Overwhelmed

Overwhelmed. I think that's a good description of how we are feeling right now.

Overwhelmed by information. The forum this weekend was awesome and very helpful, especially the opportunities to talk to some of the experts in Hodgkin's lymphoma, but three days of learning about cancer is ALOT. I think it's time for us to take a break and think about something else for a few days (or at least try).

Overwhelmed by questions for my doctor on Tuesday. We already had a list of about 10 things we were wondering about(ranging from "Can I travel at Thanksgiving?" to "Is it okay to drink the acai juice someone gave us?") but after this weekend I think that list has doubled.

Overwhelmed by frustrating factors. As the initial shock of finding out about the disease wears off, the reality of living with it sets in. I'm 24 years old and I kinda feel like I'm living in a body that is 60 years older (for now, due to chemo, thankfully the effects are reversible). I can't just go for a run like I did before, I get tired way sooner and easier, and I have to constantly think about minimizing my risk of infection and any small infection that used to be normal and go away on its own has now become a quasi-emergency. Our normal, care-free young adult life has disappeared for the time being.

Overwhelmed by my overactive mind. Before, when I was living my life, I could sleep at night and although I was always making plans and setting goals for myself, I was actively working at them towards them during the day so it all balanced out. Now, it's like my body and ability can't keep up with my mind and my plans for myself, so I lay awake at night trying to figure out how I am going to work and what I wanna do with my life right now, etc. etc. I think cancer might be God's way of telling me to SLOW DOWN for awhile, but I'm having a hard time with that.

And yet, overwhelmed by God's goodness and blessings in the midst of suffering. Even this weekend, we had an unexpected gift when the director of patient programs for the Lymphoma Research Foundation offered us an extra room they had at the nice hotel the forum was at for free as a thank-you for our participation in a video they were making for young adults. We had a very relaxing Saturday night away from everything as a result.I am so thankful to have Ryan in my life, and for what God will do in our relationship as we walk through this together. I am thankful for all the awesome family and friends that God has put in my life and for the way that things like this make us truly appreciate what really matters. And I am thankful that God has a plan in all of this, and I look forward to seeing what He can do with this trial in my life.

I have some specific prayer requests again tonight:

- We learned a lot at the conference this weekend about radiation for Hodgkin's disease and the very serious risks of late effects associated with it. Please pray for our decisions about this in a few months, and for the doctors that will be advising us, as this is something that weighs heavy on our minds right now - pray that God will guide us to the right information to help us make the best decision.
- I'm going back to work tomorrow - my plan is to work half-days on non-chemo weeks (when I don't have appointments, and work from home the rest of the time (they gave me a remote access token for my computer here).

This is pretty cool. As I was typing this, Ryan came in to read Psalm 33 with me. This is part of it that spoke to exactly what I was writing and thinking about:

"The best-equipped army cannot save a king,
nor is great strength enough to save a warrior.
Don't count on your warhorse (chemo, radiation, etc.)
to give you victory - for all its strength, it cannot save you.
But the Lord watches over those who fear him,
those who rely on his unfailing love.
He rescues them from death, and keeps them alive
in times of famine.
We depend on the Lord alone to save us,
Only he can help us, protecting us like a shield.
In Him our hearts rejoice,
for we are trusting in His holy name,
Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
for our hope is in you alone."
Psalm 33:16-22

Happy Friday!

It's Friday morning after my second round of chemo, and I'm about to take my mom out to breakfast at our awesome bakery, and then to the airport =( It's been great having her here and that she could stay so long, but I guess now we have to learn to survive in this big scary world on our own =)

I have never felt so tired in my life as the first couple of days after my chemo this week. I slept, and then woke up for a few minutes and slept some more. And even when I was awake my entire body felt fatigued. I did manage to make it to my wig appointment on Wednesday - I picked up my new look and the stylist cut my hair shorter - I don't think I will have what's left of it for much longer, but I'm gonna let it come out naturally.

So, it's day five and I am starting to feel alive again. Ryan and I are attending a forum this weekend in San Francisco put on by the Lymphoma Research Foundation for patients, survivors, and loved ones. How strange that the big annual forum on lymphoma just happens to be in San Francisco three weeks after I am diagnosed?? Just another indication that God is directing the details of our lives.

