What A Wonderful World ...

Tuesday I had the privilege of attending the first Cancer Survivors and Caregivers Luncheon hosted by Mary and Dick Lowe at Baylor All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth.  It was a wonderful time.  There were tables set up that we visited before the lunch began.  We chatted with women I have met along my journey.  These women are all breast cancer survivors and such an inspiration to me... just their very presence has inspired me.  I met new friends and was able to share my blog so the information can reach as many as possible.  I continue to Praise my awesome Lord for all that He has provided me.

Above:  Alverna, my friend and adopted sister
accompanied me to the lunch.  She looked absolutely
beautiful.  If you remember, Alverna took me to
all my chemo treatments.  When I started
chemo, she helped me make it through many days by
bringing me groceries that I thought I could eat, fixing me
food, calling and checking on me.  Thank you does not
seem to be enough for her support during those difficult
days when my family could not be with me.  

Above:  One of the most wonderful things that
Alverna and I got to experience was a chair massage.
Joni was the massage therapist and might I tell you,
that she was wonderful.  For all that Alverna does
for her family and friends, she deserves a much longer
massage than five minutes.  

Above:  Everyone was assigned a table and we were at
 table 17.   We were seated with others who had the same
type cancer as me.  I was the recipient at our table of
the beautiful hydrangeas 

Above:  Looking across the area.

Above:  The speaker is Sherree Bennett,
the sweetest lady you will ever meet.  I met with
Sherree before my journey began.  

Above:  The North Texas Laryngectomy Society Choir
graced us with the song...
What a Wonderful World.
It was so emotional for me.  I watched this group of
five who fought throat cancer and won.  Here they are here today,
pressing the buttons on their necks singing.  They were truly a blessing.

Above:  Dr. Alan Johns, Survivor and Author
of "The Lump".  A man's journey through
breast cancer.

Above:  The incredible Joan Katz herself.
Three time breast cancer survivor and one time
bladder cancer survivor.  She was an incredible speaker
with so many inspiring words.  Her topic ...
We Have, We Will and We Can ...

I forgot my real camera and was using the camera on my cell phone.  I just had to have pictures so I could share on here although they are not the best.

Sherree reminded us 'not to waste our cancer'.  I knew early on that I was not going to waste the opportunity to 1) share my awesome Lord and 2) make available as much knowledge as I possibly could to other women and men regarding breast cancer and treatment.  God has provided many open doors for me in both areas and I always take the opportunity He gives me.  My passion is to share Him with others as I do not know how anyone could walk this journey without Him.  And I love being able to educate women in all aspects of this disease.  I will continue this until the day the Lord calls me home as I know I am doing what He wants me to do.

At the end of the luncheon, Sherree announced that the newest diagnosed person at the table would get the potted hydrangeas and at our table that was me.  You might have guessed it ... and I'll admit it ....
I cried.  I have come so far since my diagnosis on September 15, 2011, but my emotions continue to run very high when I think about the love and support that I have received.  People say that my words bless them ... I say that I am the one that is blessed.

Cancer and cancer treatment is a journey.  The journey we would not have chosen to take but some of us have to.  Attitude is so important when dealing with this dreadful disease and it's dreadful treatment but if you look around at all you have, you will see the blessings as you go through.  Hold on to your
HOPE ...

2 Corinthians 4:16-18  So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Do not allow anything to steal your HOPE ... not even cancer.  Cancer put a bump in my road, a mere detour but it will not steal my HOPE, my FAITH, my LOVE, or my JOY.  

Blessed and praying blessings for all.

gkmorrison12@gmail.com

Quick Update ... more to come!

Life has become rather busy for me.  I'm thankful for feeling great and being able to do my 'normal' activities again.  I miss being able to write my blog but please stay with me as I've got lots of really neat things to share.  In the meantime, I took pictures of my gardens and my flowers ... enjoy and I will be sharing much more this evening.

Only God can make flowers and trees ...

He put me in charge of seeds and weeds.

Blessings!

Above:  The trellis by the patio and the two
big planters of zinnias.  Little pot has a rosemary
twig growing in it.

Above:  Relocated my hummingbird feeders.

Above:  I love my zinnias are blooming.

Above:  Just planted sunflower seeds in this
big planter.  they are coming up.  

Above:  Trumpet vines that I got from Bonnie
and Buddy's house.  Was trying to root them
but I think they have croaked. 

