This woman's journey

A few months ago, one of my dear friends sent me this card! She said it was to cheer me on to the summit!

Today I can happily, joyfully, gratefully and humbly say that I have reached the summit! I first received the news late last night with a message from my oncologist. I was due to see him this morning for the scan results but he wanted to let me know he was away presenting a seminar abroad and that I’d see another member of his team. She confirmed the good news that both the scan and blood results showed no evidence of cancer!  Her words were,

‘This is the very best result we could have hoped for’

What words do I use to describe how I feel? Emotional is definitely one!! Relieved is another! And utterly grateful are another two!

I am first and foremost grateful to our amazing God! His power to heal is documented over and over again throughout the Bible and then down the centuries into our present day world. God’s healing power touched our family years ago with the healing of our son. He was 14 years old and contracted a rare auto-immune condition called Transverse Myelitis. The doctor told me there was no cure and that he could only relieve symptoms. We, along with hundreds of others across the world who knew us, prayed for a miracle! We saw the miracle of healing unfold before our eyes. The consultant who saw us for the final visit before our son was discharged, said he had never seen this kind of recovery before. That is the healing power of God at work!

Petitioning God on my behalf have been a whole army of prayer warriors and I am so, so grateful to each and every one of you. Your dedication to praying for me has been inspirational to me and my family.

I am equally grateful to my amazing doctors! My surgeon, my oncologist and my radiologist have all been truly wonderful. I would describe them all as the kindest of people. When we were in trauma and in completely unknown territory, they showed us the way. They brought their expertise to us and in so doing, calmed our distressed souls. They had walked this path before and knew where to go next.  Having an experienced guide on an unknown journey is the most wonderful gift and I thank God for each one of them. Alongside them have been the most wonderful nurses! They have sat with me holding the sick bowl as I wretched into it, held my hand through painful invasive procedures, brought me round from fainting after surgery and been at the end of the phone when I was racked with pain at home. They are superstars!

Just as climbers of Everest have to make the dangerous descent to safety, I know this isn’t the end of the journey for me either.  I still need to make it through the next 4 years for me to be in the safety zone. But for now, reaching the ‘summit’ is a place of celebration and joy! A goal reached for and attained! I am SO grateful to all who have done this part of the journey with me thus far.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.