Thank you for all your prayers - have a very happy Friday!!!

Chemo Can't Cage Boogie Boarding Babe

Christie's new-found ritual of boogie boarding the day after chemo has seen a strong second round. After resting up all morning and early afternoon to keep her energy up for the beach, we set out around 4 PM for Montara. The waves looked dangerous there, so we went back to Linda Mar. Christie boarded for almost an hour! It was great - we even got video and pics of it. (I'll start posting videos once we get our new computer - I can't edit them on this one).

On the downside, her hair has been coming out with increasing speed. It is difficult to watch her pull handfuls of it out every day, but we are yet thankful that she is getting a very successful treatment.

We have been collecting so many cancer stories from various people whom it has touched. The place of sickness in our lives is something that I haven't had to think too much about up to this point. Christie's sickness has forced me to now. A few recurring themes that we are finding through thus far (in no particular order):

In this life we will suffer. God turns these trials into good - and we need to see them as opportunities for such (Don't Waste Your Cancer - John Piper).
Jesus' first coming wasn't for His children's physical healing (though He did heal some, and still does), at least not yet - but His next one will be.
God doesn't heal everyone - not even every Christian who asks.
We should yet fervently pray for healing, desire healing, and seek healing.
His purposes in these trials are not to heal our bodies, but to bring us (and others) close to him - and to shake apart the hindrances.
How much better is any type of life with Jesus than any other with anyone else!

Psalm 84:9-11

Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.

Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.

Monster's Melting!!!!

Great news today!!! I had a chest x-ray this morning to check on the initial progress, since some of my symptoms have been decreasing (the cough, the chest pains, monster-induced nausea, and my heart rate was even down to 86 this morning, before it was a steady 110-120). Dr. Wild said that in the x-ray, monster appeared "measurably smaller" and that the tumor marker count in my blood has gone down significantly. We were really excited to hear this news - it's encouraging to know the chemo is already doing its thing. Thank you for all the prayers!

Chemo went well today. The first time, I had intense chest pains during and after the last drug (which is an hour drip), exactly similar to the pain I experienced with alcohol consumption before I knew I had this disease - this week, no pain whatsoever!! How am I feeling now?
As long as I sit or lie down I'm ok - I feel dizzy and weak when I stand up and walk around - but it was like that last time too - I guess I have A LOT of drugs running through me right now.

I still plan to go boogie-boarding tomorrow, at least for a little while, if I feel good. I decided (I think I mentioned yesterday) that every day after chemo that I feel good enough will be beach/boogie-boarding day, and there are so many little beaches as you drive south from Pacifica - I want to start exploring them all sequentially and then find my favorites. I am a crazy beach lover - and I think every beach has its own beauty and flavor, even if they are only a few miles apart. I will keep you posted on my findings, if any of you who live in California ever have some extra time and would like to join me, let me know.

Someday I plan to take up surfing (I've done it once in the warm, perfect waters of Hawaii) but right not I don't really trust my legs enough for that.

You know how sometimes in life, God keeps bringing the same few Bible verse to your attention over and over? I feel like there are a few words from Him that I keep running across again and again right now. It's exciting to see how God can speak to us in so many different ways. Here are a couple of those verses:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Psalms 3:5-6

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."
Romans 8:26

And two that I just came across tonight:

"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them. " Psalm 34:7

"Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." Psalm 16:9-11

Enjoying the Good Days

So, I'm on Day 16 after chemo (it will usually be only 14 days, but the doctors wanted to move it from Thursday to Monday), so I'm feeling pretty good. We had an awesome weekend. On Friday night, Ryan and I ate at the Corral Steakhouse in Pacifica - it's way back through all these neighborhoods, right across from the horse stables - it is a very well-kept secret. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was great. On Saturday, we went with my mom down to Ano Nuevo to watch the elephant seals - I hiked three miles!! Half of it was over sand dunes too!! But the elephant seals are pretty fun to watch - some of them were in the water playing with each other - if you live in CA and you are reading this, I would definitely recommend you make the trip. And then we explored the small town of Pescadero, CA. Sunday was nice too - I had breakfast at my favorite bakery with a friend from Ryan's work, went to church, out to lunch with Bible study friends, went home and took a nap(I get tired these days, lol) and then took my mom down to Half Moon Bay, where we sat on the deck of Sam's Chowder House, listening to live music, eating clam chowder, and enjoying the ocean breeze and beautiful views.

