Walking Between Raindrops

After my PET scan on Thursday last week, my friend Nancy offered to walk with me “between raindrops.” That image captured my imagination because I conjured up a picture of super Nancy walking between raindrops just to be with me. My friends are like that. I told her she reminded me of Gabriel Garcia Marquez (See “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”) who often uses magical realism to make his points. So I’m grateful for my wonderful friends and family. And I’d ask that you walk between raindrops with me during this next phase of the journey.

Tuesday’s biopsy showed I have 2 visible 1 cm tumors in two right nodes. Biopsy was tough. She had to go deep into axillary area and lots of nerves and muscles there. I had taken drugs, so it could have been worse. Afterwards I was shaking, and doc said relax, but therapist told me yesterday that I should allow myself to shake. It’s your body’s way of getting rid of cortisol. So lesson here, If you’re shaking due to trauma, run, move, get angry, shout or whatever. They were wrong to tell us to be stoic. Maybe that’s been my problem all along. Too many years of being stoic while cortisol affected adrenals.( Dan also held my hand as I shook so that was comforting.)

But back to issue at hand, more treatment. I would ask for prayers for wisdom to know what to do. Dr. Patel called last night and said she’s going to present my case to the tumor board on Friday, and we will go from there. I said to her, “Can you cure me of this?” She paused and said, “I’ll have to think about that.”

My weekend had a few wonderful miracles—discovering that my Dining for Women group on Monday is supporting a project in a country (Swaziland) where my son and his wife also financially support a young woman. Dining for women’s program on Monday is to help AIDS orphans. The other wonderful news is that an anonymous donor is giving (buying) my church a building, essentially. We’ve been in a rented space for 15 years. It was a very special evening—extra special because my amazing daughter and grandson were there. I was even beginning to believe in miracles. I went for prayer afterwards and sweet friends prayed with me. I never do that kind of thing because I just don’t. But I’ve found I have had to humble myself in all kinds of ways on this journey.

That is all. I’ll update as I know more. Beautiful morning.