July 16, 2004 – Jesus said, “And surely I am with you ALWAYS, to the very end of the age!”

I have lots of things to share with you. I was so exhausted last night that I didn't stay up to update you all. I know you are anxious to hear what is happening.

First of all, I felt so honored to be a patient at First Hill Diagnostics. I got to personally meet with Dr. Bruce Porter, a highly acclaimed pioneer in breast MRI. He was a very straight-shooter, which was exactly what I needed. If you knew the things that had to happen in order for me to be sent to Capitol Hill, it would blow you away. These are "God things" as we often say at our church. There is no such thing as a coincidence!

Anyway, on to the medical talk. After the MRI, they asked me to stay in the area and come back at 3:30 for an ultrasound. (I was so thankful that Jill had gone with me because we had two hours to wait, so we went to lunch and walked around Capitol Hill. We needed the time to just be together, so it turned out to be a really nice time.) So, I had the ultrasound and then Dr. Porter came into the room to discuss his findings on the MRI and the ultrasound. Here are the main points of our discussion:

1. He was able to see the remaining parts of the tumor on both the MRI and the ultrasound. It remains in two areas opposite each other.

2. One lymph node is being called 'abnormal'. The others look fine. I have a hematoma from the first surgery (basically, this is a collection of blood that would eventually be reabsorbed into my body if left alone). The lymph nodes help to make this happen, so it could be that the lymph node that looks abnormal is just working harder as a result of the hematoma. Even if this lymph node is the only one that the cancer has affected, this is good news because it is going to be removed anyway. (Outta there!)

3. I told him the decision I had made regarding surgery and he completely confirmed it as being "a great idea". This was such a breath of fresh air for me because everyone in the medical field has been very careful about their personal opinions. He also confirmed my concerns about future recurrences.

4. I asked him about the delay in getting surgery because of wanting to know everything I could first. He said the tumor has been there 2-3 YEARS and making a good decision is more important than rushing into surgery. Two weeks over a span of 3 years is a short time and even with a high grade (fast growing) tumor, this is not a problem. When I heard this, I knew I would be able to sleep last night!

I can't begin to tell you how many times I felt God's presence with me yesterday. Having Jill with me, the music they played during the MRI, the gentle nature of everyone there, the answers I got…. those are all serving as tangible reminders of God's truth that He will ALWAYS be with me. (Matthew 28:20) Thank you again for your prayers and encouragement. They mean so much to me right now!

I'll keep you updated. At this point, surgery has been rescheduled for July 28 to allow time next week for meeting with plastic surgeons and coming up with a 'grand plan'. We would appreciate your prayers on making these choices.

In closing (phew!), when I was taken into the MRI room, I was asked what kind of music I enjoy. I told them I like Christian music. They ended up playing the Casting Crowns CD in my headphones. This is one of my favorite CDs right now and has the most amazing lyrics I've heard in a long time. I highly recommend it! Here are some lyrics from my favorite song on the CD, entitled "Voice of Truth".

Oh, what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me time and time again,
"Boy (girl?), you'll never win! You'll never win!"

But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me,
I WILL CHOOSE TO LISTEN AND BELIEVE THE VOICE OF TRUTH!

Praise God! He is the Voice of Truth and has spoken loud and clear to me this week. Thank you for helping make that happen with your prayers!