I’m 1/2 way DONE!!!!!  Going to go hibernate now - I’ll let you know when I return to the land of the living.  Thank you for your prayers and support - couldn’t do this without all of you!!!

OK … off to sweet dreams

Well … it’s almost 7pm and I haven’t gone into my deep sleep and I still have my FULL BRAIN.  This is MUCH BETTER than the friday after my last session.  Thank you for your prayers.  I am going to lay down and take it easy - don’t want to push.  I know it may still hit, but I’m so thankful that it has not hit yet.

OK, I’m questioning a little bit if I should share all of the updates with you. You see, although yesterday was chemo, it was SOOOOO FUN! I don’t want you all to think all days are like that – lol. I praise God though that He has His hands and feet around to sprinkle laughter, smiles, and FUN in between the not so fun part of chemo.

First, on Wednesdays I have chemo with my dear friend Stana. She is my leader for my breast cancer support group. She had breast cancer 17 years ago, and now had it again. So, Wednesday, we make sure we sit next to each other, and to her husband’s surprise, we can talk for 6 hours straight. Well, add on to that 4 of our dear friend’s from our support group “dropping by” for an hour. They brought HUGE baskets for each of us with the most fun stuff… food, snacks, LOTS of drinks for our gallons, inspiration books, charms, mugs, stationary, a frame because we had someone take our pictures, candles, towel with a pink ribbon, and a handmade CUTEST purse made out of a fancy bra! It’s just adorable. The 6 of us laughed so loud and we were having so much fun we had the attention of all the nurses and patience. Time went by so fast for Stana and myself – her husband left – he realized he was out done by 6 of us – lol. Thank you God for sending these Angels.

Then, I came home to cards and more cards (THANK YOU – I LOVE CARDS). I came home to my “Chemo note” that I get each round and one note to open after each treatment day. I look forward to those. Plus, I came home to a pizza dinner. A few of Lonnie’s customers have arranged for pizza to be delivered to us every Wednesday night. I have a frozen casserole for the family for dinner tonight from a dear Mary Kay friend. I was so out of it I didn’t remember that Keona told me that we had that gift and I was cleaning out the freezer and there it was – what an incredible surprise. We have dinners coming the rest of the weekend. When God says you will be blessed if you believe and you have faith in your trails, HE WAS NOT KIDDING!!! Words CANNOT describe how full my heart is for each of you!!!!!!! For those of you that have not left names, I thank you too! I think that is one of the hardest things for me – I understand wanting to give and not leave a name – but I wish I could thank you personally – so this is the best I can do.

Now, I’ll share the medical update. With breast cancer you chop of the boob and you know the cancer is gone.  The chemo and radiation is to make sure every little cell was gone.  With lung cancer we don’t know how the chemo is working.  Since after this week I’ll be 1/2 done, we are then going to do a PET scan.  If the cancer is gone or disappearing at the rate the doctor is comfortable with, I will continue with my last 3 rounds.  If (this is the Docs if - I have over 300 people praying so I KNOW the cancer is gone) there is still more cancer left than he is comfortable with, we will add an additional 2 rounds - meaning I have 5 to go - and possibly radiation as well.  Waiting for the test results is going to be a big trial requiring much patience.  I’ll need prayers for that!!!!

Last night, I was a little more tired than a normal first day of chemo. Around 10pm I was very nauseous but I remembered I had not drank any fluids so I did and that helped big time. Keona had reminded me to buy saltine crackers on our last grocery trip and I ate a couple of those and that helped as well. You just need to know about the tricks. I leave in 40 minutes to go start day 2. I’m ALMOST HALF WAY DONE – and I am pretty excited about that. This is definitely a bigger trail than I was expecting, but God promised me that nothing would come my way that I can’t handle with Him next to me and the many angels He has sent our way. So, I have no despair, no fear, no anxiety to deal with, instead, I just take it day by day, I am thankful for each day, and I know that tomorrow is around the corner.

I’m going to leave you with this verse since I’m in awe of the support that has come to our family. With my breast cancer, we had a handful of dear friends, but with this lung cancer, we have hundreds of angels. I don’t share this verse because I’m bragging about my relationship with God – that I always walk in faith or listen to God – He knows I have much room for improvement. However, it is my intention and goal to listen more daily, and walk closer to Him daily, and I feel because I’m working on it, this verse is for me right now. It can be for you too!

Deu. 28:2, “All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you because you have responded to the Voice of God, your GOD! (Message version)

Well, Mama Bear is ready for hybernation.  The family and house are prepared for my absense and it’s time for cycle #3.  By this Friday at 3pm, I’ll be HALF WAY DONE!

Today, I’ll have chemo, I’ll be able to eat with the family and check up on homework, and then I’ll go to bed early - maybe 7ish.

Tomorrow, I’ll have chemo, eat with the family, and then straight to bed.

Friday, I’ll have chemo and then straight to bed, and except for going “potty”, I won’t resurface until sometime Saturday night or Sunday morning.  During that time, you can have fun talking to me (if I can get the words out), but my mind is very foggy and I may say some hilarious things (I won’t remember).

Sunday is the day my body comes alive.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t do that very gracefully.  I’ll have my overheating, nausea (although I’m going to try another type of pill Saturday night to see if that helps), tinkling, dizziness and seeing spots, unable to walk well, lots of potty etc.

Monday, my body will finish waking up, my mind will start to reappear and I’ll make sense and be able to think and talk, and the light at the end of the tunnel will be shinning brighter.

I WILL COME OUT OF FULL HYBERNATION!  SO, if you want a laugh, call me between Friday night and Saturday. I can use prayers for Sunday and Monday.  If you want a “real” adult conversation, you’ll need to wait until Monday afternoon when my hybernation is completed (lol).

Praise God that I know He is my strength, my hope, my heavenly Daddy.  He will never leave me - He is holding my hand through my entire hybernation process.  You may not be going through hybernation - but you probably are going through something - we all do.  He can be the same for you!  All it takes is for you to ask Him.