Asleep in the Boat

Several people have asked me lately what the Lord is saying to me and where I'm at spiritually. I thought I would share with you a picture the Lord has been giving me. I have been encouraged by it and I hope you are too.

You may recall the story in the Bible (Luke 8:22-25) where Jesus and the disciples get into a boat to cross over the lake. While they were crossing, a huge storm came up and the disciples were freaking out because they were afraid. The waves on that lake can get huge and storms can come up out of nowhere, totally unexpectedly. The boat was on the verge of being swamped, the waves were crashing, the wind was blowing, the storm was raging but Jesus was sound asleep in the back of the boat. Always in the past, the emphasis for me has been on the fact that Jesus got up and calmed the storm, which of course is awesome. But right now, the picture that the Lord has been showing me has a different point.

As I pray, I keep seeing the boat in the midst of the storm, crashing waves, thundering seas, gusting wind and I see me, tucked up next to Jesus, sleeping beside Him in the back of the boat. The picture is of me in perfect peace, not because of circumstances around me but because I am next to Jesus. His arm is over me and we are both peacefully sleeping; because He is at peace, I am at peace.

I have been asking the Lord what I'm supposed to be doing during this time. This picture keeps coming back to me and the simple phrase, "rest and be at peace." So here I am, where I am supposed to be just now, asleep in the boat with Jesus...in the midst of the storm.

Recovering from chemo

I seem to be having a rough time with the Taxol. The bone and muscle pain continue to be pretty bad for about 5-7 days following treatment. The drugs they gave me helped some, but didn't knock it out by a long shot. The Lord had prepared me ahead of time that this stretch might be difficult, so I am thankful for the forewarning. I do so value and need your prayers during this time, pain is very wearing both physically and emotionally.

The good news is that I have now passed the half way point in my chemo treatment. That thought has been very encouraging. I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and trusting the Lord to hold my hand. Thank you for continuing on this journey with me.

Hannah is sick with a bad cold again

Just a quick note to ask for special prayer for Hannah and the rest of us. She caught another cold, deep cough and really sore throat. She feels and sounds terrible. Her doctor started her on antibiotics on Monday, she seems a little better today. We are, of course, praying that I stay well and that Ron doesn't catch it either.

Hannah has been great. She has been wearing a surgical mask around the house to try and keep me from being exposed. We are disinfecting everything during the day and doing all we can to keep me well so that I can stay on track with my chemo treatments. Sticking to the chemo schedule is vitally important.

I am feeling a little congestion in my lungs tonight, please pray that this clears and that I am healed. Thank you!!

5 hour chemo treatment Thurs. Nov 20

Well, tomorrow I have a 5 hour chemo treatment. It will be my first combo of Taxol and Herceptin. Two weeks ago the Taxol treatment was pretty tough, and honestly, I am dreading having to go in tomorrow. The pain that I experienced after my last treatment of Taxol was bad enough that I cried. I don't cry very often from physical pain, but I did from the Taxol. It made my bones ache pretty badly.

Kathleen, my God-sent nurse practitioner, is tweaking my medication to try and help with the pain. I will take extra steroids to help suppress the bone pain and she gave me some prescription strength pain killers to take if the steroids don't help enough. So hopefully, it won't be as bad this time. I am really tired too and I know that the fatigue effects my emotions, probably adding to my feelings about tomorrow.

I know that you all will be praying for me tomorrow as I go for treatment and in the days following (the bone pain lasts 5-7 days, mine lasted the full 7 last time). Knowing you are praying gives me tremendous comfort and helps me to keep pushing forward. Thank you for that gift.

Please continue to pray that I do not have an allergic reaction to either of the drugs...both of these medications are vitally important in my journey to walking into full health and restoration.

Thank you again, lovingly, Leslyn

Tucked Under His Wing

I just wanted to thank you all specifically for your faithful prayer for me. I wanted to let you know how protected I have been feeling even in the midst of physical suffering. The only way I can really describe it is that I feel like I am tucked under His wing, safe beside God's heart and covered by His tender grace. I know you have been praying so faithfully for me and I wanted you to know that God is indeed answering your prayers in a most profound way.

One thing that has become so apparent to me is that though my body is sick, my spirit is not. My spirit and emotions are well and at peace, only Jesus can do that! I have had people comment on my smile and laughter in waiting rooms and in the chemo room. I know that they are seeing Jesus, feeling His Spirit and benefiting from your prayers! Thank you, love Leslyn

Starting Herceptin Tomorrow, Thursday, Nov 13

Well, the round of Taxol that I started last week hit me pretty hard. The bone pain was pretty intense and I was very fatigued, hence the lack of updates on the blog. In the case of my blog, no news is not usually good news. Usually, it means that I am not feeling well enough to sit at the computer. The doctor is tweaking my medications so that the next round of chemo should be better.

I won't have the Taxol again until next week, but tomorrow I will start a new medication called Herceptin. You may remember that this is the drug that they are giving me to counter the aggressive nature of the cancer. This is the drug that I will now be taking every week for the next year. So tomorrow the infusion will take about an hour and a half, on the weeks I take Herceptin and Taxol (every other week) the infusion will take about 5 hours.

Please be praying as I begin Herceptin tomorrow. The side effect that is the most serious is possible heart damage including congestive heart failure. I believe that God is able to keep my physical heart just as He keeps my spiritual and emotional heart. Would you pray for His protection over my heart as I take this medication. The inconvenient side effects are flu-like symptoms that include fever and chills that last around 3 days. I am really hoping and asking that I take this drug in stride and that I am not hit by the side effects of it. Herceptin is truly a life-saving drug that I am so thankful to be able to take. It was only released two years ago, so I am feeling very grateful for it.

The infusion begins tomorrow at 9:30Am. Thank you for being with me in prayer. Your willingness to stand with me touches me and my family more deeply than I can express.

Starting New Chemo Medication on Thursday

The good news is that I finished one of the three chemo medications. I start the second one, Taxol, on Thursday. There are some side effects that are a concern and I have been struggling emotionally the past couple of days as the time to begin this drug approaches. I thought the best thing I could do is to let you know and ask you to please be praying as I begin this medication.

[To add to the mix, I will also be starting Herceptin (the drug they will give me because the tumor was HER/2 positive and very aggressive) the following week. More on that drug next week.]

Here are the side effects:
--The infusion will take 3-4 hours (on Herceptin weeks 4-5 hours)
--Fatigue (can be debilitating) 5-7 days
--Muscle and bone pain (can be severe) 5-7 days
--Numbness and tingling in hands and feet that can lead to permanent nerve damage
--Hair loss (whatever is left usually falls out)
--Allergic reaction (apparently, this drug causes reactions so frequently that they spend the first 45 minutes of the infusion time giving anti-histamines to reduce the effects of the reaction they expect will happen)
--Decreased white blood cells
--Nausea
--Vomiting
--Diarrhea
--Stomach inflamation

So, you can see that these side effects are daunting. Please pray that God would remove or minimize them. I have had a sense that this section of chemo was going to be tough, so please also pray that I would have the strength to walk through it and to continue to keep my eyes on the Lord and His joy in my heart. Thank you, again, so much for standing with me. with a grateful heart for you, Leslyn

Been Really Tired

Well, I have not bounced back after this last chemo like I usually do. I have been really tired since my last chemo and I am getting ready to have another round on Thursday, so I would REALLY appreciate your prayer for strength. Thank you so much!!