Recently, I found out that I have breast cancer.
In my mind, I've debated about whether or not to share this sad news with you. I cannot tell you the sadness it brings me to share sad news with others.
This is supposed to be a crafty, thrifty, look-what-I-had-fun-making kind of blog. Not a journey-through-surviving-breast-cancer blog. Though I may not blog about it, I plan to beat it.
My goal is to live. To live for my family and my children (ages 3 1/2 and 6 months).
On the horizon, I will have a double mastectomy. I will proceed with chemotherapy.
I may disappear from my little blog here, for a while anyway. My focus will be on recovering and moving forward with life.
God has showered my life with blessings. This is not just empty "Christian-speak"... it's the truth. I can clearly see how, starting several years ago, He set our discovery of this disease in motion. We are grateful.
If you wouldn't mind, would you please say a prayer for me and for my family? There's a bit of a bumpy road ahead.
Thank You
42 comments:
Thank you so much, Diane, for sharing this with all. Everyone who has shared in the joy of your craftiness will share in your recovery, and the joy of your future. I am sure you have many more crafts to bring.
i think it is very theraputic to share journeys even the hard ones! my friend who is 29 had a double masectomy and chemo last year and beat breast cancer, altho its a hard battle its one you can win. my thoughts are with you and your family :)
i am so sorry to hear this. i wish you and your family all the best that is possible on this road ahead.
Oh, Diane. I really don't know what to say. I am so very sorry to hear this. In fact, I have tears in my eyes. I wish and hope and will certainly pray for your full recovery. I know I am on the opposite end of the country, but if you need ANYthing, please let me know. And even if you do not update your blog, please keep me posted, dear friend.
My dear daughter. You will beat this. I did. You have such a wonderful life and this gives you much to live for. I am not saying it will be easy, ~ maybe, maybe not~but you come from tough stock and I have no doubt you will come through this in fine form. So many prayers are being said for you, He will hear and know how much you mean to all of us, especially the 3 by your side! You are strong and have a strong faith. This will bring you through. All will be well.
Good luck to you, with this. We really do live in a great age; this is not a death sentence, as it was in earlier times.
My Dear Daughter-in-Law,
What an inspiration you have been and are to our family. Prayer is the strength of the soul and your soul is large and good, and our Lord knows that. We will be with you every step of the way toward your victory over this disease. Please never doubt our commitment to you as you have shown to us. We love you, daughter.
Smiles and Blessings and Prayers,
Dyanne
We've been praying and will continue to pray. I believe that you will beat this - I haven't known you for long, but even I can see you're a STRONG woman. Cancer has nothing on you, my friend! Hugs and lots of prayers!
My heart goes out to you and your family. You can, and will beat this. I pray you'll have a long and happy life. Take care.
Diane,
You are such a dear dear friend to me. I know we are blog friends, however, I like to view it as pin pals!! I want you to know that everytime you have prayed for me and my hard situations I have felt so blessed that God has seen fit to surround me with friends who know the same LIVING GOD that I do and worship the same savior, JESUS! And I want you to know that I will be pounding down the doors of heaven for you everyday that I can! Not just for you but for your husband and C and H!!
I pray strength for you and blessings!
I have known two wonderful ladies who have both survivied breast cancer and lived to be vibrant ladies (one is a grandma and dear friend and one was in her mid thirties with a nine year old son)
And of course if you need silly moments happy moments I hope you can find some of those by watching your kiddos and hopping around blog land for them!
Praying right now!
Smiles!!!
I am SO sorry to hear that. My family has been deaply effected by breast cancer. I pray every day for a cure. Babies need their moms! I'll add you to my prayers. Hang in there. You'll have hard days, but you'll make it through.
"Sometimes God calms the storm. Sometimes God lets the storm rage and he calms the child"
You and your family are in our prayers!
kerstin
Up until three weeks ago, my mom was a 25 year breast cancer survivor. Her's never returned.
God will take care of you!
And I will pray for you, too.
And how can you miss with all these prayers and loving arms around you! I'm so proud that you have so many loving caring supportive friends!
Oh bless you! And your family! I will be praying for you and your journey ahead. Please keep us updated as you feel like it.
I understand you not wanting to share sad news... spreading sadness just... well, makes people sad.
But I shall be sad with you because that will make the rejoicing with you so much sweeter later on :0)
Jesus had a great trial as he faced the cross. He prayed that it wouldn't be. If there was any other way. He submitted not my will but thine. God was given all the glory. Praying you are able to glorify God through your trial. May you be more like Him. He will give you strength... He will carry you too.
