Reflections

 From Dawn: 

I was walking in a parking lot the other day and saw a dad walking hand in hand with his little boy. It was a cute view, but what happened next really struck me. 

The little boy was around 4, I think, and he was walking fine with his dad, just in front of a store. Then a car turned in front of them. It was still away from them, but it was close enough for the boy to stiffen up and be afraid, recognizing possible danger. The dad didn't flinch. He looked down at his son, and I don't think any words were exchanged. I could see the boy's body relax and trust in his dad's safety! He knew that his dad would look after him! 

This was poignant for many reasons, one of which was from our fostering days, when we saw healthy attachment at play. It was heartwarming to see. 

But also on a spiritual level. That boy knew that his father was caring for him, even despite the possible dangers along the way! 

And it was an analogy for me too - as I walk down this road of cancer treatments again and all the possible scary parts of that, I am not afraid! I know that my Father is there protecting me. I have nothing to fear! 

Yes, there are times when danger seems to lurk and possibilities can happen, but I'm so thankful for the peace that the Lord gives in all seasons and that I can relax in his provision and care! 

Some people say that it's me who is strong, and I have to disagree! I am a big wimp, but I have seen God's hand so many times in my life that faith in Him has enabled and grown this trust! 

He IS trustworthy, and I'm so thankful to Him! 


----


This is just an update from me—week 2 has gone well. I've been struggling with insomnia. I've also had energy though, so I haven't been frustrated with it. My girls reminded me that I still need to rest, even if I can't sleep, to let my body heal. 

I think I overdid it on Friday, going out for a bit to pick up a few things we needed, but I'd like to continue to do what I can to keep my strength up, if possible, and also have a change of scenery. As my treatments go on I am likely to become weaker, and it will be a day-by-day/week-by-week assessment of what I will be able to do. 

Treatments are likely to last until spring—8 to 9 months. The next treatment is tomorrow, Tuesday, September 23rd. 

🌸Thank you for your care & prayers! 

----

Here's a picture of Psalm 63, which I read today and which is the verse I've held to for this current journey. 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Here We Go Again

Hello everyone, this is Dawn's youngest daughter, Alyssa, writing.  As some of you know, Mom found out recently that she will have to undergo more chemotherapy treatments over the next eight to nine months. After hearing this news, we decided that creating a blog would be the most efficient way to pass along information to friends and family. For some history on Mom’s journey, in August 2021 our Mom, Dawn, was diagnosed with AL Amyloidosis. This disease is rare, and it is therefore difficult to diagnose.  When mom was diagnosed she already had several complications from the build up of the disease.  She was in heart failure, she had fluid on her lungs which required draining procedures, her gastro tract was damaged, and she was overall very run down.  Her treatment for Amyloidosis was chemotherapy, and so she began treatment. Amyloidosis can cause blood to become “sticky”, and Mom suffered a major stroke shortly after her first chemotherapy treatment.  Damage fr...
Read more

First Chemotherapy

Image
The long-awaited day has arrived: chemotherapy day. Those words have a surreal feeling because we had known this day was coming and had been expecting it from the beginning of the summer. Until now it has been a date marked as “later”, and it is in some ways difficult to believe that the day has arrived. The past couple days have been full of appointments and labs. Monday’s appointment with Mom’s Hematologist/Oncologist, Dr. A, went well. The doctor assured Mom and Dad that he feels confident that beginning chemotherapy now is the best course of action. Mom's most recent labs, taken Monday morning, indicate another rise in her bloodwork. He says this further confirms the decision that beginning chemo treatments now is a good idea. This morning, Mom arrived for her first treatment, and thankfully Dad was able to go along and support her. Being able to go in together was a welcome change from last time in the 2021/2022 Covid era. The cancer centre itself has a few other changes such ...
Read more

Simple Moments

Image
Written by Alyssa. Life is full of simple moments that bring joy to our lives. I was contemplating this a bit today. The weekend was a good one with Mom resting a lot on Saturday which helped her to make it to church on Sunday morning. (another thing to be thankful for!) On Monday our family got together to celebrate Thanksgiving together. As is Moms Thanksgiving tradition, she insisted we take some family photos while we were all together. Mom felt up to walking to our neighborhood park and we got some really nice photos together before heading back home. (again, a simple moment that led us to gratitude!)  We had our Thanksgiving meal at our house since this allows Mom to leave and rest for a bit if she feels like she needs it and she can join the rest of us again once she’s feeling better. This worked out well because at one point Mom began to feel nauseated and she did leave to rest for a bit before rejoining us. Often times Mom’s weeks follow a cycle of Monday being “normal”, n...
Read more