Learning Endurance

You may wonder why I named this blog "Blessings on a Broken Road" being that how could cancer ever be a blessing. I tear up as I am writing this because not that I am sad, but that I have experienced what it feels like to be so wholly loved by God, family and friends in the outpouring of support as I go through this. My personal walk with God is so much stronger and I turn to him for everything now. My family has come together in such a tighter way now, ill feelings put aside and I feel that if this was all that came from this, it would be worth it all. God has his plan for me, for my life, and I told him, I would do anything he wanted me to. I would be the sacrificial lamb. I wont have to walk this road alone, and that gives me strength. But, this journey will have to teach me how to endure. Already I feel so overwhelmed with doctors appointments, testings and surgery that sometimes I throw my arms down in surrender. I have even gone to yelling in the car when no one is around just to relieve stress (don't judge...you should try it!). No, I am not mad! I am learning endurance.

Upcoming testings...

For the next two weeks, I am facing more testing. Some of them, I don't know why they need, but oh well I will do it :). They have tested my lungs because the chemo I will be taking will damage them. They are testing my heart to make sure there isn't any abnormalities in its beating. I am getting a full body scan where i have to eat steak, broccoli, eggs, mushrooms and chicken the day before and nothing else. I have to go in for surgery to get a port implant so they can give me chemo without damaging my arm blood veins. And then, after all of this, I get to talk to my doctor about the results from my bone marrow biopsy and a treatment plan. I have such high respects for the cancer survivors that have gone through this already...I had no idea. But oh! I am truly learning endurance.

When you pray for me, please pray that my bone marrow biopsy comes back negative for cancer cells, and that all my testing comes back good, that I am healthy and strong enough to begin chemo.

Thanks for all your support, kind words and encouragement. Fight this with me.

Shannon