My Journey Continues at Home After Surgery

Thank you all for praying for me and believing in our Lord Jesus! As I sit here or wait a minute lay here and type this to you my heart and mind are going so much faster than my hands can type. I am in complete awe of my Lord right now! This process has been a bit painful physically but the spiritual side of it has been incredible and I wouldnt trade it for anything. Thank you all for praying for me, visiting me, cooking for my family and I and just being here for me and my family! It has been incredible. I kow Jeff has updated you a bit since my last post but I will give you my journey from my perspective...

Wednesday came very quickly and it was time to give my 3 kiddos to my mom as I had a couple appointments I had to get to before Thursday. That was a hard moment. I dont know about you but anytime I go into surgery you feel as if it will be the last time you see any of your loved ones. I guess it is because the whole situation is out of your control. As I said goodbye with one last kiss I got in my car and just cried. It was hard but I knew the Lord and my mom would take great care of them. 3:30 came quickly and it was time I had to go to nuclear medicine to have an injection in my right beast so that they can find my centinal lymph nodes in surgery. We show up at Doctors hospital in the nuc med department and there are danger signs all over the place. As I sat there I kept thinking to myself"should my healthy body be going into such a dangerous place"? Of course reality hit and I had to remind myself of this nasty disease called cancer is still sitting in my boobie and I am there so they can get it out. The guy called me in and told me there would be a woman doctor coming in to inject the spot with die that will move into my lymphnodes so the dr can remove them the next day. The doctor came in and introduced herself and asked about my cancer. I told her a little and she looked at me and said " I will pray for you" Within that time everything went through my head... such as, "who do you pray to", for all I know she could be praying to buddha? These are just thoughts that were going through my mind. So I began to share my journey with her. She was very interested as she injected FIRE into me.. To get my mind off of the pain I began to tell her that our church was dedicating the 22nd and 23rd to cancer patients and survivors that weekend. As she was almost done she said to me "You have to think positive and let the Almighty handle this". I still don't know if we were talking about the same Lord but I do know that God plants seeds and if this was one YEAH God! They took some pictures and off we went out the door to the next thing. Jeff and I went on a date wed. night and came home and fell asleep.
Alarm went off at 5 am and into the shower and off we went to the surgery center. As we pulled into the parking lot there was Ben and Gretch waiting for us so they could pray before we went in. SO So sweet. We all walked in to check in and on the couch in the waiting room sat Rick Countryman, He pulled us all outside where we prayed again. I tell ya you never can pray too much! I checked in and then the 5 of us sat and chatted and giggled and had a great time. Then off went my buzzer, so hugs to erveryone and into pre op I went. As I changed into my beautiful fashion gown and got all settled in the nurse came into do my iv. She began to tell me about her mom having breast cancer also. I have had some very interesting conversations with random people ( thank you Lord Jesus for putting them in my path or I in theirs). Jeff came back to sit with me until it was time to go. Dr. Enevoldsen came in to draw on me and then the anesthasiologist too. I again told him a thousand times how sick I get when I wake up.He gave me all the names of medications he was going to give me. WOW I have never had that happen before. He left and all of a sudden I began to have a panic attack. This is something I have never experienced in my life. I chalk it up to satan once again trying to get my eyes on him instead of the Lord. Dr. Eve came in at the same time and I just started crying. I was scared SO scared She reassured me and got my bed rolling as fast as she could to the O.R. As the bed was moving all I could hear was my sweet hub praying loud over me. They got me to o.r and before I even switched beds they had me out.
I woke up in recovery feeling pretty good just thirsty. They finally wheeled me upstairs into the hospital hotel room (it was really nice). They called Jeff up and he began to tell me all of the answered prayer that took place. Dr. Eve was able to get all of the centinal nodes plus 25 lymphnodes she wanted. Dr. enevoldsen was able to get the implants in fine because all of my skin stayed alive (YEAH) the other option would or could have taken months more. He told me about the lymphnodes that were taken out were black and at first they said they thought black nodes meant melanoma BUT they were black because of my tattoo! The list of answered prayer goes on and on and on praise to Jesus. I was so looped on drugs that Rick Countryman came to visit and right in the middle of talking I fell asleep! hahaha Now that I think about it all I do is laugh. That evening because of all the drugs they had going through my system and no solid foods I got very nauseated and started throwing up. I don't know about anyone else but I wish they invented something better to puke into when you are stuck in bed! Finally they gave me more medicine to stop the nausea and off to sleep I went. I woke up every 15 minutes all night wanting to be home in my own bed with my family. The next morning came and I started throwing up again. The physician assistant came in and offered to give me a shot in the behind to stop the nauseousness. At first I said no because I had had enough of the needles. But realized very quickly that I had to have it. She came in to give it to me and I couldnt roll over because I have 3 drains coming out all over the place so she decided to give it to me in my thigh! UUUGGGGHHHHHHHHH is what I yelled at the top of my lungs. It hurt so bad. Think of it as a tetnus shot times 100. But no more nausea. Both Dr.'s came into see me in the morning and told me I could go home.
I got home about??? wow I don't even know, too much medicine. The girls were delivered with my mom and dad that evening. It was so good to see them and be with them. My sweet hub along with my girls have taken very good care of me. Almost too good. I make my hub nervous when I am down so if you could imagine Jeff running and pacing back and forth it is a sight! It makes me giggle. But at the same time is stressful for him.
I am excited for the healing process. If you were to see me now with all these drains coming from everywhere you would be frightened. It is quite a sight. I had to give up my beautiful fashion gown at the hospital for a beautiful fashion sports bra! Worth the switcharoo.
This has been quite a journey so far and the Lord has prepared a path for me and continues to do so. The only thing He asks is that I stay on that path for Him. That I am more than willing to do. He has been with me from day one and never has left my side. I have seen Him be glorified more than you will ever know. Being His witness is amazing. Lord Jesus continue to use me, out of all people ME to glorify your name.
I was reading Psalms 119:73-74" Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. May those who fear you rejoice when they see me for I have put my hope in your word." This is my prayer for myself and for all of you. May we all put our hope in His word.
What can you continue to pray for-
- lets Praise Jesus for my surgery and all answered prayer
-pray that Jeff can handle me and the girls all at once ( his job description never read housewife)
-pray for quick recovery as I am no good in bed all the time it drives me bonkers
-pray for me as I prepare my testimony and give it next weekend (those that know me know I don't like to speak in front of people) and pray many would give their lives to Jesus and be touched by the whole service.
-continue to pray(believeing) for my lymphnodes that they come back with no cancer

Thank you again for everything. Your prayers, thoughts,gifts,calls, emails, facebooks, twitters ,poems, food and just showing up when the Lord called you to do so. It is amazing..
Thank you thank you thank you!!! I will keep you updated as the week goes by.
John 14:13 -14
If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it for you so that the Father's glory will be shown through the Son. If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.
I have been a witness to this and so have all of you. Prayer works! Never Never stop praying!
I will keep you updated on my progress
Thanks again
Love
Heather