Five years ago, I was in hospital 11/16, recovering from cancer surgery (Please see my post about The 11/16 Society). It has been five years since that time.
I count my recovery and survival to various things: the first is the grace and kindness of my God and His healing power. After that, I thank my Physician Assistant, my MD (he’s the oncologist the doctors around here send their wives to), the amazing nurses in the hospital unit, and the love and support of my family, friends, and the 11/16 Society.
I know there are those of you who refuse to see a PA – my insurance pays for a real doctor so I want a real doctor! My real doctor was too busy to give me my annual pelvic exam so her PA stepped in. Because he is a diligent person who truly cares, he was hyper-vigilant with the PAP smears – one for normal, one higher up, and yet another higher up.
Because of this, ovarian cancer which would have been discovered until the deadly stage was discovered at Ground Zero. He sent me to the #1 oncologist for such cancers. My oncologist operated and was able to remove all parts (I think the term I used several times while still groggy was “gutted like a fish”). He said no other parts were affected but he removed to be safe. The tiny beginning was removed along with the yet unaffected sections. He also did laser surgery and used that wonderful glue instead of stitches and staples – no infection, clean healing.
I kept up my regular visits as ordered from both him and my PA. I hope in future you will remember this when given a PA instead of a real doctor. A dear friend of mine and newest member of the 11/16 Society, is in the process of being a PA. He will be perfect – intelligent, diligent, kind, compassionate. I can see his sweet face now as he tends to his patients.
The week before I received my diagnosis, I had to teach a lesson to my Sunday School class about acceptance – of God doing things in His own way and His own time – bringing us out/through the exile of divorce, disease, depression, unemployment, grief, homelessness (Jeremiah 29:4-14). If we seek Him, He will find us and when the time is right, He will bring us home (my version of this long scripture). It also assures us God is aware of us and His plans for us – His plans, not ours. When I received the diagnosis, I at first felt I had been sucker punched. But then, I began to again go to the truth of this book and verses. I became calm. My husband and mother were basket cases.
When the surgery was over, I was told I was fine and would be fine. I smiled because I already knew – knew however it ended, I would be fine.
My friends showered me with cards, flowers, balloons….the members of the 11/16 Society who were still alive or in the US, camped out when allowed and smiled and smiled – their gift to me was a small satin pillow to use when I needed to cough. Just what I would have given one of them in similar circumstance. On my birthday, they kindly ate strawberry shortcake for me and told me how good it was. Everything tasted like pond scum to me for about a month afterwards.
This year, I am going to eat my own strawberry shortcake and then send them an email to let them know how good it is and to thank them. On 11/16, I am going out to dinner with my husband. I am going to let my friends know and those I didn’t know thank you for your prayers and smiles and good wishes.
Those of you, who like me are survivors – remember how special we are and how we can help others get through their exiles. Those of you who are just beginning – you have my prayers and smiles and are being carried in heart.
We are the wildflowers blooming during after a storm in an unlikely season. We survive storms, frost, wind, sadness. We are amazing grace, walking.
kanzen sakura 