Happy 1 Year!

A year ago on January 24, 2020 our doctors at Mayo gave me the prognosis of 1 year to a year and a half before this ovarian cancer would win the battle.

Well–we are now past the one year mark! Woo Hoo!

And not even appearing to be headed in the need for hospice anytime soon–or at least that is the appearance for today. None of us know what tomorrow brings–so I will not boast about my future, but for today, I will celebrate this gift of a year!

A year where for the most part–I have felt fabulous. Meaning not having continuous pains from tumor growth, or needing to make life/death decisions about problems due to cancer growth.

Amazingly, I feel better, stronger, and have more energy than I have had in a while. AND–I’m hungry–my appetite is back. I’m having to learn to control that beast! LOL!

This year of life that we were so unsure about has brought us much joy and much contemplation. We weren’t sure what to expect–at all. The one thing that has remained the same was our trust in God. He has been there through every doubt, question, surprise, and facing of the unknown.

2020 was an insane year on many levels. When Covid came crashing in, we were forced to cancel a few trips that we had planned. Instead, we planned a few little getaways with our immediate family. We went kayaking and jet skiing at my sister’s lake house, then Ben and I had a little getaway at our friend’s lake house, Leighanne graduated with her high school diploma, her A.A, and moved to college within a 2-week period. I had the joy of doing my first escape room with my WooHoo girls, attending a Baseball game with Jordan’s family and the Savannah Bananas, Leighanne and Cason got engaged, our family spent a weekend in Hiawassee together where we went white-water rafting and completed my 2nd escape room. Then my sisters and most of the brothers-in-law went to South Florida, hung out at the beach, went deep-sea fishing, and completed my third escape room. For several months we planned Cason and Leighanne’s wedding while I simultaneously finished writing and editing the book God led me to write, “Trusting God: When Life Gives you Crap“. Along the way, we celebrated birthdays, hung out with family and a few friends, began an outdoor Bible study at our house–that eventually led to safe-distancing inside, and scaled back the holidays. We ended the year with Leighanne and Cason’s wedding and a few remodeling projects around the house.

And did I mention that I have continued to feel good most of that time?

This year also brought us an alternative medicine trial with the dog dewormer–Fenbendazole. We began that protocol in the end of September and for the first time in a year, my CA 125 Marker numbers finally dropped–a teeny, tiny bit, BUT this is way better than continued growth.

My doctor at Mayo said he didn’t care if it was the medicine or a placebo effect, he believes something good was happening in my body. He is looking forward to my scans in March–I’ll have to admit–I am too!

Living a year in the unknown forced us to slow down and focus on the important stuff–living for God and family. Everything else we had to prioritize

When talking to my therapist this past week, she asked if we were going to celebrate this milestone and I said we sure were.

We got some of my favorite dairy-free ice cream and ate a bowl together with a couple of our grands and Hannah.

Because it’s important to recognize milestones and the faithfulness of God.

SO Happy 1 Year of Thriving and Living a Beautiful, yet Not Perfect, Year of Life!

We’ll be glad to have as many as the good Lord allows!

And–on the day that He says it’s my time to be finished on this Earth–I will celebrate in Heaven!