I have my second dose of chemo tomorrow, so the next three days will probably be kinda blah...however if things go like last time, Tuesday will actually be alright - so I plan to go boogie-boarding again, which will get me through Wednesday, when I probably won't make it very far off the couch.

Thank you for all your comments, encouraging words, friendship, support, and prayers.

Prayer requests:

- That everything goes alright with the next round of chemo
- I am losing my hair!!! By the handful - it's so strange! Pray that it won't be too traumatic and that it will come back curly again =)
- I would like to pray that God will save my ability to have babies in the future, despite all the chemo drugs

False Alarm!

So, I went to work today, and was having a fairly normal day involving paperwork, talking to people, a test-flight of one of the helicopters, and then some PT time with the crew.

Around noon, Christie called and asked me to call the doctor about a painful bump she had on her back (like a pore infection). So, I called, expecting them to say that it's not a big deal. Well, anything is a big deal when you're on chemo!

They said to come in right away, if possible. So, around 1300, I rushed home, picked up Christie, and we drove the 1.5 hrs to Travis AFB where they gave her some antibiotics (Keflex) and checked her blood for white blood cells. Her count is 3000, which is great for being on chemo. So, her immune system is doing pretty good, and she is probably able to fight things off like normal.

So, with about 2 hours to go until her class in Redwood City starts, we commenced groundhog day: drove the 1.2 hour drive straight to her class, and it still took 2 hours because of California traffic (just like last week)! We got her there late again, but she's taking Biochemistry, which is a pretty nerdy class - and since the U.S. is in a nerd shortage right now, the demand is high and they'll let her slide. Well, that, and she told the teacher she has cancer! That's like a "Get Out of Jail Free" card!

So, realizing that we've driven over 5.5 hours today, I'm going to see if they'll just let us take one of the helicopters next week. It sure would cut down on the traffic...

James 1:4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Good Things

My first semester at the Coast Guard Academy, every night my roommates and I would each talk about three good things that had happened during the day. It was our way of seeing the bright side in the midst of a very challenging environment - sometimes our "good things"were as simple as "I ate a Snickers bar" or "I heard my favorite song on the radio". We've come a long way since then, lol.

Here are 5 good things about today:

1) I slept really good last night and I slept in this morning.

2) My friend and co-worker Britney brought me flowers, cookies and a delicious lunch of grilled cheese and tomato soup (my favorite comfort food =)

3) I picked out a wig - one of the first ones I put on was almost exactly what I wanted. No description - you will have to wait and see the new me (that is, IF I lose my hair, I'm still hoping to keep it).

4) I caught up with a couple of very close friends that live far away.

5) My mom bought me really cute shoes at Macy's = )

Psalm 8:9-10
"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you."

I now have a power port!!!!

So, I'm not a big fan of doctors, needles, cutting, surgery, blood,etc. In fact, I would say I am phobic. Maybe I am supposed to overcome my fears over the next six months, lol. Needless to say, I was really scared/nervous about my surgery today because I had to be awake, under conscious sedation, which I have never experienced before. The nurse made it worse by explaining to me the whole process ahead - that they were going to stick a needle in a vein in my neck and thread it all the way to my vena cava, then make an incision in my chest to place the port and tunnel through my skin to meet up with the needle. I was really afraid I was going to have a panic atttack on the table. ..

The cool thing is...conscious sedation actually works. About five minutes after they gave me the drugs, I felt dizzy and sleepy and kind of like I was floating and I thought, "I really could care less if they stick a needle in my neck right now". And even though I was awake and I remember being there and hearing the doctors talking, I have no idea what actually happened when, and I didn't feel anything except the local anesthetic, but I didn't even care. So, I was incredibly apprehensive going to the hospital today, but the procedure turned out much better than I feared.

And then I came home and slept off the drugs and Ryan grilled a delicious dinner of steak, fish, and vegetable kabobs (I had not been allowed to eat all day). I am thankful to have such an amazing husband, and he is also the best steak-griller that I have ever met!!!

