Above and Beyond

 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" 

Colossians 3:23

There is a tendency in all of us to just go through the motions of whatever job it is that we have been called to do.  However, I (as a Breast Cancer patient) have the unique opportunity to experience the amazing good that people are willing to do.  I am not just referring to my friends and family who have poured out so much love to me, but I am also talking about those that are working in positions that required their paths to cross mine over the last few months.  I think back to the compassion that I felt from the two sonogram techs, Jennifer and Amy as they told me that I likely had Breast Cancer at the very beginning of my journey.  I remember the commitment of my Nurse Navigator, Amy V. as she has made herself available to me at all hours of the day in an effort to let me know she is walking alongside of me from the beginning of this journey to its end.  I realize how completely blessed I am that I have Dr. Garg as my Oncologist because of his amazing blend of intelligence and compassion for his patients. Then I think about the wonderful staff at Asbury Community Christian Preschool who are not only taking extra care in helping our son, Koa as his mommy is going through some changes but also took the time to make me a quilt to comfort me during my chemo treatments. I recall our electrician, Troy who came out to help us with what we thought was an electrical problem but has committed to helping us get our Air Conditioning working again. And lastly, as I sit in my special warming chair receiving my first chemo treatment, I am so grateful for a staff of caring nurses at the Infusion Center that work to make me as comfortable as possible. I chose physical therapy because I wanted to spend time with people that had a need and to make a difference in their lives.  Because of this journey I have been on the receiving end of that and can’t express the effect that it has had on me. I pray that this is a lasting impression that I will carry with me as I return to work. I pray also that those reading this would be reminded of the importance of the position they hold (and grateful to have one). Whether you are a mom of young kids, a healthcare professional, or salesperson, you have the opportunity to minister to people no matter what line of work you are in.  

 As I mentioned, I am writing this as I receive my first Chemotherapy treatment. I realized that I failed to update CaringBridge about our decision. We decided to go with the most aggressive treatment possible, which is the TAC regimen. I will have six treatments every three weeks, which will go through mid-January.  My treatments are about 4 hours long and include various anti-nausea medications followed by the three Chemo drugs Taxotere, Adriamycin (“Red Devil”) and Cytoxan all given through an IV. For now I am grateful for a few hours to just sit and relax with Blake in the midst of a busy week of appointments.  As we continue along the journey, we will just pray for minimal side effects and that my body stands up well to it.