22 months!  I will never forget the Dr telling me that I only had 12-18 months to live, without treatment.  I did it!  It's been 22 months, and I'm here to tell you that I am a miracle of God.  Yes, praise God!  This last year has been full of ups and downs, but I am so very grateful to have all the love, support, and prayers of hundreds of friends and family, and people I don't even know.  Cancer changes you...it really does.  I no longer care about things that I used to.  I now care more about people, not things.  Don't get me wrong, I still love beautiful things, but now I love to share them more.  Memories of traveling, helping people, and giving...my heart is so full of love, and I just have to share it!  

My cancer (yes, I own it...I have to accept it to fight it) was stable (no growth, no spread) until July of last year.  The dominant tumor in my left lung starting growing again.  I underwent 5 rounds of radiation (SBRT), and it shrunk it down to where it was after chemo.  Is that my lucky spot?  Maybe it is...I'll take it as long as it doesn't continue to grow.  I can just feel it in my heart and soul that it hasn't progressed since then.  Yesterday, I went to the oncologist.  My NP, Renee, told me I was a miracle lady!  Me?  A miracle?  I believed her as if I have ever believed anything before!  I am a miracle!  I have seen God's miracles before, and they are amazing to witness!  But me?  I try so hard to be a good person and do the right things, but have always doubted.  Will I get to Heaven?  What do I need to do?  I struggled with my faith really hard the first year after diagnosis.  Why me? What did I do?  Then, it came to me...why not me?  I wholeheartedly now believe that I was chosen to go through so much illness and pain only to come out on the other end to help people who are struggling.

So much has happened in this past year.  I got to travel and make wonderful memories.  I went to TX with Dana, Myka, and Trini to visit my lovely SIL, Leslie and her family.  Her daughter has a beautiful home, so we spent a lot of time hanging out there, swimming and laughing at the dog chasing Trini around, and eating our fool heads off!  Donnie/I went to Charleston, and it was beautiful there!  We stayed on a resort, he's spoiled rotten.  All we did was beach and pool every day.  We spent the last day touring Charleston's beautiful city.  In October, me, Jamie, and Paula went to Salem MA to see all the witches!  We had so much fun, touring and taking in all the history of New England.  I love to travel, and am now planning a trip with my kids and grandchildren to Gulf Shores AL.  If you've been there, let me know, please!  My SIL, Les, came to visit; as well as my niece, Melina, and her family; and Rachel and her family.  I spent alot of time in the pool with my other SIL, Charlene and her family.  4th of July was a hoot!  Both of my kids are doing great and are blessed to have their spouses, Jamie and Patrick.  My granddaughters are awesomeness, and each one is different in her own way, which I love. Myka was recently inducted into NHS and is such a good girl.  Trinity is a tween now.  She can go from playing babies to putting on makeup in a minute. She is a very sweet girl with a huge heart.  Delaney is a full-blown, natural born cheerleader.  She's beautiful and so very sweet.  McKinley loves everything princess and loves to dress up.  She's adorable and has her daddy wrapped around ALL her fingers!  She loves coming to Mamaw's house to eat all the sweets she can find!  I'm so very proud of each one of them and hope and pray that I'm here to see them grow.  Donnie is my rock, although I almost took a rock to him last summer.   Cancer is very hard on the caregiver, and we both had to regroup a little.  We'll be married 40 years next September!  

I joined a local cancer support group.  It's faith based and held at a church here in Medway.  A dear friend, who I met through fishing here on the lake, invited me.  Her name is Lisa.  I thought about it for awhile, and then went.  Wow!  Amazing group!  Lisa leads the spiritual side, and there's a lovely oncology nurse, named Angie, who leads the cancer side.  I have made so many dear friends there, and feel like I've known them for years.  We've lost a couple of dear friends along the way, but are always here for each other.  My new, dear friend Suzie lost her SIL during this time.  Suzie/I just hit it off from the get go.  Robin, her SIL, was able to come to group a couple of times before she passed.  We all rallied about her, giving her hope and love.  Every time the group would end, they would say "see you on Sunday in church."  Robin started going to church and was so happy she did.  For me on the other hand, yeah, right..., I haven't been to church in years (what they didn't know is that I had been thinking about it for awhile now).  Well, about a month ago, my dear, precious friend Jimmy was diagnosed with advanced cancer.  One day, his wife Paula, mentioned going to church.  I then told her I knew where we could go...it just came out!  We went, and have been going for about a month now.  We both love it and can't wait for Sundays to come now to worship and care for each other!   Now, I'm told I am a miracle!  Wow!  It took me awhile to get it, but now I get it!  God is good and has been waiting for me all along.  

Well, that's my sermon for the day...haha!  I just was compelled to share.  Please keep me in your prayers, as they are working.  I get my scan next month, so pray for no progression.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if they scanned me and said the cancer was gone?!  Let's also pray for peace in our hearts and minds this holiday season.  The holidays can be tough on people, mentally.  

Thanks for listening!  Love you all!  xoxo