I know … a post from me during the summer, AND on Thursday! All very out of character, but this is going to be an “out of character” kind of day.
This morning, I will head to the hospital for the first major surgery I have ever had, a lumpectomy of the area where we found the tumor last November, and a sentinel lymph node dissection to see if the cancer had spread that far.
I have prayed, done the research, read up on the options available in my situation, talked with all of the doctors on my team, prayed some more, and really believe that this is the best option for me with the information we have right now.
I will have to be at the hospital at 9:00 am for a lot of pre-op stuff that I’m not going to think about right now, and surgery is scheduled for 1:30 pm. If everything goes according to plan, it will be outpatient and I will be home this evening.
It really is taking a village to care for Henry today, and we are very thankful for our friends Valarie, Kelsey, and Linda for each taking a few hours with him. We are grateful for all of the people who love him, and we have never worried through this entire process about what he would do or how we would care for him.
I have appreciated your support and prayers since we first shared the news of my diagnosis, and if you are reading this and would pray for us today, here are some specific requests that we have:
- Safety for my dad and sister who will be traveling to be with us.
- Peace as the day unfolds. I had a strange sense of peace the day we met with the surgeon, but as the days have passed, Satan is working on my mind and the “what ifs” have started to creep in. Please pray that God will overwhelm me with His peace today.
- That the surgery will run on time. My surgeon is good and takes his time with his patients, but he almost always runs very late. It will certainly be the working of God if we are even close to on time today!
- That everything will go “by the book,” that recovery following surgery will be easy, and that we can get home at a reasonable time.
- That the surgeon will be able to remove ALL of the remaining cancer cells (the medical term is “clear margins”), and that the lymph node will show no signs of cancer at all.
- Understanding from Henry as I recover at home. He’s had to deal with a lot of uncertainties since January, and we have just started to feel a return to normal living. The week or so following surgery will be difficult for him.
- Strength for Chris as he is my support in all of this. He has taken care of me and of Henry so well over the past few months. We love him so much.
- Grace to adjust to any unexpected challenges.
Thanks for praying, friends. We believe in a God who hears and heals.