Then you get to proudly wear that pink ribbon... Survivor! You Go Girl!!!
I will pray for you and your family. God loves you so much! He will give you all the strength you need.
Yep, "You ARE a survivor", that's what I was told and I'm telling you the same thing!
I'm new to your blog, and I will be praying for you and your family. I just fou d out some bad health news about myself, my husband and one of my daughters. We also have a long road ahead of us....but God IS good and it COULD always be worse....I must remind myself that daily. You're I. My thoughts, and prayers...
I am so sorry that this is something you and your family have to go through. I will keep you in my thoughts.
So sad to read this... glad you shared it. We will be praying for you & your family, that He brings healing & comfort through the treatments, for good people surrounding you all & serving you. We will pray most of all His will be done in this season.
-Summer
I just want you to know that you are in our thoughts and prayers always. Of course, we are hoping for as painless a recovery as possible, and we're also hoping that the love of so many friends and family will bring some measure of comfort to you and Chris during this difficult time. Your faith and courage is inspring, Diane, and we will continue to hope and pray for the best.
So many prayers are being said for ~you cannot imagine how many. People you don't even know, in parts of the country you have never been! Right now ZILLIONS of prayers are being said with YOUR name in them. God has heard and will continue to hear and send his healing your way. I am confident of this! VERY confident!!
Your mom couldn't be more right. We've never met, but you've been in my thoughts every day. I know there are so many others out there, just like me, who are praying for your speedy recovery. May each day of your journey be filled with happy moments while you're surrounded by the love of your friends and family.
Stopping by to catch up on your blog, this is not at all what I was expecting to hear, I'm so sorry that you are going through this. I will most definitely say a prayer for you and your beautiful family. Sending thoughts of strength and recovery your way, many hugs to you Diane.
Oh Diane! I was so sad to read this, and I WILL pray for you and your family.
I am posting a little update on Diane. She has had her surgery and did just fine. She has had her first chemo and had quite a bit of nausea, and some threw up 2x. She did end up having to spend the 3rd day after the chemo receiving an IV with some steroids and anti-nausea meds. She did fine after that except of course, for the fatigue. As she describes it~bone deep fatigue, where she doesn't think she can even hold up her body. Other than that, things are chugging along. She has had MUCH support from friends and family and REALLY appreciates the support AND the prayers. We ask that you continue to keep her and her family in your prayers. Thanks to all of you for you being here and checking on her and praying for her. God Bless all of you!
So glad I dropped in to your blog today. Thanks for the update. I'm thinking of you and your dear family often, and praying for strength and peace for each one of you.
The neat thing about blogs is it can bring us together. You know have prayer warriors you will never meet, but because you had the courage to share we have the privilege to pray. I am praying today that God continues to be your source of stength and that in the hard days ahead you will have a peace that goes past understanding because there is just no understanding sometimes and that's okay.
Oh my goodness, I've been so busy that I didn't see this until now. I am so, so, incredibly sorry to hear of this. You should be enjoying your time with your new precious baby boy, not fighting to stay alive. I wish I could of been praying all this time, but I will start praying now. Please do give us an update on how things are progressing, so that we know specifically how to pray. Oh, tears are just flooding my eyes and face. I'm so, so sorry. God has a reason for everything, I know that. I'm just thankful that you were blessed with two beautiful children before this happened. May God give you the healing and strength that you need. May He give all of you the grace that I know it will take to get through this!
Hello, i was googling polka dot fabric, and your gorgeous blue pic showed up in the images and and so found it here on your blog.
Im so sorry to hear your news, as i read along, - do hang in there, you must be brave, all things happen for a reason and its good to share, as we blog thru our days and chat with friends all over the world.
Take care of yourself and your family and god bless xx
Susie xx
Dear Blogging friend...
Yesterday I saw a plaid scarf at Target. I thought of you. And prayed for you and your family (as I do just about everyday) but the scarf just really made me think of you. I hope you are doing okay on the treatment.
Mom just finished up with her second surgery yesterday afternoon. She is home now and will know more about if radiation is needed next week. What a challenge life can be.
