Thanks For Blessings Granted

8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

I love how our prayers bring God glory for a number of reasons. But today is a day it does so in the spirit of verse 11...that the many who have begged for mercy get to praise Him for blessings granted. My oncologist and friend Kent's pathology report came back with no sign of a viable tumor. Praise and thank You Living God for Your mercy!

Update 2.22

Hi!

Well...my blood counts were too low for chemo today. I did get some fluids to try to help with hydration and healing from the previous treatments. Obviously it's not good that I had to miss a treatment but I have to say I was THRILLED! I have and still do feel so badly that the thought of another chemo treatment today was almost unthinkable to me. So I have a two week break before another treatment, which means Jesus has 2 weeks to come back before more chemo. Obviously I am highly sensitive to infection since my counts are so low. The nurse said "no malls, no church, no kids" for me this week to avoid infection. Please pray for significant healing the next couple weeks. I have only gotten a brief report on Kent's surgery but as far as I know all went well.

Love,
Kathy

Update 2.21

Hi!

Wanted to send a quick reminder to ask for prayers for my chemo on Monday, February 22. Unfortunately the end of the week ended up being pretty rough for me and I'm heading in incredibly weak. I narrowly escaped a visit to the hospital Friday night for dehydration due to lots of issues with vomiting and haven't eaten a normal meal all week.

Also, please pray for Kent. He's having his surgery on Monday as well. Hopefully, if the surgery shows that the treatment has worked, this can be the last big hurdle in his treatment. Pray for successful, uncompleted surgery and a great report.

Thanks!

Love,
Kathy

Update 2.18

Hi!

I wanted to take a minute to update you on my week.

I did get chemo. My white counts were still not good and Kent said he'd probably lower the amount of Gemzar next week but went ahead with the full amount this week...much to my dismay since I asked and hoped for less! :) Thus I called my parents and they got on their flight (they weren't going to if I didn't have chemo. They would've waited until next week to come). The flight was so smooth that they were already at my house when I got home.

Kent also reminded me that the 2nd cycle is sometimes the easiest cycle because your body has had the chemo once and "knows what to do" but the cumulative effect of the multiple chemos that I'll experience in cycles 3 and 4 isn't here yet. I am relieved that this week has been some easier than the first time. I am still sensitive to light, sound, and taste but not quite as much as last time. I can watch TV some or have a small light on in the room and not have to be in the dark all the time! And even though I still feel really badly, I haven't had any of the "I feel like I'm gonna die" moments which were so terrible last time. Praise God! It's definitely not been fun but I'll take all the improvement I can get!

Thanks for all the prayers and support!

Love,
Kathy

Update 2.14

Hi!

I wanted to send a quick update as it's been a while since I've emailed.

This past week was a non-chemo week for me. Yipee! It was definitely a much more pleasant week than the previous two. I am still very tired and limited but could get out a couple times a day which was nice. I am grateful for a week off for some healing for my leg, abdomen, and port. All have improved though they all still hurt.

I head back for more carboplatin on Monday, assuming my counts are up. I have to admit that I approach Monday with far more dread than I did my first chemo. The first time I knew my body might tolerate it ok but this time I know that my body will not and have tasted how tough the next two weeks will be.

A few things that I'd love prayer for:
The chemo to kill all the cancer cells
Complete healing from the surgeries (I see the doctor on Monday to see how my body is healing)
Relief from the head neck, and back pain I've experienced the past 2.5 years (the past two days have been rough)
Minimal side effects from the chemo meds.
Endurance, faith, and strength for the weeks ahead

Thanks so much for all the prayers. They sustain me more than you know.

Love,
Kathy

Adding Some Pictures

Since everyone has fun pictures on their blog I decided I needed to join in... :)

Owen (my nephew) was recently the star of his Christmas program. After his class' performance, the class was supposed to stand quietly while another class joined Owen's class on stage. Even though his class stood quietly and the pianst was playing another song, Owen sang (by himself) his class' song again loudly enough to be heard in the whole sanctuary. Undaunted by the teachers trying to "shush" him, he sang the song with motions not once but twice.

Austin (Owen's cousin and my nephew) has recently started sleeping in his closet just for fun. When asked why by his mom he said, "Because it's comfortable in there." She looked in to see all the pillows and blankets he'd drug into the closet and admitted that it now does look comfortable.

This is Beth's (Austin's sister and my niece) excited face. She is never seen out of the house without a hair bow...and she prefers big hair bows to small ones!

A Reminder I Didn't Want But Needed

This morning (ok, it’s actually early afternoon but my body needs extra sleep so I just got up). Anyway, this early afternoon I am grateful for truth. At numerous moments in the past two months it has held up when nothing else has.

Shortly after my diagnosis, I sat across the lunch table from my friend Jennifer and told her I wanted someone from the persecuted church in China to walk through this with me. I knew the journey would be hard, the suffering would be seemingly unbearable at times, and I was afraid that without someone yelling truth into my ear I would fail.

My fear was magnified because I know that some of the ways we tend to handle suffering here in the US don’t work. We want to smile at someone and guarantee their healing and encourage them that their faithfulness to God has “earned” them some sort of pass. It’s because we just want to encourage them but it’s not true. Only God knows the end of my journey or anyone else’s and I guarantee you my faltering faithfulness hasn’t earned me anything. It only takes about two seconds of real suffering for that mode of handling suffering to fall apart. On the other side, there are also the times we hurt for someone so badly that we slip into a desperation that doesn’t help either. We act like there’s no hope in sight. But the cross and the resurrection are true so there’s never a place for total hopelessness. Our despair on their behalf doesn’t help them in their suffering either.

I needed this reminder because this morning I wanted answers from God that aren’t consistent with His Word and plan. I wanted things to happen and Him to promise things according to my desires instead of His. I asked Him questions and looked in His Word and found not what I want find but the truth instead. At the moment I am a little frustrated and irritated because I still want my way. But I am reminded that in the epicenter of suffering, anything less than 100% truth is useless at best and a temptation to doubt God at the worst. As much as I “want” my way, I hear the Chinese persecuted believer yelling in my ear. “Kathy, you’ll never make it if you cling to anything other than God and His Word. No US cultural Christianity platitudes or desires of your heart inconsistent with God’s keep you alive in the fire. Only Him. Only truth. That’s your only hope.” Spirit…thanks for the reminder. Please make me heart wrap around what my head knows is true. Thanks for your mercy.

Email 2/2/10

Hi!

I wanted to send a quick update on my visit to the doctor yesterday. The genetic counselor was sick so we had to postpone for a few weeks. Additionally, my white blood cell count was too low to receive the full amount of chemo meds I was supposed to receive yesterday. Therefore, I only got 1/2 the amount of meds I was slated to receive. My body is at risk of infection so I am to stay away from all crowds and sick folks. The steroids I receive with the chemo kept me up all night (until about 5am this time). I am feeling poorly but (as of yet) not as bad as last week.Praise God! I head back to chemo on February 15 to start my 2nd cycle of chemo (I have 4 cycles). That's when I'll have the carboplatin again (if Jesus hasn't returned!). I'm also praying that during next two weeks my body can make significant progress in healing from all the surgeries. My upper right leg still hurts when I move it (nerves had to be moved to get a lymph node and that can take several months to heal), my port still hurts, and my abdomen is still sore (on the 15th the doctor will check to see how everything is healing).

Also, Ashlee and Ally made a blog for me. As of yet I've only added the things I've typed in emails. As my stamina increases I'll hope to occasionally add to the blog. You can check it out at kathyharrelson.blogspot.com if you'd like.

Thanks for the prayers.

Love,
Kathy