Good Work: Under Construction!

He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete 

it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

Fact: He started it, but He's not done. :)
(Tell me you read that in Dwight Shrute's voice.)

This week is sort of an anniversary for me. Eight years since I had this little "cancer episode".

The BackStory: 
In Spring of 2005, it was discovered that I had a nodule on my thyroid gland. By the Lord's direction, we tested and tested and two surgeries later my thyroid gland was removed, along with the cancer that was growing on it. With some RAI (radioactive iodine) treatment and whole lot of prayers, the cancer was gone and I was free to go about my life with a Spouse, a four-year old, and a two-year old.

That was the year of the cancer, but also the year of the headache. And, I mean THE headache. All year. 11 months of one solid headache. I remember walking around the outlet mall one day with my praying, cooking, and cleaning friends and I said, "Hey, Y'all. Stop. I think my head isn't hurting!" I had to focus for a second because I wanted to be sure!

Let me tell you something, that was not an awesome time. But, it was. I got a front row seat to the show called "The Body of Christ Takes Care of Its Own". My people prayed incessantly and specifically. The headache was keeping me from sleeping, so my friends, Kay & Stephanie, called one another and prayed for me one night over the phone without my knowing. I slept. Jesus. My people showed up.  Spouse and my very best sister friend on this planet were the first faces I remember when I woke up from both surgeries. Meals came floating in to my house for three solid months. I sometimes watched as my laundry was folded, floors vacuumed, and dishes were put away. It was so weird, but I was grateful. And, when I was feeling good, they just showed up. I was going to be recovering on Easter, so my friends came for an Easter Egg Hunt at my house on a Thursday. A sweet young couple who had gone through a great deal of medical bills in the past dropped off $400. No joke. Young couple with two young boys at home. Not wealthy grandparent-types, either. Amazing. Only God compels that kind of sacrifice for your sister. My girls' birthdays were made great. A week after one of the surgeries, I tied a little scarf on and we had dinner with Cinderella & Prince Charming at Disney. Magical. It was something not easily forgotten when your people show up for you that way.

As far as the treatment, it wasn't much more than a little drama, really, and I was never scared. February to May and it was over. Surgeries were not great, but it wasn't terrible. The worst part was the radiation. I took a Radioactive Iodine pill that resulted in 5 days of isolation from everybody. I mean everyone. The nurses only came in my room once a day, wearing a lead vest and pointing a Geiger counter at me. Seriously. It was crazy. I was crazy. I had taken my trusty Beth Moore Bible Study materials with me, declaring it was going to be "Me, Beth, and Jesus." Whatever. I think I did one day of my Fruit of the Spirit Study. I was stir crazy. SANGUINE girl was alone. Isolated. Not really feeling well. I could see a Target outside my room window. Sigh. And, it was the weekend of the Runaway Bride from Georgia. Y'all remember her!? Lord, I'm sorry I didn't do my study, but I was nothing less than obsessed with that bride. She was the cutest thing. I did eventually complete all my homework. :)

Honestly, though, it was all pretty quick. I consider myself and my family on the receiving end of the gifts of early detection and a good life.

Gifts given by the One who gives perfect gifts for His own name's sake. Jesus.

The NowStory:
Follow up treatment includes taking a synthetic thyroid hormone every day and getting my TSH checked every 90 days. My TSH had been pretty stable for several years, but in November and every test since then my Thyroid has been off in one way or another. And, I have felt it. Suffice it to say I was livin' in a fog: there was not enough sleep to be had, inability to make a decision (me. no opinion. that's all.), just foggy. I'll not even mention the rest of the physical stuff, but to say there has been some physical stuff. Evidently, moving can be a major life stressor that can discombobulate your endocrine system. Yay. That's what I need. Discombobulation.

Then, about 2 weeks ago, my doc changed my Synthroid dosage. It was actually a little too high and as of 4 or 5 days ago, I am feeling brand new! Puh-raise the Lord! Seriously! I can make decisions all by myself! I have gone a good week without crying! *Happy Zumba Dance here.*

<<<<Note: I have mentioned before that silence on the part of this blogger is typically not a good sign. It's been a month since the last post, but I noticed today that I have 5 drafts. Fog brain couldn't even finish a post. Well, I'm over it. Brace yourselves. <--- That may be a little unnecessary hype, but I'm excited! >>>>

Also, since my doctors had different ideas about body scans and whatnot, I haven't had one since May 2005 (Hush. I know.)---well, now it's time. This week I begin to prepare for the scan on Friday. I will have an appointment of some sort each day of the week and stop taking the Synthroid. I am getting an injection called Thyrogen that allowed me to stay on the Synthroid longer and avoid the Low Iodine Diet (Which I unknowingly did for 4 days. Boo.) I've already had an ultrasound, which showed no thyroid tissue and I am not concerned in the least about this scan. Not a bit. Jesus peace.
My biggest concern was feeling better and I am. Now, I don't know how I will feel after 5 days off the medicine, but it sure is a lot better than the original 3 weeks off the medicine. :)

Here's the schedule, cause apparently, I can make decisions but have no boundaries:
Monday, Tuesday: Thyrogen injections. Wednesday: Radioactive Iodine pill (Not as high of a dosage as last time, so no isolation.) Thursday: Blood draw. Friday: Scan.

