Dear friends....

I know it's been so long since I've updated, answered calls and seen your faces...I would never distance myself this much if not necessary. This part of the journey is very difficult. It takes an immense amount of energy to type, and use my voice. Please give me this time to get through the pain. And when I'm better I promise I will communicate more. All I ask now is that you stand with me in prayer....

Uphill Battles...

I spent most of the weekend with my cousins MikeyMouse and CCL...and I felt terrible. Apparently surgery causes lots of gas to be trapped in your belly and I'm now on a J tube, which is a feeding tube so the food that's pumping into my belly makes my belly gassy too. All of this gas is trapped in my belly and wreaking havoc...like sharp stabbing pains in my belly and pain in my back. View tried every product in the pharmacy to help and home remedies as well and nothing has helped. I'm in lots of pain. 

When I'm in pain I find it really hard to be strong and positive. Everything makes me cry. I couldn't smile for my cousins or spend too much time talking because I was just so overwhelmed by pain.

I got so many texts from friends this weekend saying they've been praying for me and I texted back to make a special prayer request...one that I'm making to the blogosphere now...

Please pray for God to give me strength during times like this...uphill battles...im really weak and there's no way I can keep moving forward while in excruciating pain with out his strength during the time of my weakness.

This time in particular is very hard for me...especially hurting and being away from home...for those of you who have asked to call...or who have called only to get my voicemail a 100 times....please bear with me. My focus now is to get through this rough patch, go home and get started on chemo. I need this two weeks in Houston to recover and then when I'm back in okc I promise to be more responsive.

Please keep me in your prayers....

Marissa....

We now interrupt all the cancer talk on this blog to share some fantastic, exciting news!  My beautiful, niece Marissa is a high school graduate as of last weekend!  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend any of her festivities, but when the kids came to visit me at the hospital, I creeped on her phone and texted myself a helping heap of pictures!

But before I share those pics...let me tell you a little about Marissa.  She's my one and only niece, and from the minute she was born, I wanted nothing more to dress her up in cute outfits, paint her tiny toesies,  and put bows in her hair.  And...she let me do that for a while...not so much anymore!!  One of the most interesting things about her is that she looks EXACTLY like her dad, yet she's gorgeous.  Wait.  Maybe that came out a little insulting to my brother.  What I mean is...you know what..forget it.  He doesn't read my blog, and you guys know what I mean!!!  I'm so proud of her breezing through high school with out ever asking me to write a paper or edit a paper.  When you have an aunt who is notorious for "helping people with papers,"  it would be really easy to talk said aunt into writing a few dozen of yours!  But she never took advantage of that. She changed high schools a few times, and we all know that's not an easy thing to do.  But she made friends, got involved, made great grades, and has always made our family proud.  She will be attending the Texas Womens University next fall.  To my dismay, men actually attend this school as well...so I'm a little less excited about it.  But, I've lectured her enough about school and boys and everything else you can think of.  Turns out I'm pretty good at lecturing.

Missa, if you're reading this.  I'm SO sad I couldn't make it to the biggest event of your life to date...but I promise to be right beside you for all the rest!  I love  you so much and I'm incredibly proud of the young woman you've become!  Always let Christ guide every step you make in the future...and you will never go down the wrong path!

Pictures of her graduation festivities for your viewing pleasure....

The little beauty on her prom night...

With Amachi...

With her dad...

Grad party ready!

Curveballs...

Forgive me for my absence....I've been in the hospital for the last 13 days.  I haven't wanted to pick up my phone, text, blog, watch tv, or listen to music.  I've been totally out of commission and unplugged from the world...I guess you could say.  It's been a both physically and emotionally grueling few weeks.  I needed that time...and probably just a little more to get through the pain of surgery and be physically stronger.  As always, God has been with me every day....teaching me lessons and reminding me that I'm never alone.

So, where did I leave you last?  Oh yes...the dreaded NG tube.  Well, I never had to get one!  Basically the Drs didn't feel like it would help me get enough nutrition with just three short days before surgery.  So I spent the week before surgery trying to get food down and keep it there.  I was miserable.  It was so painful to eat...and after I ate, it didn't feel any better.  My stomach would bloat up as if I had eaten a 4 course meal...when in reality I had just a few spoons of cream of wheat.  All I could think about was surgery and the relief I would have afterwards.

Friday morning couldn't arrive soon enough!  Although my heart was fine, they wanted me to get a pacemaker before the procedure to assure that I wouldn't have any more problems if my heart stopped again for any reason.  So, I said my goodbyes to my family and my cancer bud (CB)...and got whisked away to the OR.

And that's when life threw me yet another curveball.  I woke up and felt great....I mean, aside from the throbbing gash that ran vertically up my belly. I did wonder why I still didn't have the NG tube though.  I didn't see it hanging from my nose or feel it in my throat.  I happened to glance  at a clock and notice surgery seemed to get done a lot quicker than it should have.  My family and CB were all surrounding me by that time....and none of them were smiling and I wondered if they were waiting on me to say something to know if I was truly Ok.  And then, CB began to answer the questions that were filling my head....

The doctors made their incision, saw that the cancer cells had spread to the lining of the stomach, and closed me up.  My tumor was in-operable.  Chemotherapy starts again in three weeks.

I instantly looked at the sullen faces of my mom and uncle....and assured them that I was going to be fine.  I know God sent us my CB to show us that it doesn't matters what doctors say....He is still heals.  (My CB's tumor was operable, but his cancer returned and spread, and just weeks before my surgery he was given news of a clear pet scan.) The very same thing can happen for me.

Reality still jolts me sometimes, but I have been able to find peace and strength in the Lord.  Every day I feel His presence and it's truly more than I can ask for.  I am surrounded by lots of love and support...which is what I need to get stronger.  I know there are countless people praying for me, but I'm asking for continued prayers.  I knew when I set out on this battle against cancer that it was going to be a long and hard one....but I didn't know just how long and hard....and honestly, I still don't.  Every day there are curveballs....and I've learned that it's okay.  As long as I face each day and its' challenges as it comes without looking and planning ahead...God gives me just enough strength, grace, and mercy each day...