Tests, Labs, and Appointments (Oh My!)

Written by Alyssa.

Mom had this week off from her chemotherapy treatment and instead had to go in for a prescheduled echocardiogram on Tuesday. These tests always give mom a bit of anxiety, but she said she just prayed throughout the whole thing. She prayed for healing but also for God’s will to be done, and she felt a peace throughout the test. 


Mom's wristbands from each of her  
21 treatments so far.

Mom will meet with her cardiologist next Thursday to go over the results, but so far they have shown that her heart function has gone down a little bit. Mom is always a fan of the numbers and has always been very competitive with herself about her lab result numbers, always wanting to do better.  She's now 0.2% below the point at which her heart is in the “normal” range. This was disappointing for her, but we will wait to hear what the cardiologist has to say about it. 


Today Mom went for her labs and then had her appointment with Dr. A, who is her hematologist/oncologist. Mom did ask him about her heart function numbers going down and he said that we should wait and see what Dr. L (cardiologist) says, but he said that Mom’s heart numbers have been stable, and even improved and that tells him that her heart is doing pretty well. Dr. A wasn’t worried about the change.


Some exciting news is that he told her that this next round (Each round is 3 treatments) of chemotherapy will be her last! Praise God that this part of the journey is coming to a close! She will continue to have her Immunotherapy treatments once a month for the next two years, with the possibility for that to go on longer if needed. 


Mom has been enjoying having the break from her treatments this week. This means she has a bit more energy and doesn’t have to nap as often. She’s also very excited to have some of her grandchildren over for the day on Saturday, and not having had treatment this week means she’ll have more energy to keep up with them! 


Prayer Requests:

  1. Praise God that Mom’s chemotherapy treatments are coming to an end!

  2. Pray that Mom will feel at peace about her heart numbers.


The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" Psalm 27:1

"In a world that is held
in such deep darkness
where the light of truth
often seems more of a flicker
than a flame,
in a world where
deceit
dishonesty
falsehood
and foolishness
divert and distort
the lives of so many,
in times when a myriad
voices
say so much
about so many things,
where confusion seems
readily available
and clarity seems
hard to find,
in a world where opinions
rise to a place
where only truth should be,
and every voice
seems to get an equal hearing,
in the constant cacophony
of ten thousand
contradictory voices,
it is a wonderful
and amazing thing
to be able to say
with rest and confidence,
The Lord is my Light! 
My heart has been lit
by the illuminating
and protective glory
of His powerful and transforming grace,
my mind has been renewed
by the luminescent presence
of His truth-guiding
Holy Spirit,
and my life has been guided
down straight paths
by the ever-shining lamp
of His Word.
I am not afraid,
but it is not because
I am strong
or wise.
I am not afraid,
but it is not because I have power
or position.
I am not afraid,
but it is not because
I have health
or wealth.
I am not afraid;
but it is not because
my circumstances
or relationships
are easy.
I am not afraid
for one glorious reason:
I have been lit by the
Lord of Light.
In the darkness
of this fallen world,
I no longer walk
in the night, but I have been given
the Light of Life.
I am not afraid
because Light lives in me.
This one amazing reality
gives me rest;
I have been rescued from
darkness
and transported into the
light
and I am not afraid."
-Quote from A Shelter in the Time of Storm by Paul David Tripp

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