Learn Grow and Teach Others

Learn, Grow and Teach Others

It's 3:40 a.mm; I have not been able to sleep tonight. My mind is wandering all over the place. I'm not allowed to eat or drink anything until after my surgery today, and actually, that would be no big deal except that I don't have to be at Mayo Hospital for check-in until 1p.m. this afternoon. I'm not exactly sure what time my date with Dr. Kreymerman starts in the operating room... sure hope he doesn't stand me up again this time.... haha. 

This migraine headache of mine does not want to surrender. Wholly Toledo, it won't go away, I'm sure the pain in my hips is still there, but this past few days, I have been taking so much migraine medicine it has helped it to subside a little....just a tiny blessing I like to call a Tender Mercy.

I constantly receive emails from women dealing with cancer who have been searching the web for information and come across my blog or who have been given my blog as a suggestion from one of their friends. I always read them and respond, and have become quite close with a lot of these women, I never physically met any of them but one, but still the same, I love them all. This past week as I was journaling on the blog probably complaining about something ha ha ha, I also received an email from a woman who lives in another state (most of them do). She is going through her chemo treatments right now and was asking me some questions about when I went through it, I answered her questions based on my experience and waited to hear back, a few days later I heard her story:

"I was in a car accident 5 years ago and lost my two-year-old daughter. Two weeks later my husband committed suicide, Meanwhile, I was in the hospital for 5 months and at Walton Rehab for 6 months. I didn't have a clue about anything until two months after the fact - anyway, I've been through A LOT - but what I'm trying to get at is I have PTSD and that with the anxiety is insane!
I live alone, but my brother and his wife and my 14-month-old niece and nephew have been staying with me for about three months; they're both retired and are supposed to live in Utah, but it's so lovely being able to have them here. I don't think I could do this by myself. My thoughts and prayers will be with you on Tuesday while you go through surgery. I am having chemo on Wednesday. May God, Bless us both.

I also ran into a friend who I have not spoken to for quite a long time last week. She asked me about my treatments and how I was doing and then told me that she reads my blog and enjoys it. How sweet, I am always amazed when I hear that people actually read what I have to say, because to me it's really not that interesting. 

One of her sons left on a mission in Dec 2008 (which means he will be home in 2 months). Soon after he left, one of her other sons was diagnosed with Lou Garrick's disease (not sure of the spelling) at the time her son was a Mesa Police Officer with a wife and 4 children, since then his family had another child. The diagnosis came with the bad news that he would probably only live for 1-1/2 to 2 years. He is now confined to a wheelchair and only speaks in a whisper. Tears came to my eyes as she talked about him blessing his newest child. She laid on his lap on a pillow and he whispered the words of the blessing he desired for his child to have. The prayer for that family is that he will make it until December. It will be a sweet reunion when her son returns from his earthly home, maybe just in time to see his older brother begin his eternal calling. 

I was amazed at her strength, and wondered how much power I could have known one of my children was going to die, learning as a mother you have mended scrapes and cuts, kissed away a boo-boo, changed diapers, bathed, fed, and hugged that child, taught them right from wrong, watched them struggle through the teen years, supported them on missions or other decisions they chose, college, marriage, and grandchildren.....it goes on and on. I have said it before and I will say it again, "it's not how you start the race that really matters, it's how you finish it" we can do hard things, and my friend and her family are doing hard things right now, but the truth of the matter is LIFE CAN BE HARD, it's what you choose to do with the trial that will either break your spirit or make it stronger---Learn, Grow, and Teach Others May the Lord Bless and Watch over you and your family right now ♥

The Lesson for me this week as I ponder now about both of these stories, the Lord put these 2 women in my life this week for a reason, if my surgery would have not been canceled on Tuesday I would have never read the 1st email for at least a week and I needed to hear their stories. I needed to be reminded, that life is hard and we all need those hard things in our lives to help us grow stronger, to help us be better people, what a teachable moment I had with both of these women, thank you so much.

Today as I deal with my anxiety before going on my date with Dr. Kreymerman, I will take my own advice and say to myself
"you can do hard things" I am going into surgery clinging to a picture of my sweet grandson, with a prayer in my heart "please Heavenly Father, help me be strong, so I can learn, grow and teach others