Chemo #2 (How Great Is Our God)

One of my favorite praise songs is "How Great is Our God."

CHORUS Name above all names, You are Worthy of all praise, and My heart will sing how great is our God //CHORUS How great is our God, Sing with me, How great is our God, and all will see How great, How great is our God.

My heart is singing this song of praise this morning as I share the Amazing news of how the Chemo #2 experience played out for me yesterday. First of all, I had been through it before, so the anticipation and fear were gone, and I was much more relaxed and knew what to expect. When I first arrive, they do my bloodwork, and then we have to wait for almost an hour for all those results to come back. If all the bloodwork is good, then I can have chemo. Well, all my bloodwork was excellent yesterday! So we (Keith, Mom & Dad) went back to the chemo room and they got me ready to go. The chemo process takes just over two hours for the various drugs to drip through the IV. People were commenting on how perky I was when I arrived - but about an hour into the treatment, Little Miss Perky danced away and I turned into the little limp dishrag that is part of the first week of chemo treatment. I actually drifted off to sleep for about 10 minutes. It's just amazing how those strong meds zap your body so quickly.

But I enjoy parts of the event, too. I brought my prayer quilt for warmth - my daughter, Paige, commissioned some ladies in our church to quilt me a prayer blanket for my treatments, and it's just beautiful. There are threads tied throughout the blanket at the corners of the patches; each knot represents prayers they said for me as they made the quilt. Wow, what a treasured gift. I also brought my soft, cozy lavender house shoes Paige bought me - such a comfort while cuddled up in the chemo recliner. My daughter has it ALL going on when it come to pampering her Mom.

My mom came prepared this week with a goodie bag for us. My favorite bottled water, homemade cookies and brownies, PayDay candy bars, Cheet-Os, all the things she knew I liked to munch on. (No, I don't usually eat such junk food, but on chemo days, anything goes!) Since my appointment begins at 11:30 and goes until 3:30 or so, I miss lunch, so she came prepared with treats. It was so nice to have my favorite snacks there. THEN, she brought me some homemade chicken noodle soup last night for snacking. Yea, Mom!

Keith was able to bring his laptop and do some work while we sit and watch the IV drip. He also blows me lots of kisses (blush). And of course my Dad is always there for his wonderful moral support. I have such an amazing family to support me through this process and I love them so much for being with me through the tedious times.

Last night Paige got into to town just in time for dinner, and she is spending the weekend with us while Chance is floating the river in New Braunfels for a bachelor party for Mark, who was Chance's best man back in May.

Speaking of dinner last night - let me give a HUGE thank you to Shelley and Kelly Carson of the YAM's Sunday School department at Plymouth Park Baptist for our amazing dinner. Our SS department has graciously offered to bring us a meal on the Fridays when I have chemo treatments- this group of young people are obviously very special to me and Keith and I know the Lord will honor their giving hearts and acts of service. Anyway, Shelley and Kelly arrived with a huge pan of homemade lasagne, Italian-style green beans, gourmet salad, and two desserts - a cherry dump cake and a blackberry dump cake! Can you imagine? It was the most delicious meal and I want to say "I love you" to Kelly and Shelley for the time and love they put into our meal.

So, now to the AMAZING news about our GREAT GOD I alluded to back at the beginning. After my chemo round one I experienced a lot of fatigue (to be expected) and nausea, but the nausea stayed under control - I felt queasy and was only able to eat small meals, but I could live with it. The nausea lasted from the day of chemo (Friday) through the following Wednesday. The fatigue gradually improves but never entirely goes away. But I'm told the effects of chemo become cumulative, so I was expecting Week 2 to be tougher.

Here comes the miraculous, God is SO good part. After I left the hospital late yesterday afternoon, the nausea never appeared. I was able to enjoy Kelly and Shelley's dinner to the fullest. Of course, I was pretty zapped with fatigue, and spent the evening in my recliner, but I felt pretty darn good. I slept well last night, and this morning, I have only a slight smidgen of nausea hiding in the background. I am taking the one nausea drug that I am required to take today and Sunday, but not any of the other two or three backup nausea drugs - because I don't need them!

NOW, let me explain why I believe I am doing so incredibly well despite the fact that I am undergoing chemotherapy. Since my diagnosis on June 24, I have received 35 greeting cards and 15 emails from friends and family with such encouragement and promises of prayer for me in these days of treatment. Countless other friends and acquaintances at church are also praying for me. In addition, I have friends and family praying for me throughout Texas and in at least six other states. I believe that the prayers of the saints (YOU!) are lifting me up to the Father and he is honoring the prayers of the faithful.

James 5:15-16: "And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up....The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

It is with a humility of heart I cannot begin to describe that I thank you for caring enough for me and my family to cover us in your prayers. And I ask you to continue to do so! I have chemo scheduled again for August 8 and August 22 - assuming my blood counts remain high and healthy. So please pray for this specifically. After August, they will change me to a differnt chemo drug and the schedule will change - hopefully to every third Friday.

Paige created a prayer calendar for me for July and August, and we can mark out in a big red X the days I complete chemo treatments. But the verse for the coming week is a great verse for all of us this week:

Zephaniah 3:17: "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with His love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Let's remember to take time this week to be still and quiet in His presence and simply allow Him to love and rejoice over us, because He loves us so very much.

Just like I love each of YOU so very much. God is GOOD...All the time. And all the time...God is GOOD.