Thankful for a wonderful Christmas break with family!

Feeling great - really!
Weight is holding steady
Gaining some strength back --walking 3.7 miles several times a week (first mile is all uphill!) - huffing and puffing, but doing it!  
Still get tired and need a nap - that's not so great, but I tell myself it is healing!
Finished last round of xeloda-hands and feet are healing up a bit but still clumsy and cracked

So how am I really? We were so blessed to have Paul make it here for Christmas eve services and then after Christmas, Karl and family arrived along with Paul's sweetheart, Catie for a week!  It was a full, happy, busy household!  The house is very, very, very quiet after they all left!  Several long naps were definitely in order!  There was great food (thank you Todd!) much laughter, many games, silliness, excursions, walks, park visits, good conversations as well as help with decorating and streamlining several different closets!  (Todd posted some pictures)
It is hard to put into words the thankfulness, joy and blessing I felt to be able to participate in the fun -- to have energy to play and be a part of things.  
It was impossible not to remember how sick and weak I was and to give thanks over and over for God's blessings of healing and strength, as shown in the PET results!  I truly feel like a miracle!  

Thank you for the "calling upon me" y'all have done on my behalf!  It seems the best way to honor God is to let you know what He has done ---how great I feel and to let you know that your prayers made a difference!  



Fear continues to try and work on me --Continuing to wrestle with the "waiting for the other shoe to fall" feeling.  I vividly remember feeling really good in May last year - feeling like I had a great plan in place and was gonna fight this thing hard and win against it.... and then the down hill slide started....

When this happens, I remember a quote from an older lady who had some pretty sever health challenges -- "Fear knocked. Faith answered. No one was there!"  
It is a daily challenge! 

On the medical front, I have an appointment next week with my oncologist.  She wants me to do full blown chemo.  This still does not feel like the direction I am supposed to go sooooooo -
prayers please that we are able to convince her to leave me on the low dose chemo as Oasis of Hope recommended. 
(If she orders it, insurance pays for it - otherwise we have to pay for it - to the tune of $1584 for 2 weeks worth of medicine [that's what insurance pays - our bill may be more :(  !!!] Yikes!Getting it from Oasis of Hope is another option, but again, out of pocket vs thru insurance.)
I am anticipating that she will not like this at all and will fight us on it.  Praying God paves the way - His will be done....

Closing with deep thankfulness and praise from Ps 103...
Bless the Lord oh my soul - All that is within me, praise his holy name.
Bless the Lord oh my soul and forget not all his benefits --
  who forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases
  who redeems my life from the pit and crowns me with love and compassion
  who satisfies my desires with good things so my youth is renewed like the eagle's...

Thanks for checkin' in!  We are so thankful for you!!!

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