Saturday, December 31, 2011
Down the Rabbit Hole: Back Packing in the Wilderness:
Down the Rabbit Hole: Back Packing in the Wilderness:: I spoke with a dear friend today whose backpack has been loaded with the supplies she is going to need for the next year. It’s heavy, cumb...
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Down the Rabbit Hole: THe Voyage of Life
Down the Rabbit Hole: THe Voyage of Life: Thanks everyone for your encouragment. As I lay here in bed and think of all the friends I have and how happy I am. I am content where my l...
Friday, December 2, 2011
My Christmas Letter
December 2, 2011
Hello,
How does one start a Christmas letter off when so much has happened? It has been a very bumpy road for me in the last year. Every year I buy a Christmas decoration to help inspire me for the next year and to represent the year. Last year it was the Little Engine That Could. Like the story goes a little engine needs to get the toys over a large mountain for all the children on Christmas morning. Although he is small and the mountain tall he tries and with the encouragement of all the toys he makes it. July 2010 I started working as a Nursing Assistant at Dimondale Nursing Care Center and believed that although it was not were I wanted to be it was were God had planted me to be and I need to bloom where I was planted. However the good that came from that job was great. They saw my talents and began to train me in the HR dept., front office, supplies, medical records, and scheduling. I was told that perhaps in time I could move up to something more full time if the facility had more residents. January slipped by and soon March had arrived. I had the best birthday ever the cake was to die for and steak. mmmmm. That was the 15th, it was only 13 days latter that my whole world would be turned upside down. I found a small jellybean size lump under my left armpit. Before my doctor appointment a week latter it had grown to the size of a large marble. April 26 I had a biopsy and was told I had cancer. Believe me that was the farthest thing in my mind. April 29 it was confirmed that I had Breast cancer and it had spread from my breast to my lymph nodes. I had to have an MRI of the breasts to see if it had spread to the right breast. The good news it had not and was a spot in my left breast that needed to be biopsies. On May 20th I had a MRI needle biopsy and on Tuesday 24 was scheduled for surgery May 27. I was going to have a lumpectomy and a few lymph nodes removed. However again things turned downwards when I discovered the day before my surgery that there were several lumps in my left breast and several lymph nodes involved. I chose then to have a left breast mastectomy and my lymph nodes removed, also a chemotherapy port placed in my right breast area. From April to the end of May work was great and everyone I worked with was so supportive. The one thing that came back to me time and time again was how strong I was, how calm, and organized I was as well. It was easy to share that it was not me that should be given the credit but God above. In those 8 weeks, which seemed like more he had given me peace. My surgery was successful and was home on Saturday. I barely was home when a tornado warning was issued and I had to race to the basement. UGH!!!! The power was out for a few days and I was home again. On June 1st found me in the ER with a high fever and my white blood count almost tripled. I was in the cardiac unit for 3 days with a grand stay at Ingham Medical Center of 4 days. Although they were sure the infection was not from the surgery site, they thought it may have been either a bladder infection or bowl. I responded well to antibiotics and was glad to be home. In a few weeks after more testing I was told that I had stage 4 cancer, grade 3 it had spread to my lymph nodes in my groin, 2 spots in my spine, and my left chest wall area. That had to of been one of my darkest moments. I cried to God to remove this cup from me, I had friends and family pray for me and was even anointed with oil. I had a bone scan done and for the first time in months I had good news the cancer had not spread to my spine and after more test the groin lymph node was just an infection and perhaps the reason of the hospital stay as well. I was down graded to stage 3b grade 3. That is when I made some very difficult chooses. I wanted to fight this cancer with all my might and give it 100%. To do this I sold my car, paid off my debts, and applied for Social Security Disability. I am now 24 weeks in to my chemotherapy and the medical staff are all amazed at how well I am doing and look. The support I have received from St. Matthew, The Fringe, Friends, Family, and the people in Mason has been wonderful. Although I have a more than a year to go, I know that through all of this Gods glory with be seen.
I don’t know what my future holds for me if after this treatment I will be cancer free or not. My hesitation does not reflect the faith I have in God because with him all things are possible. I know he can heal me, however I don’t know what he has for me. Perhaps that is were real faith lies. Not knowing but believing that He will not give me more than I can handle and perhaps not knowing gives me a better incentive to truly live my life out loud and full. To give a lot, Laugh often, and love with out fear. That is the new future that he has given me. I wish that for everyone who reads this will do the same.