So that's it for the hospital for me until Monday when I have my second dose of chemo. Tomorrow I have an appointment to get a wig made - one day soon you may not recognize me =)

Surgery!

Christie has a surgery coming today. The chemo drugs (ABVD) that she is on are very caustic and will burn whatever they touch (in fact, the doctors wear gloves and a hazard suit to keep from it splashing on them! And this stuff's supposed to cure her? Yikes). So, every time that she gets chemo through an arm vein, it burns those veins. There is also chance that, since an IV must be re-inserted each time that chemo is administered, the IV could be accidentally placed outside the vein and into surrounding tissue (fatty tissue, muscle, etc). The ABVD drug would then burn those tissues cauing permanent damage.

So, a port will be a permanent place to take blood and administer medicine, so no IV will be necessary for the duration of treatment, thus reducing the likelihood of a misplaced IV and damaged tissue from the ABVD.

We'll be back tonight to update on how the procedure went.

I feel good...

It's Day 9 after chemo, and I am feeling pretty good. Yesterday I went for another 30 second walk/jog interval session, and that felt good. My legs still feel weak and I have lost feeling in my fingertips, but other than that I feel very good. Before I started chemo, I had quite the cough and I was almost constantly nauseous, symptoms caused by the size and location of the tumor. This week, I noticed that my cough is now nonexistent and I have felt less nauseous the past couple of days than I have in weeks. Could it be that monster is already shrinking???

We had a nice day - we went to church this morning and then my mom took us to lunch at our favorite Thai restaurant. She has hardly ever eaten Thai food - but I think we converted her!! Then some of our family friends stopped by on their way to LA - it was nice to see them.

The sermon in church this morning was titled "The Crucible of Unexplained Suffering." How fitting. The pastor talked about Joseph and his time in prison - how he faced multiple disappointments and yet never lost his faith in God and His plan. I feel like I am in that crucible right now - after spending the first year and a half of our marriage almost constantly apart, Ryan and I were finally able to live together like God intended - and I was just telling some friends a few weeks ago that I felt settled for the first time in awhile - like everything was falling into place and God was giving us a break. And then....

But He promises that He "works all things together for the good of those who love him" (Romans 8:28). I really feel that God is in all this with us, and that we will see His purpose fulfilled throughout this journey and in the years to come. Sometimes I wonder if He using this to prepare me for something...a ministry, a job, people in my life that I will be able to help, or maybe just to shape my heart for His future plans.

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Here are the words to the first verse and chorus of a Casting Crowns song that has touched my heart:

"I was sure by now, that you would have reached down,
And wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say Amen, and it's still raining.

But as the thunder rolls, I barely hear you whisper through the rain,
I'm with you.
And as your mercy falls,
I'll raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away.

I'll praise you in this storm,
And I will lift my hands,
You are who you are,
No matter where I am,
And every tear I cry,
You hold in your hand,
You never left my side,
And though my heart is torn,
I will praise you in this storm."

Day 6 Chemo, Checkup, and Biochemistry

Day 6 of chemo was much like the past few; in a nutshell:

0930 - wake up and then fall back to sleep

1100 - wake up and eat breakfast

1200 - leave for oncologist appointment; realize it's lunchtime already

1330 - blood work and IV fluids - blood workwas good, neutrophils (one of 5 type of white blood cell that is used as a marker for overall white blood cell count) was 1200 per cubic millimeter (1500-2000 is normal). So, she's just below normal, but not quite to the >1000 mark, which is considered to be low.

1615 - leave Travis AFB hospital, drive back home to get ready for her Biochemistry class (tell me that's not ironic)

1815 - finally wade through traffic and make it home; class starts in 15 minutes and is 45 minutes away...

1900 - arrive in Redwood city for her class at the Berkeley satelite campus

Now it's 2045, and she gets out of class at 2130. So meanwhile I took Mom on a date to Starbucks nearby ... don't tell Christie.

Day 5 Chemo

For the past two days, Christie seems to have reached a plateau - a place that is not quite 100%, but not miserably ill, either. This morning we went on a short jog together. She started out wobbly as she is physically weakened, but seemed to gain confidence and managed about half an hour of 30-second jog / walk intervals.

