Last Radiation Tx & Update

Yay! I completed my last radiation treatment this week, and also had an appointment with my medical oncologist, Dr. BuchBarker.

I did very well in radiation; I didn't burn too badly, and even the soreness is gone already, praise God! I have a follow-up visit scheduled with the radiation oncologist, Dr. Shah, in one month.

I have, however, developed a heart murmur. I'm asymptomatic, and lots of people have heart murmurs their whole lives. We'll keep an eye on it, and possibly schedule an echo cardiogram.

I see Dr. B. again in 2 months. We'll do some bloodwork and keep an eye on the heart thing.

We decided it was wise to keep my port for a while (my port is in my arm.) I would much rather have blood drawn from my port than have lab techs breaking out in cold sweats trying desperately to find my very tiny, very deep veins!


Dr. B. agreed that I need an annual breast MRI, in addition to mammograms every 6 months. ACMH has a new MRI machine that is more state-of-the-art than anyone else has in Western PA, even Magee! Very exciting.

I would appreciate prayer for a tickly-throat-cough-sinus-achy thing that I have had for 3 weeks, and my poor husband has had even worse for even longer.

Thank you so much, as always. Please continue to pray for me and for all people who have had a cancer diagnosis and their families. Life is never the same again for cancer patients. In many ways, this is a good thing--we don't take as much for granted, learn to lean more on God's grace, and appreciate each day with those we love. We also live with a level of uncertainty that is unsettling. Please pray that my family and I will have "the peace that doesn't make sense," as my friend Paula paraphrases Philippians 4:7. I want to have complete peace because I have complete faith that my future is in my loving Father's hands. I am praying for these gifts for us: faith, peace, joy, and love. May we be shining examples of encouragement to others, for His glory! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I, in turn, pray for all of you Ephesians 3:14-21: For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.