We never want to say or feel that we have written the last chapter. Nothing in this life is for certain and everything can change in the blink of an eye.  So it is with this in mind that I can add another chapter to this crazy roller coaster life that I am now living.

 

Within a period of thirty days, I took a PET scan and it was reported that there may have been more cancer in my body.  This would require surgery, which I had and we scheduled another series of a year long treatment of chemo.  After the surgery, the pathology report came back that in fact, there was no cancer and that I am cancer free, and I would not need any more chemo.

 

I am so happy to report that I have not been able to exit the roller coaster yet, but am trying to gain some type of normalcy to my life. This was probably the best news I have received in over a year and although I am so thankful for this report, it leaves me with several questions.

 

This is where my faith must take over.  I was told at the beginning of this journey that I was not in charge and that I would have to shelve my "need to know" attitude. Some days I think I have accomplished this goal and there are other days that I must fight with myself to realize that these statements are so true, no matter what we apply them to in our lives.

 

For those of you who do not have a strong faith I urge you to develop one very soon and to those of you who do, you are certainly on the right track. I wish I could send a personal thank you card to all of you who had me in your prayers through this last journey.  There were so many, some I did not even know of. 

 

Your prayers and my faith have sustained me through this ordeal. In the darkness of the night when sleep will not come and there are several hours yet before the sun will come up, your imagination runs away with its self.  These are the times when prayer must take over. We will never find an answer to the universal question "WHY?" But knowing that someone bigger "Than I" is in charge can help us through these situations.

 

I hope that you will continue to keep me in your prayers. Remember my husband David, my family and friends as they have been on this roller coaster with me. Their support and encouragement has been invaluable to me.  I hope that when we get to the end of this ride we can all exit it with our hands in the air screaming hallelujah.

 

And please know that I will keep all of you in MY prayers.  The old saying really is try...that we're all fighting battles no one else knows about.

 

I want to extend my heartfelt sympathy to the family of Maria Jaggie Reppert.  She fought a good fight and is now no longer in pain. Remember Kim, Jack, Johnny, Virginia, Gerald, Mary and many others who have been in this battle with me and are getting results and taking it one day at a time. They too need your support.

 

No matter what, the sun will come up tomorrow and offer us another beautiful, God filled day.  A day that we can live to the fullest with our friends and loved ones.  Just look around and be thankful.

 

I look forward to hearing from all of you and remember until next week "Now You Have Heard It through the Grapevine."