So, here I sit in a little camper while my family sleeps giving you, my five faithful readers, the longest status update in the history of Facebook. (I say "five" because I learned my friend Ricky reads. I used to say "four".) Those of you who get upset about mundane FB posts may never read my blog again! Ha! I am tempted to comment how boring this is must be for you, but I won't.
The God of the Universe began a work- a good work- and His work is never boring. With Jesus, it's a ride!

Thank y'all for being so patient with me and coming back to this little space on the interwebs.
I love it and I love you.
It is the coolest thing to me that you read this jazz.

2013 Goal Update

January 24th! What?!
I knew it had been too long (according to me) since I had blogged, but I didn't realize that I had not even posted an official blog in the year of 2013!

Gracious. My excuses are these:

• I've been focused on my 2013 Goals! Well, most of them. 
• We've been participating in a homeschool co-op called Friday School. 
• We had a most wonderful weekend with one of our first children, Jarrett, who is all grown up. He came to visit from Florida. 
• Then he left. So, naturally I was sad for a few days. I don't know if the airport drop-off will ever get easier. 
• Spouse had the flu. I didn't, but I was lazy with him.

Jarrett & me.

Family pic.

Two grown men. On a tandem bike. People gawked.

Uncle Jarrett and his girls.

I've got more excuses, I'm sure. So, it's 24 solid days into the January that I went straight up crazy and posted some goals for myself and my fam. Brilliant.

Here's how we're doing:

~~Twelve 5k's. I'm participating in 5k's for the next two Saturdays.  I'm pretty pumped to just get it started. I've run a few days over the last week or so. I was a bit bluesy for a couple of weeks, which matched our weather. Rainy and ridiculously cold.

I did this.

We are all working on our fitness.

~~Psalm 139. The girls and I are diligently reciting our Psalm 139 Scripture each day with one another. I'll type what I can from memory; you'll just have to trust me. :)

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. 

You know when I sit and when I rise, you perceive my thoughts from afar. 

You discern my going out and my lying down, you are familiar with all of my ways. 

Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely. 

I don't know how many verses that is, 4, I think.

Maddy & I drove over to the offices of Living Proof Ministries to pick up our very own, very cute 2013 Siesta Scripture Memory Spirals. My girls are doing their memory work as "Little Siestas". 

~~Scheduled school days. This is a biggie. We are doing it. And, it's good. The girls seem to be doing better, too. I hate to admit it, being as I have that emotional allergy to schedules and all. Here's the deal, it's good in that at the end of the week I'm not a basket case beating myself up over all that we didn't get to. I'm keeping better records. I feel accomplished and my little girls do, too. All the reasons I don't love it are selfish. There are some classes at the gym that I've had to forego because it's during school time. For those of you that have been scheduled forever or have a for-pay job are laughing at me right now, and go ahead. I can take it. Bottom line: we are doing it and it is working well.

La Clase de Espanol. :)

~~ Handwritten Notes. I've sent out several. More than one a week. Once I get out my cutesy little pens and the address book, I just feel like writing a few.

~~ Social Networking Hiatus. Let me extend an absolute appreciation for my sweet readers that have seen me on Twitter and Pinterest. You haven't called me out in shame. I deactivated my Facebook on January 1. I sat there for a solid hour debating it. Spouse has never fussed about my Facebooking, and in fact, has encouraged me in it. He has seen the positive reach that it has. It truly has been a positive thing for the most part. The negatives are, of course, the time sucker that it is. Also, that I couldn't seem to regulate it on my own, meaning just not log on. It just didn't work. I'm drawn to people and Facebook gets me a bunch of my people at once. I may elaborate on this later, but let me say that I am less homesick without it. (Notice I did not say "not homesick", just less.)
I've really appreciated those of you that have reached out in other ways just because you missed me. It's good to be missed. :)

I decided to blow off the 30 Twitterless days. Twitter is much less of a time leach and there are certain events in my life just compel me to tweet (i.e. Passion Conference, my new found love, Downton Abbey, and my wanna be family, the Bravermans.) I LOVE live tweeting. I crack myself up. There you have it. I'd failed on one of the goals before I even started. Bless.

I watched & tweeted every live session of the Passion Conference.
It was wonderful to watch from the warm couch with my hot cocoa, but also sad not to be there this year. 

Couple of random pics:

Meg at volleyball clinic.

My friend,  Sage. We were freezing. You'll notice the scarf.
This is my 2nd scarf ever. Both were bought in Houston. Nuts.

You know what happens with me, it's feast or famine. So, here's a post...that means there will be more shortly...then a drought again. Ha!

If you are on Facebook, and feel a nudge, go ahead a share this for me. :)