T-Minus 2 Weeks

We’ve received the surgery dates from our new team of doctors, and we are go for launch!

May 23rd is the big day, we’ll be at Texas Presbyterian in Dallas. Once all goes well, we’ll be there for about 3 days. I’ll be having a double mastectomy so the road to recovery and reconstruction after that will take most of the summer. (Side note – after the surgery, they test the mass removed and that’s when when we find out what other treatments are required, such as chemo and/or radiation. But as you know, we’re believing in a third option…none at all!)

You might be saying, But Crys, May 23 is THREE weeks away. And you’d be right, my calendar-saavy friend. Before the big day to get rid of the big C, I’ll need another surgery one week prior, which will be on May 16.

This surgery on the 16th will be to remove a few lymph nodes and test them to see if it has spread. If so, then the affected lymph nodes will be removed at the time of the mastectomy. This is beneficial because the alternative would be to test the lymph nodes at the time of the mastectomy. If it were then to be discovered that it had spread, that would mean I’d have to go back for a second surgery to have them removed during the time I was trying to recover from the mastectomy…not ideal. And while adding another surgery to the list isn’t ideal either, it’s better than the alternative.

Well boys and girls, that’s a fair amount of detail…so this concludes your medical lesson for the day. Now it’s time for your assignment, prayer points!

1) Pray that the cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes… All the tests thus far point to them being clear, but we won’t know for sure until the tests return from the May 16 surgery.

2) Peace over anxiety and renewing of my mind each day… Each day I can choose to think about my upcoming time in the hospital and recovery with dread, replaying imaginary scenes of what I think the procedures will be like, how uncomfortable I’ll be sleeping, or how much pain I’ll be in. OR I can choose to renew my mind and see it as no big deal – I’m young, I’m in shape, and people do this every day. I’ve got his, and more importantly God’s got this.
Each day I am successful at varying levels. 🙂

3) A smooth and pain-free surgery and recovery with complete healing. (or, as pain-free as possible)

4) That our eyes continue to be open to His work and His leading, and that He will use this story for amazing things for His kingdom.

Thank you again for your prayers my friends. They are truly the fuel to our fire right now!