I came to the James 4:15 passage -- What is your life? -- you are but a vapor -- and hurriedly read it because I was so busy with plans for the day ahead.
Tuesday opened a new chapter in my life . . .
About 11:00 I get a text from Terry that says -- "Call me when you get a chance ."
OK -- I can do that -- students just left the room -- it was time for lunch and planning period.
He says that the dr. office called and his biopsy report is back -- it shows possible thyroid cancer and it will require surgery -- he tried to make it sound like - no big deal.
About 10 minutes later - I get a call from the breast center -- I knew they would be calling -- b/c they told me the day before that I'd get a courtesy call to make sure that I was doing fine from my biopsy. She asked the standard questions and then said -- I need to talk to you about your results -- are you where you can discuss this -- I said I was -- even though I was standing near an outside door to get better phone reception.
She said it shows cancer in your right breast. CANCER? WHAT -- THE NEXT STEP WAS TO TELL ME I NEEDED ANOTHER BIOPSY-- NOT GIVE ME THESE RESULTS SO QUICK--
As I'm trying to get my head around it all, I said something like -- "Is there a chance this is a benign area?"
She said ma'am -- "CANCER IS CANCER". "Do you have a surgeon? "
A surgeon??? What are they going to do -- whack it off?
Well ...
"That changes the course of the next months", I thought.
I was floored --
Students came in to my room to check on a project --- I mumbled through something ---
I went upstairs to Marianne's room-- she'd just fought this battle last year with so much strength and dignity -- I needed to talk to her and ask the name of her doctor.
I tried to put my mind around what they told me I needed to do next. ---
Next I told Pam -- long time friend -- from Wright Christian days -she has constantly checked on me every day since then.
Then I told my principal who responded in a way that surprised me
"Have you been getting mammograms, he asked?" in a fatherly way
That was odd -- from my administrator who is 20 years younger than me ---(His mother had just gone through all of this, he explained --)
Yes I told him so -- every year -- now every 3-6 months (looks like it has developed in the last 3 months)*
On Wednesday I opened that study of James 4:15 -- it smacked and I started to walk away from it--but kept reading -- it offered so much strength and soul food, reminding me-- "We're here because HE wills that we live another day" HE has this all in control
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES!!!!
Throughout the last 7 days so many friends have given me doctor names, healing stories and words of support. My principals have checked on me -- offered their prayers -- Friends are truly God's gift!!!
* Here is the God- Stop in all of this. After my August diagnostic mammogram -- the breast center said they'd do a re-check in 6 months -- I reminded them I was due for a yearly in 3 months -- it was decided they'd move it up 3 months and double check me in Nov. I believe God was in the process of early detection.
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