Above:  Old wagon with rose moss.  The rose
moss has hung on for about 3 years now.

Above:  Trellis that sits with the herbs and
peppers.  

Above:  Herbs

Above:  Jalepeno peppers ... they are HOT!

Above:  The jalepeno pepper plant that little
bunny Fu Fu demolished is coming back.

Above:  Trellis by the tomato garden.

Above:  I love all the tomatoes.

Above:  Back fence trellis'.  Morning Glories
in the middle and Hyacinth Beans on each
side.

Above:  The mimosa tree that was planted early
spring.  

Above:   A look back .... 

Above:  Morning Glories coming up on one
side of the arbor trellis.

Above:  Hyacinth Bean coming up on the
other side of the arbor trellis.

Above:  Alyssum (baby's breath) around the
red bell pepper plants that my neighbor
gave me when they were mere seedlings.

Above:  Front flower bed.  Elephant ears
are thriving.  

Above:  So glad today is the day that Justin comes to mow.
I love the fact that my St. Augustine grass is thriving. 

I hope you enjoyed the pictures.  I love sharing my gardens and I Praise the Lord when I go outside every time that God gave me enough energy in early spring before I finished chemo to get my gardens put together and get them planted.

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.—Hebrews 13:15

Another update coming this evening ... in the meantime, keep a smile on your face, offer a smile to someone without one and talk to our precious Lord.  He loves to hear from you.

Blessed and praying blessings for you.  

gkmorrison12@gmail.com

Bald and Bold ... sort of!

Bald women are brave,

Brave bald women have courage,

Courageous brave bald women ...

Are given their strength by God.

Amen.

*************
A funny story ... I went outside Wednesday afternoon to water the garden.  I believe that every gnat that was within miles decided to visit my backyard that afternoon just so they could buzz by my ears and sting them.  I shooshed more gnats away that day than ever and by the time I got in the house, my ears were blazing red and hot from all the stinging and shooshing.  <smile>

*************

I never in a million years thought I would ever be bald.  Bald happened to other women ... you know the one's that got breast cancer and had to take chemo.  My heart was always with those women.  Then one day ... I was bald.  Being bald for the most part (once I got accustomed to it) hasn't bothered me.  It has actually been a blessing in so many ways.  Those mornings I got up after a round of chemo and didn't feel like doing anything ... I didn't have to worry about my hair.  If I get cold, I put on a cap ... if I get hot, I take it off.  Being a bald woman has emotional ties to it no matter how you look at it, however, it is part of the chemo process and my hair will grow back.

Let me tell you how a bald woman feels and we do have feelings, feelings that run really deep.  I pray you never discount that fact when you see a bald woman.  Some women never get accustomed to being bald.  I had a survivor sister who told me that she could NOT look at herself in the mirror when she was bald.  She could not stand the fact that she had no hair.  I, personally, worked through the heart ache of losing my hair before I lost my hair.  I found a comfortable place  with my baldness and I feel I have a good attitude about it, however, that does not take the sting away when a person says catty remarks about my bald head.  

I walked in to a funeral this week and an acquaintance of mine threw up their arms and said, "Oh Gena, the glare is blinding me."  Very inappropriate, very hurtful and not funny at all.  I was taken aback actually and it really did hurt.  Let me make a suggestion to those who are reading this who have hair, if you do not know what to say to someone like me who is bald due to chemo, just do not say anything at all.  Talk to the person just like you would if they had hair.  My heart, my mind, my soul hasn't changed one bit only my appearance and that is temporary.

Dear Survivor Sisters ...  If you haven't lost your hair, most likely you will ... if you have lost your hair and are currently bald ... Remember, God gave us a special light that shines from our sweet bald heads that matches the halo our Angel has so she is able to find us easily.  God loves us just the way we are ... He doesn't care that we do not have hair and He would never want us hurt because of someone saying something inappropriate.  We have courage that not everyone has and He gave it to us.  Praise Him.

