Moving Forward

I think I'm falling behind in the blog department! On a day to day basis, things seem to be rather “day to day”, but when I look back, I realize how God's hand continues to be at work all around. I'm still feeling good the majority of days and the weight and strength continue to increase. I'm still going to PT and seeing results. This week they'll re-test me to objectify my progress over the past month.
Some not so little accomplishments and experiences over the past 10 days – I walked a mile on the treadmill (and didn't feel like I was going to fall down); I was able to walk down the aisle at one of my best friend's weddings and enjoy a beautiful day with them; and God saved me and my house when a very large branch mysteriously fell from my 60 yr old oak and landed perfectly between my house and the neighbor's. (and there's not much space between our houses!) It was ridiculous – there was so much tree on the ground that I literally couldn't walk between our houses, but both roofs were virtually untouched. I love “Wow God” stories.
This week is “lab” week so I'll try to send out an update when I get back the results. Hopefully they'll be very boring! I still have another month before I have to head back to Omaha – however I don't think the flood waters will be down by then so might be a long “scenic” trip (and you all know how much I love those!)
Hope you're all surviving the heat - personally, I LOVE not being cold!

Thankfulness

I can't count the number of times this weekend that I would see or do something and think how far I've come and how thankful I am. Thankful that I can walk up stairs, thankful that I can stand up without holding on to something, thankful that I can put my pants on while standing up, thankful that I can eat at restaurants, thankful that I can eat!, thankful that I can hang out with friends, thankful that I can help others, thankful that I can lift the groceries out of my car, thankful that I can genuflect before the alter, thankful that I'm not trying to sleep in the bathtub (which is what I was doing a year ago as my hands and feet were on fire), thankful that I'm spending my summer in KC, cancer-free! At some point in the not too distant past, I couldn't do these things and I think this flood of memories was good, not only to remind me to be thankful, but to help me be patient with my limitations. I can do so much, I need to not dwell on the little things for which I still strive to be able to do or the minor aches and pains that occasionally cross my path. All will come with time and I'm pretty sure that impatience and whining won't get them here any quicker.

“Thank God because his compassions do no fail.” Lamentations 3:21-23

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July! So much for which to be thankful – for all the people who have sacrificed so that I can live in the this country. Occasionally I think back to where I was a year ago. Most of the memories are a blur, but typically I can remember landmark days like today. For some reason, I can't remember 7-4-10 at all so I looked back at my blog to refresh my memory. One year ago I was still in the hospital, running fevers and having to receive nutrition through my IV because I couldn't eat and my entire GI system was sloughing. Mom was having to blog for me at that point. I had a hard time reading it, I don't know how Mom and Dad lived it. After refreshing my memory I am even more grateful for my freedom – from the hospital, from the chemo side effects, from the cancer! How great it feels to be back to helping others, to be sleeping in my own bed, to be able to eat food off the grill!!! I'm back to being able to “help myself” in most things, but have not forgotten that God is my ultimate strength and it's ok to ask for help.
“The Lord is my strength and my song;...he is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God and I will exalt him.” ~ Exodus 15:2