SO YOU THINK YOU HAVE NO HOPE?

On May 19th I posted a blog about my friend Heather who live in Van Wert, Ohio.  She was getting chemo for her triple negative breast cancer that had advanced to stage four.  The chemo was not helping and she was told to get her affairs in order.  She did not give up hope.  She kept her faith that there would be healing for her.  I am going to repost my response to her as well as a message I received last week from her through FACEBOOK.


From "The Spec on a Pig's Butt"...blog from May 19th

Live each day to its fullest. NONE of us know when our last day will be. I am sorry it was so exhausting for you. Keep the faith and know you are healed. Just make up your mind and live your life. Put this cancer behind you. Just think of it as over. If there is something else you can do, then God will show you. In the meantime, you don't have to worry about it, because it is in God's hands not yours. Give it up to him and feel released from that burden. Tell God it is all his and if he wants you to take action in any way other than what you are doing now, to show you and make it clear. Pray for discernment to know when God is speaking. There are hundreds of prayers going up for you so don't worry. Now start living your life and enjoy every minute. Don't let this disease steal one more minute of another day with worry. God is way bigger. I truly believe that Satan is using these people, like the nurse who gave you your Neulasta shot, and maybe even the doctor... stumbling over her words. That is just Satan trying to give you the spirit of fear. Now you need to laugh at his ugly face and tell him your God is greater and by the blood of Jesus and by his stripes you are healed. Tell Satan he is messing with the wrong girl because in Christ you have no fear and "all things are possible with him who gives me strength". You tell that scum Satan that you will NOT be afraid and he is a little tiny wimpy stinky spec of dirt on a sweaty pigs butt. His "powers" are nothing compared to the works and the miracles God performs every day. And healing your cancer is nothing compared to so many of God's miracles. Satan, this is Penny, and if you are reading these words you are so stupid to think you have any way of stealing my sister Heather's hope, faith, or joy. You might as well go run and hide in Jesus' name because Heather is a strong woman of faith and when she feels weak, God has given her people like me to help pick her up again. He has given her an army of prayer warriors that are praying for her and cursing your name.....Now Heather, tell Satan to be gone in Jesus' name...and he can take his fear with him and shove it up his pitched forked tail! OK, now if the little booger decides to come back...now you know how to talk to him. I love you!---(Penny)

So many of you have wondered how she is doing since then. She made drastic changes in her diet, strengthened her faith, and eventually ended up at Cancer Treatment Centers of American in Zion, Illinois.  This is the message I received from her last week. 

Hey girl...thinking and praying for you my pink warrior girlfriend.....I hope this email finds you well. I have some good news to share w/ you...Dr. Citrin says that I am going into remission w/ my cancer and it is going to be long term !!!!!! My ctc have been a "0" the last 4 times.......they started out @ a 92 ! How amazing is our God Penny :) He is the ultimate physician !!!! I am going to have another chemo of carboplatin/ gemzar this Wed.....and another one on Sept. 8th. !!!!! I am so happy that I am responding Penny:) Yippeee :) Thank you for all your blessed prayers my friend.....pls. keep them coming.....Prayer is Powerful :) God Bless you and Love ya~ Pls. keep me posted on your dx :) Sending positive energy and peace your way......Love U ~ Heather Lynne

So my point is...God is the ultimate physician.  If you are stage four with any kind of cancer, do not let Satan steal your hope, faith, or joy.  Do not listen to doctors who have only negative to say.  God is way more powerful than any other physician, even those with the highest knowledge and deepest faith and greatest intentions.  Heather's words have been copied and pasted with her permission.  If you would like to read more about this go to May 19th's blog.  Thanks Heather for letting me share your exciting news of God's miracles.  Until next time my friends...

Sharing An Amazing Video...The Scar Project

My good friend Pat Quintal sent me this link.  It is an amazing video which features some very courageous women who are all survivors.

After watching this...I don't have much to say today.  Please leave your comments and turn up your speakers.  There is some great music in this video. Until next time my friends...