***********
I am currently going through another side effect of the chemo ... remember chemo does not immediately leave your body like so many think.  Remember in earlier posts how I mentioned that so many people thought just because I was finished 'taking' chemo, that I would go back to being the get up and go person I was before ... yes, I am much better now that chemo is finished but the side affects still happen.  For a couple of weeks now, I have been experiencing some pretty severe pain in my hips ... bones and muscle.  At first I thought I had just used some muscles in the Race for the Cure that I had not used in a while and the pain would stop.  It hasn't.  When I sit for short or long periods of time and get up, my hips hurt so bad it almost doubles me over.  To walk hurts, to lay in bed on my sides hurts.  I looked up the side affects once again of the Taxotere chemo drug and this is a side effect that can happen 1 to 3 months after finishing chemo.  I tell you that Taxotere is a trouble maker.  <smile>  I decided today I might should call The Center to ensure that this was really what was going on and it is. It's perfectly normal ... for a chemo patient.  I ask my dear sweet Helena, nurse practitioner, if I could take Advil and she said yes because I was no longer taking chemo.  Tonight before bed, I will take two Advil and see if that helps the terrible pain in my hips that wakes me every night.  Praise the Lord that this is normal and that it will end.

************
I hope your week went well and that you have a wonderful weekend.  I was planning to go fishing tomorrow at Lake Bridgeport but decided I better wait until I am finished with the antibiotics and get the stuffiness completely eliminated ... plus with my hips hurting so bad, I just didn't want to try it right now.

I am blessed tonight.  God has been so good to me ... it's amazing how He opens your eyes when you allow Him to do so.  Praising Him tremendously ...

Blessings sweet family and friends.


gkmorrison12@gmail.com

Radiation and Garden Update ... and more

Radiation is going well this week ... today was my 10 treatment and that means there are only 23 remaining treatments.  The radiation ends May 29 and my new grand baby is scheduled to be delivered May 30.  God is so good.  So now a  little more about my radiation treatments.  Have you ever heard a trainer tell someone they are training  ... Feel The Burn ... ?   I have a new take on that saying ... I am beginning to FEEL THE BURN.  The left side of my chest and under my left arm is where my radiation is applied.  Dr. C told me there would be a build up affect of the radiation and after about two weeks, I would begin feeling the results.  Well I am!  It's not bad though ... primarily tender.  I think I am more concerned with the fatigue the radiation can cause because that means my energy level drops and that does not make me happy because I like to have my energy.  I am not going to let it get me down though ... I made it through chemo, I can make it through radiation.

My garden is growing and growing.  I don't remember if I reported that I have cucumbers.  Little baby cucumbers.  They are funny looking when they start growing, matter of fact I didn't know that it was a cucumber, I thought it was part of the vine.  <smile>  ... well I've never grown cucumbers before.  My tomato plants are full of tomatoes.  I'm watching all my little darlings close because when they get a hint of red on them, I'm picking them to put in the kitchen window to ripen ... picking them to beat the mockingbirds from pecking them and ruining them for the rest of us.  <smile>  I love my birds but we may have to have a 'come to Jesus' meeting if they start pecking my tomatoes.  I have to admit that I have become very protective of my little garden.

I am happy to report that work is going well.  Might I add that by the end of the week, I'm exhausted.  I want to start walking again on a regular basis ... I need to start walking again ... it helps my energy level.  Note to self ... get up and get away from your desk and go walk.

One day at lunch I was able to listen to Pastor Robert Morris' sermon titled --- Ten Deadly Sins (with our mouth). If you have 30 minutes, take a listen ... http://gatewaypeople.com/sermons  God can only bless us if our mouths line up with His word.

I am having dinner with two sweet retired NWS friends tonight.  I can't wait. It will be good fellowship and food.

Closing today with a happy thankful heart.  In the past two days, God has provided me with more opportunities to share my journey about Him and my breast cancer journey.  My prayer is that people reading this blog, gain strength, comfort, knowledge and most of all that they know that they do not have to walk their journey alone.  God will walk with them just like He walks with me ... every day and every night ... through all my treatments, appointments, reports ... all of it ... He is with me.

Praises:
*  The love of my God.  No matter my circumstance, He never leaves me.
*  Opportunities provided this week to share my blog.
*  Feeling good.
*  Only 23 radiation treatments remaining.
*  Positive attitude.
*  Hearing from my survivor sisters this.  Lunch on Friday with one of them.
*  My new grand baby will be here before we know it.
*  So so much more.

Prayer Request:
*  One of my survivor sisters is still having some issues with her chemo.  Please pray for W. T.
*  Another survivor sister is taking early rounds of chemo.  Please pray for W. L.
*  Unspoken prayer request.  God knows.
*  Anyone recently diagnosed with breast cancer or another life changing disease.

Blessings!

gkmorrison12@gmail.com