Afterward, she still felt ok - so I took her on a hot date in the city. She was, by far, the most ravishing around - and definitely the most gorgeous cancer patient I've had the pleasure to know. I told her that, and she agreed. After a trip to the de Young Museum of Fine Art and dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (atop the Macy's Building in Union Square, for all you non-San Francisco types) she was pooped. I brought her home, and she is still feeling ok - but pretty wiped out. We are very thankful that her condition has been so good. It's been great to be able to have my wife feeling good enough to get out, exercise, and enjoy herself.

She's also been feeling some pain in her chest and lower back / hips the past couple of days. We are told this is normal, as her bone marrow is still kicking out white blood cells like it's their job.

Tomorrow she'll visit the doctor for some blood-work, including a white blood cell count and tumor marker. Please pray for a good tumor marker and white blood cell count.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path."

Highlights

I'm not in the mood to write much tonight, but wanted to let everyone know I am feeling better today.

Highlights:
- I would say I started turning the corner around noon today - I am feeling much better now - still fatigued, but not as sick and not achy at all
- Ryan went to work today and is scheduled for a lunchtime flight tomorrow!
- Ryan and I went for a walk today - it was absolutely beautiful outside - living by the ocean is so cool!!
- Really enjoying having my mom here - she's awesome and it's great spending time with her

Thank you for all the support and prayers. We are so blessed to have such great people in our life. I can't imagine going through this alone. May God bless you today - take a moment to recognize and enjoy His gifts!

Day 2 Chemo

Christie felt much more of Chemo's effects today. She has felt very fatigued all day. Early this morning, around 3 AM or so, she began to feel aching in her neck. Throughout the early morning it spread to her arms and down her chest. Of course we were just a little worried about that, so we got up and re-read the side affects of her treatments. It seems that most of what has been hurting today is from the shot I gave her yesterday evening - the one that kicks her bone marrow into overdrive. It aches because it's pushing the marrow to produce white bloods cells (WHC) at a much higher rate in order to offset the large number being killed by the chemo. Between now and next weekend we have to watch her very closely, since her white blood count will be down - she now has a compromised immune system. One normally has ~4000 WHC per cubic millimeter of blood, but she'll rapidly drop this week to about 500. Hopfully it will then build back as the chemo effect wears off. It needs to be above ~1500 before she can have her next chemo. We also have to keep her away from sick people and make sure she gets no cuts or anything, since any infection or disease could overrun her immune system. Hope that's not too much info for you all!

Since Mom (Christie's mom) is here for the duration of the first round of chemo, I'm going in to work tomorrow to talk to my boss. (Actually, I have like eight bosses, but who's counting?!) It is unpleasant and distracting knowing that Christie is sick and getting hammered from chemo, so I'm not sure to what extent I'll be flying. I will ask to fly this week, but doubt they'll put me back on duty until next month. I'm sure everyone is on edge from the Hawaii crew that died in that Dolphin crash on Friday.

Please pray for discernment and strength for us - and good results from the chemo. Christie is very active and hates being cooped up inside. I am struggling with thinking about work with Christie being sick. Thank you for the prayers, phone calls, and comments. It is encouraging to know you are with us - you are constant reminders that He loves us and is intimate with the details of our lives. May He grant you peace this week as you deal with the tests you are given as well.

Day 1 Chemo

I felt surprisingly good today! The drugs they have now to control the nausea are amazing - medicine has improved so much over the past few years. I do feel fatigued and slightly weaker than usual, but so far it is very manageable. To take advantage of a good day, Ryan, my mom and I went to the beach and did some boogie-boarding with our friends Richard and Stephanie. It felt really good to get in the water and try out my new wetsuit. I can't wait til I feel up to surfing again! My mom had a lot of fun too - this is the first time she swam in the Pacific in many years!!! Then we ran into a bunch of people from church - it was really encouraging to see them. If any of you are reading this, thank you for all your love, friendship and support.

Ryan had to give me a shot tonight to boost the bone marrow production of my white blood cells. I hate shots, but he is a good doctor =) The shot is supposed to make my bones sore, so we will see what happens. I am glad I went out and played today, just in case.

One day down, so far so good. I'll keep you posted. Thank you for all your prayers - I am confident that God is answering them!

The Real Fight Begins...

