Even Still I Will Worship

I just returned back from Rochester after having my 100 day final check up. In these appointments they look at my progress to see how I am doing after my stem cell transplant. I had labs done as well as a new PET scan to see if there is anything lighting up that shouldn’t be. These past couple months, I have been very confident that things are going well. In fact, I feel pretty normal now, outside of some minor lingering fatigue. Even though I was confident these tests will have great results, there was still this little tiny shred of fear that would nip at me once in a while. “What if it my cancer comes back? What if there are still some signs that it hasn’t completely gone a way? What if…” Well ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to report:

Gosh it feels good to say that! My labs and scans were so good that they have decided to “graduate me” from the BMT team (Bone Marrow Transplant). This means that I am being transferred back to my regular lymphoma group for routine follow ups that will occur every 3 months for the foresseable future. It’s a bittersweet thing, as I am excited to be doing so well, but I will miss the doctors/nurses that I met in that team! They were absolutely a top notch group of people who knew their stuff and showed genuine care for their patients. They were always one step ahead of the process, careful in their decision making, and were always available for any question I had. Absolutely impressed.

As mentioned, I will now go back for regular check ups every 3 months. There they will do labs and physical examinations to look for any signs of cancer reoccurrence. I am believing in Jesus’s name and praying that my cancer will not return! Eventually, as things continue to look good, these checkups will go to 6 months, then yearly. The last thing on my docket is to redo the immunizations I had as a child. Since my immune system was literally wiped out and reset during the transplant, they will need to be redone. I am safely able to do them in about 3 months.

One thing I know…

I am a living testimony to God’s faithfulness, providence, miracle producing healing power, and his genuine love for people. I don’t say this lightly, but I couldn’t have gotten through this without him. He was there with me every step of the process, with an ever-present, inescapable peace that carried me through the good moments, the dark times, the lonely nights when my mind was left to wander, and the encouragement and support of those around me. I never really felt alone, and I never really felt scared. I look back and can see how there were things in my life that God had already lined up to prep me for this experience. If there is one thing I cannot stress enough is how much God is real, how good he really is, and how much he cares. A love that is unconditional, unfathomable, and beyond what I deserve.

Focusing on the future

I’m looking ahead and excited of what that may bring. I am actively looking for jobs and getting interviews lined up. If you know of anyone who needs a new administrative assistant, send me a note! I also turn 40 next year, and that is a milestone that is beyond my comprehension. I have so much I want to do; go on road trips, sightsee the local areas I never see, delve more into my hobbies, serve in my church and volunteer more in my community. I’m grateful to have a future to look forward to, to see what God can do in my life and those around me, and to have a life to live. I have immense gratitude for you all. You have stuck by me from the very beginning. Thank you for being with me on this journey and offering endless support. It has meant the world to me. I’m not always the best at showing it, but the sentiments are true, I could not have done it without you.