WELCOME

Hello,
Welcome to my Blog! Yes, I have been in the fight of my life against Leukemia, insomnia, depression, side effects of medications, molting skin, pooping my pants and this list goes on.... however, I still love my life, and that's what this blog is about Real Life. I hope to meet others who trails have brought them closer to the Lord and molded them for the next step in God's will. In January 2011 , my family, physician, and Be the Match was featured on a Fox 5 news story about bone marrow donors and transplants. In March, I was interviewed on Atlanta and Company along with Be the Match. I was chosen to sing the national anthem at the Be the Match Run last year and will also be doing it this year, along with some other songs. My team, no thanks to me, raised over $4,000 and raised more than any other team! Please join my team this year or consider donating here at the Run those Stem cells out ! Team I was also chosen for a patient advocacy panel for the international council meeting at Be the Match in MN in November. How exciting!! I ended up not being able to attend due to the relapse. I had hoped I could help raise awareness about how easy it is to sign up to be a donor and how many people need your help! Please go to bethematch.org and sign up! I was able to have my bone marrow (same as stem cell) transplant at the end of March thanks to a 22 year old donor oversees that I hope to meet her one day. As I came up on my 6th month mark and continued to add more normal activities to our lives, I relapsed, meaning that the that the cancer had mutated and the leukemia came back. I spent 2 more weeks at Emory and some other nights here and there and now I'm on a drug from the FDA. I have a compassion waiver so I am able to get it. I have to take it day by day sometimes hour by hour. Time keeps moving and my little girl is growing up. I'm lucky that I'm getting to see it. I continue to praise God for his wonderful blessings he has shown us including my wonderful husband Jonathan, baby girl Evalyn Rose, supportive family and friend, great medical care, new readers, and the chance to make a big difference, even if that means being a Lab Rat.
God Bless You!

Please read, comment, enjoy, learn, grow, LOVE LIFE.

Most Recently I have started a booth at a local consignment store with handmade jewelry from friends, crafts, and my own art from recycled materials. It is called DAY by DAY. God was very clear with me starting this. Please look over to the right of blog and click on Day by Day to see some pictures. I'm just getting started but I am taking orders from people that I know. You will be able to personalize items, etc. I just haven't decided how I will be selling them via internet yet. But for now, the jewelry is at A Weekend A'fair in Athens, GA and will hopefully be at some stores downtown soon.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Who's driving here?

      
Wallace, " Hello????"
        We have had a wonderful week. The weather has been great, we are all healthy (besides the obvious), and we are together instead of me being at Emory for the past 5 days as planned. Corynne was able to spend the night and we had a great time. Check out her art link. She is very talented and hopes to get a scholarship to an art school.  Evalyn has been in a great mood and we have enjoyed watching her do new things like rolling over an over and smacking her lips. She has also learned to wear her sunglasses on walks without pulling them off! It is amazing when I look back over her pictures how much she has grown.  She is so cute. My voice seems to be back for the most part and it has been fun singing to her again. She LOVES it when I play her the guitar. I hope she wants to learn guitar and we can sing with each other one day.

         I was watching Evalyn yesterday try to put her teether and sippy cup in her mouth at the same time. It made me think about how I try to keep my worries and fears and also trust and have faith in God's plan. I guess you can really do both at the same time. So right now, I'm picking up one, putting it down, then picking up the other and back and forth. I'm sure that once I get in the hospital and I'm stuck, there will be a spiritual growth spurt for me, there was the last time.
These were my clothes as a baby. 

         Someone sent me a link about a guy named Zac Smith, that had cancer who said that " God is still God and he is still good no matter what happens." I agree with that.... Then after he died of cancer, his wife was talking about Jer 29:11, it's on the right side of this page, and that they still have hope and know that God has a plan. I agree with that too....  I guess what I struggle with is if I die of this, why would that be God's plan? Why would he want Evalyn to grow up without a Mommy and Jonathan lose his wife. Why? Oh, I'm sure that God has already used my situation to touch others, I've seen it. I obviously have a long way to go to completely trusting in God no matter what happens. Right now, just the thought of the statistics of not making it, well, makes me angry. Not that I'm afraid of dying because I'm not really. I'm more afraid of watching people watch me die and the pain they would go through.
          Now don't go thinking that I think about dying all the time, I don't. It come and goes when you have an illness like this. I'm not really one of those people that are going to walk around saying "God's going to heal me 100%" because no one can say that. But I can say that I believe that he has a plan, whatever it is, and I'm a part of that plan. Some people can choose to walk in God's plan and some get thrown in whether they like it or not. As Zac Smith said in his video, "To God be the Glory."

1 comment:

  1. I followed Zac Smith for awhile before he died and he was such an amazing man! Love the pics of Evelyn esp the ones in your old clothes : ) Super cute!

    ReplyDelete