Peace In The Storm

March 6, 2012

Thank you everyone, as always, for your prayers for me today.  Knowing you were bringing me before Father has been a tremendous encouragement to me throughout this journey.  I left for the hospital this morning with the following words of one particular email sent to me….

“your reference to the sudden appearance of the swirling and twirling waves will have reminded us all of the storm on the Sea of Galilee where also it came unexpectedly: yet, it was Jesus who had initiated the journey and was present right through”

The thought that Jesus had initiated the journey filled me with a great joy; a wonderful reminder that when we are surprised; Jesus is not.  Thank you, John, for sharing what Father put in your heart for me.  The words you wrote have not left me.

I had all the pre-op blood tests, etc. today and then met again with the surgeon.  As on Friday, she was so kind and as happy as me in my inner peace, with no offers of a cup of tea needed this time.  She explained once more the procedure and the reasons for her recommendation.  She also said she had been reviewing my notes again from Alabama and from the last ultrasound given here in the UK by the first surgeon.  She had seen “a shadow” and wanted to do another ultrasound just to check and also to locate the ‘marker’ that had been placed in Alabama to mark the tumor location.

I was taken to ultrasound and the procedure began.  The doctor performing the ultrasound murmured, “I just don’t see it.”  My surgeon was then called to see for herself.  I had assumed the marker was difficult to locate.  My surgeon came, looked herself for several moments and then said to me, “Vickie, the shadow I was looking for isn’t there and at this time I see no sign of a tumor.”  You can imagine how I felt. I said, “Well, that’s good news.”  She responded with, “Yes, it is.  It could be that most of it was actually removed in biopsy.”  She further explained that she will continue with the lumpectomy and also check the sentinel node plus four additional nodes to micorscopically check for cancer cells.  She expects to find nothing in the nodes.  I also have a hunch she will find nothing in the nodes.  Should this be the case it is very likely I won’t have to undergo chemotherapy but would take radiation therapy as a precaution to kill any unseen cancer cells that may be lurking undetected.

I had walked into the surgeon’s office with that “peace that passes understanding” and I left with an added elation of great joy.   Father arranged the swirling of my boat on Friday to put it on the course of His choosing for today.  I have wonderfully been reminded that no matter the rage of the waves on the outside, Jesus is peacefully standing in the midst.  He is master of the sea and the boat.  How thankful I am for the ride.