Cancer story

Dear Women in my life: (and the men who love them)
Its International Women’s Day !!!!!!
What a perfect day to start this Cancer Free chapter in my life. If there could be an ideal mastectomy and hospital, I had it, and I was in it. I feel incredibly thankful and abundantly blessed. I will celebrate this day every year for the rest of my life. Cancer free sounds so good; so very good.

And I will celebrate each one of you with inexplicable thanksgiving. You have been an international support team and prayer warriors without whom I could not have made this journey.

1) Tube tops: Frankly, it has taken me until at now 62 years old to get my first tube top. Mother never let us wear them when we were teenagers, and I guess I just never got over it – until now. I’m wearing a pink, tiny-flowered tank top – with ruffles on the top and bottom (think 60’s flower children) and it is binding me together while my body gets over this trauma of a part missing. Just in case I cough, for example. On the side is a plastic tube hanging down to about my waist with a clear plastic grenade-like bulb on the end, draining fluid. The amazement of it all to me is that I left the hospital early in the afternoon after a 7:30 am procedure. I walked out of the hospital with Mark on one arm, and Jonathan on the other. I felt like a queen; a weak wobbly queen, but a queen. And I was wearing my tube top under it all.
2) Miracles: This 35 day chapter in my life has been an “are you kidding me?” miracle from the moment I noticed a funny lump on my breast and was summarily ordered by my husband to go to the doctor that morning, to getting a quick diagnosis from my doctor in Nairobi, Kenya, to getting flights back to the USA with the help of AIM, our awesome mission, to ending up at one of the USA’s top cancer centers, and really one of the best breast cancer doctors there is. Google Dr. Alfred Chang at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI., and you will be amazed.
The faculty and staff women at AIU took over my responsibilities, the whole university community gathered to pray for me. I left my son in law, Michael in Africa climbing Mt Kenya to raise funds for cause I believe in, and I “happen” to be staying at Jonathan and Kate’s home which is about 5 minutes from the hospital. (At least the way Mark drives). And Kate is my resident nurse, who just happens to be the best nurse there is. My list of miracles is just getting longer and longer.
The Poet, David was so right on when he said that God is our helicopter parent who hovers over us with relentless delight. (loose translation)
3) Tattoos. No, I’m not going to get one, but I’ve had a series of temporary tattoos each day I had a pre-op appointment, or a test, or treatment. The professionals at the hospital are extremely cautious that they get the right breast. Apparently mistakes can be made. So they were constantly writing on me with semi-permanent markers to be sure we were all on the same side.

My darling grandsons, Graham and Eliot have filled these days with reasons to live and laugh, and Conner tells me on the phone that “Shosho, you are going to be better,” with a certain note of authority that “almost three” year olds command.

Anne, as always, is my laughter. She says, “Mom, only 35 days of cancer? That’s so minor league. You need about 6 months to a year to get into the majors and some real sympathy. We barely got the news and now you’re out of surgery. What was that?”

Mark reads Psalms to me each morning in bed, along with a delivery of fresh coffee – this is the good life!

So there you have it. That’s life here in the Tropic of Cancer, were loss is great, but grace is greater.

Absolutely thankful,

Lois