Thankful

With a million bits of information dancing in my head from our two-hour appointment with the oncologist today, one fact I do cling to with thankful, thankful relief: 90% cure rate. Looks like I have classic Hodgkin's Lymphoma, stage 2, which the dr. describes as 'cookie cutter' cancer: well-studied, very treatable, over 90% cure rate. We are praising the Lord!

Smile!

 

He (the dr., not the Lord) recommended a couple more tests to determine the precise amount of chemo and radiation needed, but it looks like I will have two rounds of chemo followed by one round of radiation. I'll receive chemo the first week of the month, wait three weeks, and then get the second round.

 

I feel like life has been handed back to me, realizing that by summer's end this could be behind us - realizing that the odds are greatly in my favor to be around for Julian's first words, his first steps, his first day of school... Thank you, God. Thank you, Christ's church, who has lifted me up to him this past week. Thank you!

 

I also remember that God's goodness does not change. Even if I had received the worst news today, his goodness does not change. Do I know him well enough to know that? Even when I do die, whenever that day comes, he has still sacrificed his son so that I might yet live. I look to know him better, for there is no one else who has overcome death, not anyone.

 

There's more decisions to be made yet, but now is time for thankfulness to the Lord. Imagine my surprise when the dr. had one more question for us, and it was whether we wanted to freeze some eggs in case of chemo-induced infertility (!!)... :-0. Makes me feel like a movie star. Except for they also enlist a surrogate mother to take care of the whole incovenient being pregnant part of things...