.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI5w6Bv5eZs

In Limbo Land

Limbo land...that is where I am at today.  I am glad for the break, glad I am finished with chemo.  Now I am waiting to start radiation.  First I am seeing a urologist to deal with this mystery phantom UTI which the doctors say isn't that at all.  Even though I have taken over 50 antibiotic pills, they say I have no infection.  I do however have unexplained pain.  I did look up on the internet what the symptoms of bladder cancer are and they are the same as a urinary tract infection.  Of course the doctors hate it when you do this (as does my husband).  They think you are paranoid and that you think every little ache and pain is the cancer spreading.  No, doctors, I am not paranoid.  However, I have been dealing with this pain and UTI symptoms for over ten weeks without any answers or solutions.   The nurse who said it definitely was NOT cancer would not give me a referral to a urologist (she works directly for my oncologist and surgeon).  I asked her how she knew it wasn't cancer.  She acted irrated that I even asked.  Here's the deal, I doubt that it is the cancer spreading, but I do think I deserve to know how she is so sure. I remember a radiologist that read my mammogram and sonogram that was so sure my "lumps" were not cancer either!   She said I had to go to my regular doctor and get a referral.  PLEASE!!!!  So what they are telling me is they can treat me with strong antibiotics (ones that happen to cause lung damage as a major side effect).  They can give me numerous tests, switch my antibiotics back and forth, give me chemo for cancer, but you can't send me to a urologist for symptoms that started during my cancer treatments.  I have to go to my regular doctor for this, who happens to be a nurse practitioner.  As a matter of fact, I think she is the only person I have seen who doesn't think I'm a raving paranoid idiot.  Carol Dvorack, the only person I completely trust at this point in my medical journey with this cancer.  She listens to me, takes the information and makes an informed decision based on her knowledge AND what information I am giving her.  She is the one who told me to see Mary Brian, my breast surgeon.  This was after I told her that I thought the radiologist did not know what he was doing by telling me to come back in six months after my mammo and sonogram.  She did not think I was paranoid, and it is a good thing since two weeks later I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, with grade 3 tumors dividing and replicating at a 90% proliferation rate.  Normal breast cancer tumors are at 10-20%.  Being your own advocate for your own health care is a must.  I am so sick of doctors who think they are God and think that the patient's knowledge has no value.  I may have not gone to medical school, but I know when something is not right in my body.  Which brings me to this.  When I visited with the plastic surgeon in San Antonio, I had to take all my medical records and every test with me to give them.  The scan of my kidneys showed a 4 mm kidney stone that was not blocking anything at the time of the scan.  So you think that since I have been having unexplained symptoms of a UTI for over ten weeks now...probably more like twelve, with negative urine test for bacterial infection, they might have looked at the scans of the kidneys and urinary tracts.  Just a thought, people!  Maybe it is totally unrelated, but nurse (I will refrain from mentioning her name)...please don't act like I am paranoid and know nothing.  By the way, I was never told about the kidney stone by anyone.  I get it, I have cancer...it is not important at this point.  But it would have been nice to know and I guarantee this nurse has no idea.  Oh well, I guess I am irritable.  This is probably because Diagnostic Health in Keller who did my mammo and sono called me to confirm my six month follow-up (the one that the radiologist ordered who said I had 3 benign "nodules").  I explained to the lady that I just finished chemo and I had no breast at this point and would never be back there again.  So I had never cancelled the appointment; I have been busy.  So the lady who confirms all the appointments called me and we had a discussion.  She was actually very nice.  I cried when the conversation ended.  I guess if I had not followed my instincts, I would be dead right now or I would be finding out on monday that I had stage 4 breast cancer.  I have learned to count my blessings.  God has given me a strong gift of discernment.  We have had so many blessings the past six months.  There are too many to count.  But I know they have been plentiful.  Thank you Lord!  Until next time my friends...

Getting Back to "Normal"

Well friends, I hope everyone is well.  I have been recovering from the last chemo session, and I am starting to feel more "normal" everyday.  Of course, this is a new "normal".  There is a normal that one has before a life threatening illness and all the treatments that go with it, and then there is a new "normal" that you experience after cancer, chemo, and the likes.  I am shooting for the new normal that I hope life will bring me closer to everyday. My strength is growing everyday with little reminders here and there that I can't do all that I once was used to doing. 

I have been enjoying this little break...the "after chemo, but before radiation".  It's a limbo-land that I wish would last a little longer.  I am enjoying time with my kids, and still finding time to rest everyday.  I am enjoying not being in pain any longer and starting to be able to do more and more.  I think of all the people that have prayed for me and I thank them.  I know there are so many that have and still do everyday.  I know things could have been so much harder without the prayers of so many people.  Thank you to everyone and most of all thank you to my wonderful husband who has been there for me in so many ways.  He has been my hero.  Thank you to my girls who have shown me what the word "courageous" really means.  Thank you to my mother-n-law for all her hard work and efforts taking such good care of me and being there for surgery, chemos, and so much more.  My friends and co-workers at the salon, I could not have made it without you guys.  My sisters, I love you both and thank God that you have been there for me.  The Garden Friends....your prayers have a direct line to heaven I do believe.  And for everyone out there you know who you are...thank you for your prayers.  They have been heard, and God has got me through this far, and I thank everyone.  Until next time my friends...