Hi friends, Whitney here (Mel’s oldest daughter—the photo above is from January, when I was visiting at the beginning of Mom’s cancer journey). Mom asked if I would share a quick update on the blog today as she recovers from surgery, and I am honored to do so. First, the most important news: the surgery went very well. Praise God! After six long hours in the operating room, Dad and I were able to meet with Mom’s oncologist who described the surgery as “outstanding” and exactly what he hoped to accomplish. He shared that they removed two tumors and also a couple places where the cancer had spread. He was able to…

So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit—steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace of God that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:13, Amplified) Tomorrow is the day of my surgery. About 36 hours from right now,  I’ll be in recovery. This will also put me past the halfway point of the complete treatment plan given to me back in December. Tomorrow is a big day! For the past week, I have been intentionally preparing – physically, mentally, emotionally, and most importantly, spiritually.  I’ve watered all the plants. I’ve caught up on the laundry.I’ve cleaned out the…

“We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.” (Psalm 33:20) “May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.” (Psalm 33:22) “Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:24-25) “That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:10) And one of my favorites right now . . . “He has delivered us from such a deadly…

Don’t you love that opening photo? You know I do! It’s there for two reasons – first, because it’s fun for me to brag (via pictures) on the beautiful family God blessed us with. I picked up that frame at a thrift store, and thought it was a little comical to display this big ole’ family that evolved because Dick and I fell in love. As you see, we have 2 daughters, 2 sons-in-love, and 10 grandchildren. (If you take a moment and count, you’ll only find 9 in this photo. That’s because #10 is still in Kelsey’s womb, about 2 months from joining us. But they are all represented in one…

A friend of mine pointed out that the upcoming date for my surgery – March 4th – is a bit of a double entendre. Yes, it can mean the 4th day of the 3rd month of the year. But when you say it out loud, you may also hear this: March FORTH! What a great phrase for me to hold onto as I head towards this potentially formidable day! March: To move ahead in a determined mannerForth: Forward, towards a certain point Move ahead . . . in a determined manner . . . towards a certain point . . . And what makes this an even stronger statement? Because the Lord is with me…

First, let me give a quick update. This has been a much easier week than I had after chemo #1 or 2. (“Easier” being a relative term). I’ve still dealt with a lot of fatigue, but not as much pain. And for that, I am so very grateful! God is answering prayers (thank you to those who are lifting me up!), and I’m experiencing His goodness in real time. 😊 Also, my upcoming surgery is now on the calendar. March 4 is the date, and it’s anticipated that I will be in the hospital for 3-5 days of recovery before heading home. For those who have followed these blog posts,…

There’s a lot to be said for experiencing something multiple times. I remember my first chemo treatment, knowing nothing of what to expect, but making it through. Then with the second installment, I wanted it to be similar, and it was. So heading towards #3 . . . hopefully it would resemble chemo 1 and 2 . . . which it did. I felt “experienced” and more relaxed going into this one than with my other two appointments.  But let me back up a second: the night before this particular treatment, I was met with an attack from the enemy that I won’t go into, but the overall issue that was…

Oh, if only this journey were as easy as that cartoon! But I’m not an observer or someone watching from the sidelines. And no one is simply drawing a picture of me to memorialize this season. I am living it out. For those of you who have never walked this chemo road, there are probably some processes that you’re unaware of. Let me fill in a few details (And just to clarify, this is descriptive of the path I’m on. Others could be a bit different.)  On the Tuesday before every treatment (I will have one this coming Friday, Feb. 6), Dick and I make our way to my Oncologist. After my…

Dick and I have had a lot of wonderful travel opportunities. We’ve been to every state in the USA, sailed on multiple Alaskan, Caribbean, and Mediterranean cruises, been to Israel many times . . . and for each of those trips, there are packing considerations. Will the weather be cold or hot? Will we be mostly indoors or outdoors? Dressy clothes or casual? What kind of electrical plugs/adapters will we need? You get the picture. And there are times when you’ve checked and double-checked, you’re pretty sure you have everything you’ll need, and then whoops! You find yourself making a trip to the local department store (which, in another country,…

When our two daughters were young, we would organize a “Family Date Night” pretty much every Thursday evening. My husband, the girls, and I would take turns planning how the 4 of us would spend some precious quality time together. Here’s how it worked: When it was your turn to be the “planner”, you got to choose the restaurant where we would dine (anything from fast food to a family favorite, Camino Real) and you would also pick which activity we would do together. We saw movies, went roller skating, made cookies, visited Toys R Us to buy a game we could play together . . . you name it…