Wait and Hope

Here we are... the midst of the "wait". Joyful in hope, patient in present affliction and faithfully united in prayer! Wendy just completed her 8th treatment yesterday, leaving only 4 chemo treatments remaining! 4 MORE WEEKS before we hear that glorious bell!! (Insert happy dance- many tears scheduled for that day!) 

Wendy's labs looked marvelous yesterday, and the nurse even gave her a copy for framing. It is amazing how our perspectives have changed over the weeks- from dread that chemo day is coming to celebration of an uneventful chemo visit and another "X" on the calendar! We reflected this week how there have been many things unexpected on this journey. Things we expected didn't happen. Things we didn't expect happened. Things we hadn't even thought of at all reared their ugly heads. Curve balls. But Wendy has taken at each of them with her bat. She hasn't walked away from the plate with her head down- she continues to battle. Wendy-Woo is striking out breast cancer! 

Many of you may find yourself wondering, what's next? We wait with hopeful anticipation for the days ahead! Every indication points to full healing. To a cure. To a future. Please continue to pray with me for these things coming in the days ahead: 

• Wendy has an upcoming appointment with her surgeon who will be performing her surgery. She is electing to have a lumpectomy, and the surgeon is expected to clean out the location of the tumor (which will prayerfully be ALL GONE) and will remove the previously affected lymph node. This surgery is expected to be outpatient and should occur sometime in January (4-6 weeks following chemotherapy). The official surgery date will be scheduled at her appointment.
• Wendy was able to meet with her radiation oncologist. Her appointment was very encouraging! There is a plan in place for following surgery, and she is expected to receive 28-33 treatments. These are Monday-Friday treatments which will last approximately 15 minutes, and will begin approximately 4 weeks following her surgery. She can anticipate some skin irritation and general fatigue, so let's begin praying for that now!
• Continue to pray for Wendy's labs in the weeks ahead- her red's, her white's, her sodium and potassium. 
• Pray for her health and her stamina as she finishes this part of the race. We want her to stay WELL so her treatment schedule is on track! 
• Pray for her family as they continue to care for her and for one another! Wendy's last chemo treatment should be on Ashlyn's 15th birthday- what a precious gift!! (both of them!)

Thank you to all who have read, prayed, encouraged, and helped. You are a blessing! K