God Bless
Lynne Lindsay
Isaiah 55:8-9
Roman 8: 38-39
Psalms 139: 23-24
Hello,
How does one start a Christmas letter off when so much has happened? It has been a very bumpy road for me in the last year. Every year I buy a Christmas decoration to help inspire me for the next year and to represent the year. Last year it was the Little Engine That Could. Like the story goes a little engine needs to get the toys over a large mountain for all the children on Christmas morning. Although he is small and the mountain tall he tries and with the encouragement of all the toys he makes it. July 2010 I started working as a Nursing Assistant at Dimondale Nursing Care Center and believed that although it was not were I wanted to be it was were God had planted me to be and I need to bloom where I was planted. However the good that came from that job was great. They saw my talents and began to train me in the HR dept., front office, supplies, medical records, and scheduling. I was told that perhaps in time I could move up to something more full time if the facility had more residents. January slipped by and soon March had arrived. I had the best birthday ever the cake was to die for and steak. mmmmm. That was the 15th, it was only 13 days latter that my whole world would be turned upside down. I found a small jellybean size lump under my left armpit. Before my doctor appointment a week latter it had grown to the size of a large marble. April 26 I had a biopsy and was told I had cancer. Believe me that was the farthest thing in my mind. April 29 it was confirmed that I had Breast cancer and it had spread from my breast to my lymph nodes. I had to have an MRI of the breasts to see if it had spread to the right breast. The good news it had not and was a spot in my left breast that needed to be biopsies. On May 20th I had a MRI needle biopsy and on Tuesday 24 was scheduled for surgery May 27. I was going to have a lumpectomy and a few lymph nodes removed. However again things turned downwards when I discovered the day before my surgery that there were several lumps in my left breast and several lymph nodes involved. I chose then to have a left breast mastectomy and my lymph nodes removed, also a chemotherapy port placed in my right breast area. From April to the end of May work was great and everyone I worked with was so supportive. The one thing that came back to me time and time again was how strong I was, how calm, and organized I was as well. It was easy to share that it was not me that should be given the credit but God above. In those 8 weeks, which seemed like more he had given me peace. My surgery was successful and was home on Saturday. I barely was home when a tornado warning was issued and I had to race to the basement. UGH!!!! The power was out for a few days and I was home again. On June 1st found me in the ER with a high fever and my white blood count almost tripled. I was in the cardiac unit for 3 days with a grand stay at Ingham Medical Center of 4 days. Although they were sure the infection was not from the surgery site, they thought it may have been either a bladder infection or bowl. I responded well to antibiotics and was glad to be home. In a few weeks after more testing I was told that I had stage 4 cancer, grade 3 it had spread to my lymph nodes in my groin, 2 spots in my spine, and my left chest wall area. That had to of been one of my darkest moments. I cried to God to remove this cup from me, I had friends and family pray for me and was even anointed with oil. I had a bone scan done and for the first time in months I had good news the cancer had not spread to my spine and after more test the groin lymph node was just an infection and perhaps the reason of the hospital stay as well. I was down graded to stage 3b grade 3. That is when I made some very difficult chooses. I wanted to fight this cancer with all my might and give it 100%. To do this I sold my car, paid off my debts, and applied for Social Security Disability. I am now 24 weeks in to my chemotherapy and the medical staff are all amazed at how well I am doing and look. The support I have received from St. Matthew, The Fringe, Friends, Family, and the people in Mason has been wonderful. Although I have a more than a year to go, I know that through all of this Gods glory with be seen.
I don’t know what my future holds for me if after this treatment I will be cancer free or not. My hesitation does not reflect the faith I have in God because with him all things are possible. I know he can heal me, however I don’t know what he has for me. Perhaps that is were real faith lies. Not knowing but believing that He will not give me more than I can handle and perhaps not knowing gives me a better incentive to truly live my life out loud and full. To give a lot, Laugh often, and love with out fear. That is the new future that he has given me. I wish that for everyone who reads this will do the same.
God Bless
Lynne Lindsay
Isaiah 55:8-9
Roman 8: 38-39
Psalms 139: 23-24
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