Praying for your peace in your journey!!
hi Diane ...my name is tracy.
i've never visit your blog before, but today i clicked "littlebirdienest" from other blogger's blog and i read your post...
i couldn't help my tears falls for i am a wife and a mother too but in the same time i'm blessed with your faith and braveness. keep your faith in Jesus. i came from Batam island - Indonesia, my pray for you and family.
we have song here in indonesia said :
kau slalu punya cara
untuk menjaga ku senantiasa
agar didalam
rencana mu tuhan
(You always have a way to keep me walking in your plan)
kau slalu punya cara
untuk mengubah keburukkan
agar menjadi
hal baik bagiku
(you always have a way to turn bad things into goodness for me)
bila gunung dihadapanku
tak jua berpindah
kau berikan ku kekuatan
untuk mendakinya
kulakukan yang terbaik ku
kau yang selebihnya
Tuhan selalu punya cara
untuk membuatku menang pada akhirnya
(if the mountain in front of me do not move aside
You'll give me streght to walk over it
I'll do my best and let You do the rest
GOD always have way to make me a winner in the end)
hope this will bless you and family
love in Christ from Indonesia
A little update on Diane. She is holding her own. She has the terrible deep fatigue that goes with chemo, the nausea etc, but she is strong and you can tell. Her biggest worries are about her babies. We are filling in trying to fill a void in our own small way. The children are adorable and it makes the "job" that much easier. Gotta love those babies and we do!
Diane...
Hoping and praying you are going to have a wonderful day!
Smiles...
idr what other blog sent me here for your babylegs tutorial, but i loved the tutorial, and i figured id take a look around. i clicked "home" and this was the top post.
apparently it was a while ago you posted, too...
but, i wanted to let you know, that my father has had breast cancer in his left breast. they caught it early and he didnt need chemo or radiation. just a surgery to remove it, removal of a lymph node "just to be safe," a lil residual numbness, and a lil residual moventment limitation of him arm [prob from the numbness.]
im telling you this because hes fine. its been 12 years since his surgery and hes perfectly healthy and happy and loving life. youll get there, too.
we found out 2 years after his surgery about a clinical study where they needed live subjects who have had breast cancer and whos family has a long history of breast cancer. they needed to finish the research for some new gene tagging technique...something called BRAC analysis. he participated [one of very few males] because his moms side of the family has a VERY lengthy list of men and women who have had breast cancer [one of which was my grandmother, whom i never met, who lost her life to breast cancer.]
he ended up having this BRAC gene mutation. so, i had my blood drawn, as well, and they took a look at my dna. im negative for the mutation [my 10m old daughter will be thrilled. lol.]
you should ask your dr about brac analysis. at least, if youre positive, your children can be on alert and do monthly breast exams [teach them!] on themselves...even your son, if you have one.
i know youll get through this. youll be okay, and your family will have you for a long time after you beat this thing.
god bless.
Lynn, thank you for your information. It really is important to be tested and to tell your sons also about checking their breasts.
Diane was unable to finish her chemo treatment. It was taking too much of a toll on her. They gave her a brief respite and started radiation yesterday. She was able to drive herself to and from the procedure, so that's good.
She will have radiation every day for 6 1/2 weeks. They have told her she will have burnt skin and she did mention it was very hard to just lay there and let them "zap" her. I told her I understand and I feel she is being very courageous. She has gone through this with a great deal of grace and dignity and I couldn't be prouder of her. Those of you who know her personally know that I am telling the truth. She's a trooper.
Dear One,
Won't you let us know how you're doing?
Diane is doing better. The dr's discontinued the chemo as it was devastating to her. She had only three months (every 3 weeks) and when it was time for the weekly treatment, that's when they decided it was a bit much for her. She is now doing the radiation and handling it quite well. She is about half way through the treatment. She has the radiation on a daily basis. She has more energy and is up and around quite a bit. She does need rest now and again during the day, but all in all, doing quite well.
Thanks for asking and thanks for checking.
Dear Friend...
I continue to pray and think about you and your family often. Actually every time I pass this stool in my hallway. It was put out for the trash by a neighbor and I grabed it. It needs redone very similar to the vanity stool you did. I saw my stool (actually one just like it) on the Donna Reed Show. It needs redone so badly I can not wait for Spring to come so that I might be able to work on it a bit.
Happy Birthday to your little girl (a few weeks late) Miss C.
God bless you dear friend!!!
:o) Ashley DeLen
God bless!!!!!
Appreciate the update.
thinking of you & hope you're doing well. ♥
Hello Diane!! I recently found your blog and I Love it!!! Even though I'm a Newbie, I wanted to say Thank You for sharing your story! I have a Grandmother and Aunt who have been in your situation!!! Just wanted to let you know your in my Thoughts and Prayers!!!
GOD Bless!
Jennifer
P.S. Never Stop Fighting!!!
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