
Now this is where I began to pray to God" Please Lord forgive her and forgive me because I am going to say something really nasty..." I am sorry" 
""why don't you know"
""honestly, my husband handles the finances in my house...(accurate and nice)
"i see"
"well oh wait the insurance company has paid a large portion of that bill"
(Praise the Lord Halleuaha"
but you have a balance of 93.00 
Ok for what
for services rendered
( No I thought it was for the hell of it of  course it was for services rendered)
 what services...
your doctor's
(Now this is where I lost it...)
Look I have Cancer I see a lot of doctors who are affliated with your company so which doctor
Well let me check
Thank you
For doctor Londono
Ok for what services
a procedure
Ok again I have CANCER I have had a lot of procedure performed by Dr. Londono in his office, at the surgery center and at the hospital WHICH FRIGGIN ONE I need  to verify with the insurance companuy.
"i thought your husband handled the finances"
"OK look I am getting the information from you so I can pass it on to my husband and we can veryify with the insurance what they covered.  As you are aware there are different things they do and do not cover in regards to Cancer.  Can you just tell for what procedure, what date of service.
NO
NO
No I don't like your tone.
Oh I'm sorry you see I have CANCER I feel sick and I need to see my doctor I am trying to resolve the issue so I can see him but you are making it difficult.
AM NOT
What
You should pay attention to your bills. If you did you would be able to make the appointment
Um but isn't  it your job to collect the payment
yes
so if you want to collect the payment tell me what it is for and I will pay it.
93.00
yes but for what
a procedure performed by Dr. Londono
At this point I humg up.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

So I met with my therapist, Shelly. I love Shelly she is always seems to have something witty and enlightening to say. For instance, when I called to make the appointment she flat out said "am I going to be your band aide or are we going to be real and deal with this". I was shocked. But then I thought about what she said and it made sense in other words am I choosing to fight this disease and live or not. One would think that it seems like a ridiculous question, but it really is not one. I can see where during this treatment one would feel like they have had enough. Enough of the poking enough of the traveling to different locations, enough of feeling sick all the time. I think this picture that Brad took of me at the last oncologist appointment says it pretty clearly. I know, it was not by choice that I let him take the picture. He thinks he is so funny!

The other questions that her statement brought up was have I really accepted that I have cancer? What I mean is have I really really accepted it. Do I know it..of course in my head, but have I accepted it...knowing and accepting are two different things. Acceptance means action..means I am dying. (OK not like I am dying dying but you know what I mean, I have a deadly disease) It means there is a possibility of leaving Brad, Kiley, means no more wine drinking with Dave and Kathleen, No more daily emails to Sharon. Maybe I have not accepted because I don't want to think about that stuff. I mean I already have to worry about being a good mother, wife, friend, lawyer, lets not talk about the responsibility to my family and church. I already have enough on my plate thank you very much. So yeah I have not accepted! Give me a break..Alright Alright cop out one o one. So what is my conclusion. I made a decision that I must accept. I can not run. IT IS REAL AND I HAVE TO DEAL. Lord please give me the strength. Please give my family and friends the strength. Help me be brave, Help me be strong to face your will whatever it is. :0)

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

I am a big fan of my daily bread. This morning as I was waiting for my client's case to be called up at court I opened the book and began to read. This is how I normally read my daily bread I just open it and let it fly per say. Today's reading was the following: "A ship without a rudder is driven to and fro by the winds and waves so too when a man does not bother to work the virtues he needs, or if he abandons his good intentions, he is soon tempted by his own faults and weakness. I am the Lord, and I give strength in time of trial. Come to Me when things are not going well with you. Heavenly light and strength are often held back from you because you are slow to make use of prayer. How frequently before you get down to serious prayer, you look for peace in worldly consolations, and seek your happiness in natural enjoyments or earthly occupations. You will find little relief in anything until you realize that I am ready to help those who trust in me. There is no perfect assistance, no helpful advice, no lasting remedy unless it is blessed by My love and strengthened by My presence.
What I have learned in this journey is that I am not in control. I have learned that I must rely on my faith. I am a ship with out a rudder. I have often felt like I am just sailing with no direction. This is an accurate statement of my life. It is a life without purpose. It is a life of just being. Don't get me wrong we must go with the flow as I like to say a river always ends in the ocean even though there are beavers making damns.

What am I saying. I am not really sure. lol . I guess what I am saying is that I need to pray. I not only need to pray but I need to believe in the power of prayer. For it is in this prayer that we come to our Lord. He tells us over and over agin to come to him in the times of trouble but do we. I guess we do but do we truly. It is easy to come to pray when things are really bad but what about when things are only a little bad? Or do we come and say fix this Lord but you are not doing it right. Do we really believe in the power of prayer. i guess the question is do we have that faith. It is hard to have that faith. Some of us like me may feel unworthy others may feel that they are above faith. I don't have the answers I just have the questions. I guess it is a choice that we must make pray and have faith.