We got the diagnosis today - I have Hodgkin's lymphoma, Stage II B, E, X ( B= certain symptoms, E = extra-nodal, X= bulky disease, a.ka. monster is huge!). I am undergoing the standard chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin's which is a combination of four drugs referred to as A,B,V,D. I had my first dose of chemotherapy today - making it quite an overwhelming day - it was kinda like drinking from a firehose - find out you have cancer, learn all about your disease and chemo and its side effects, and then, start chemo!!! But they were anxious to get going b/c of the size of monster. I'm glad we started today b/c otherwise I would have had all weekend to worry about it and now by the end of the weekend i'll be through the first few days. They gave me four different anti-nausea medicines, and i'm feeling alright so far, just fatigued and tired, and slightly drugged, lol. I will go through 4 months of having chemo treatments every 2 weeks, then be re-evaluated. I may need more chemo after that, if not, then we will proceed with radiation treatment. I will most likely be given radiation treatment no matter what when my chemo is complete, b/c of the size of the mass, to ensure the cancer does not come back. My oncologist said that she would estimate a 70-80% chance I can be completely cured ( as in it never comes back). It is encouraging to finally get a diagnosis, move forward with treatment, and have a high likelihood of a very good outcome.

The incredible thing to me is, if I did nothing, I would most likely die of this disease in less than a year. But right now(well, let's say 7 hours ago before the chemo) I'm walking around feeling pretty much like a normal person. Not like someone with a fatal disease. It's crazy.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. I can feel God's hand on me through all of this. He is truly faithful in all things!

There's Always Tomorrow....

So, no diagnosis today either. Surprise!! I think my oncologist is getting discouraged too - this time she didn't even promise one tomorrow (maybe she's just getting smart, lol). After we heard that today was a lost cause, we called in all the big guns - both Ryan and I called our COs and got answers like "this is bull@#%*" and "this is just ridiculous" and they are going to call some people to call some people, or whatever they do to make things happen. So, maybe I will have results soon.

Meanwhile, I am feeling pretty good - Ryan and I walked for about an hour this morning. I had my own personal fly-by from a big orange helicopter - Ryan's work's way of saying they are thinking about us. Ryan's Engineering Officer said he will personally handle any noise complaints from our neighbors!!!

Please pray for a good answer soon. They want to start treatment (if necessary) right away, as in probably the same day we find out, so I feel like that could be a little overwhelming. But it is probably best, considering how long we have waited. I know God will take care of me - please pray for continued peace for me and Ryan.

The Jury Is Still Out

Dr. Wild (the Oncologist) called this morning - the test results from the biopsy (or bobobsy as Aunt Voula says) were not in yet. The military's cancer institute is in Washington D.C. Apparently they're not the fastest, but they are extremely accurate. If not for the 3 day weekend, we would have the test results by now. Oh well.

Dr. Wild was 99% sure that they'll be in tomorrow (which is good, since last time she was 98% sure they'd be in today ... so we have a 1% better chance of them being in tomorrow!). Both our workplaces are being very understanding. Tell you what ... if there's a place to get sick, it's while active-duty military. Well, active-duty while in the U.S. Not so sure about Iraq, Afghanistan, or Burma. But they've been taking great care of us so far.

Question of the day - who is Aunt Voula, and what movie is she from?

Hint #1 - She had a neck lump that was similar to what they thought Christie had at first...
Hint #2 - ... eivom gniddew keerG

Waiting, Waiting...

Still waiting ... we're waiting for a call from the Oncologist today. When she calls, she'll let us know if we have a diagnosis yet - and whether we'll be trekking to Travis AFB Hospital again.

Depending on that phone call, we might have a lot to add to the blog today ... we'll post whatever we find out.

On a side note, yesterday was Dad G's birthday. We went to the Winchester Mystery House and had banana cake, ice-cream, and watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding (Christie's pick - she gets whatever she wants these days ... just like before!).

Lamentations 3:24 - "I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait on Him.' "

A Prayer

I did have a great birthday - no doctors and I felt great all day!!!

Last night, when I was reading my devotions, the Lord gave me this verse. This is my prayer:

Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
Let the light of your face shine upon us , O Lord.
You have filled my heart with greater joy than
when their grain and new wine abound.
I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:6-8