#M8kingPinktoberProductive....Catch up with our tips #2-4 in this post :)

If you are just joining us...Welcome!!! I'd love for you to add your email to our "Follow by Email" link if you'd like to stay up to date with us! That's certainly the easiest way! :)

     Now, on to Pinktober! I have had many who want to follow me to keep up with the tips I'll be posting this month for AWARENESS of cancer. And no, these tips do NOT apply just to breast cancer, it just seems to be a good time to share them since the pink vomit has ensued ;) So, here are the tips #2-4 so that you can be all caught up :)

     Tip #2: Make them a cancer care notebook. This notebook continues to be instrumental in keeping my own records of everything organized, and it's a life saver to take to appointments and have a copy of everything right there in hand. "Can't remember when that scan was?? I know, let me check in my handy dandy notebook," said in the best Blues Clues voice I can muster 🤣 In the notebook should be dividers with pockets so that they can easily slide papers without holes into the pockets until they get home. Make sure the tabs include Diagnosis Info, Labwork, Scans, Appointment Notes, Meds, Radiation (if they will be having it), and AFTER Cancer. I'm telling you, you'll be one of their favorite people EVER for thinking of this!! 😊 *And as always, see the Pink, say a Prayer!

     Tip #3: Give them a ride to their next appointment. When you're going through cancer, there are MANY rides back and forth to your many appointments, and sometimes the quiet can be a little much for your brain ;) If you give them a ride, chances are they'll enjoy chatting a little bit about something other than their reality for the day :) *And as always, see the Pink, say a Prayer!

     Tip #4: To go along with tip #3, but for the ones that don't have a schedule conducive to actually taking the patient to an appointment, give them a gas gift card. Many patients have to travel MANY miles, one way, to get to a main cancer center. I mean, think about your own town. Do you have a main cancer campus in your town that can give treatments and appointments, or would you have to drive an hour or more too? It's the little expenses that not everyone thinks about adding up until they've been there, done that :) *And as always, see the Pink, say a Prayer!
#M8kingPinktoberProductive

Pinktober: Why Survivors don't always love the holiday & Tip #1

     Many have asked why many breast cancer survivors do not love Pinktober. "Afterall, it brings awareness to the very disease you beat, why would you not like it??" I certainly cannot speak for all of them, but I will tell you my thoughts/feelings on the subject. First of all, I believe the CONCEPT of Pinktober is great! Awareness is NEVER a bad thing for any topic. Wisdom is always needed, and cultivation of that wisdom is certainly Biblical. However, the concept has become, I believe, just another money maker for organizations that SAY proceeds go to research and cancer patients, but in actuality, it's such a small percentage that those who really need the help, those in the valleys of treatments and turmoil, don't actually get it. For example, when I was a patient in the trenches, I had numerous breast cancer research organizations call me asking for a donation that would go to helping breast cancer patients. I would tell them I was one of those very patients, tell of my gratefulness to them for what they were doing, and then ask where I could go for this "help," and do you know not one of them had an answer for me?? Not one. That was the beginning of many eye openers for my family in the "business" of breast cancer.
   
     Here's the thing, yes, we need to be aware, but we don't just need to be aware that breast cancer EXISTS, we need to be aware of the REAL PEOPLE who are dealing with the disease, and what exactly that entails for them. I assure you, my "awareness" of breast cancer NOW vs. 4 years ago, is significantly different, and I guess after going through the disease, it's sickening to me that anyone would use those sweet patients, and the struggle they are going through, to put more money in their own pockets. So, in a nut shell, that's why I cringe when I walk into stores and see their Pinktober displays asking for donations to help breast cancer patients.

     Now, on that same thought, my own daughter is the first one to point them out, "Look momma, it's pink just for you and your breast cancer!" And you know what, I'm proud she's aware and SEES them. It makes my heart jump to know that my daughter sees her momma's fight as a celebration, but here's where my family tries to guide that awareness and excitement for the color pink....into the PATIENTS who are fighting the dreaded disease, and not just in October even. Cancer doesn't really care what month it is, side note ;)

     I'm a big believer in not just whining about something, but also DOING something about it. So, for all those reasons, for the next month, I'm going to give real life ways that we can be a productive part of the concept of Pinktober, and make its need for existence more purposeful and a blessing to those who actually need it the most!! I'll try to pop an idea up everyday for celebration of Pinktober from a SURVIVOR'S point of view ;)

     Tip #1: If you would like to give monetarily, I can tell you with 100% certainty that a cancer patient could use a personal small monetary donation. If we sit all the scans, meds, medical supplies, and etc. bills to the side, and JUST look at specialty doctor copays for a cancer patient, they spend in those copays ALONE over $100 a week. Y'all, that is JUST in copays to see their doctors who are trying to save their lives. A must pay wouldn't you say? So, if you want to help monetarily, send a cancer patient a small check and tell them it's to cover a doctor's copay. If you don't know anyone, I have a few I could send you an address to, or you can go to the nearest cancer center and pay an amount on a stranger's bill. They won't be able to tell you the person's name, but it will certainly brighten that patient's day anyway when they are struggling to keep up with the expenses. I hope this helps you all understand a different side of Pinktober. It's certainly not the only side, and probably not the right side for some, but life experiences certainly create different viewpoints in one's life, and that is certainly what has happened for our family ;) Above all, ANYTIME you see the color pink, whether it be in October or not, please say a prayer for those who are fighting cancer!! That my friends, will do more for them than anything else in this world 😘 #M8kingPinktoberProductive #Plus1cancerfreeday

Spiritual warfare and the other side of cancer

     Tonight, one of my long time mentors spoke at our Wednesday night service. Rusty Adair has been one of those people that Matt and I have gone to, many a times, to get spiritual advice from. He is one of those that meets you in the middle of the mess, with no ulterior motive, and walks with you through the thick of it all, all the while, building you up into stronger warriors. He is truly a blessing to us and we love him dearly. He moved away some time ago, so we are always thrilled when he is coming back to be a guest speaker for us, and tonight was no different. Little did I know, not only was I excited, but I needed his lesson as well. 

     Rusty spoke on spiritual warfare and how we, as Christians, often forget about the very real war that is going on in our daily lives. And yes, I am one of those that "knows" their is a spiritual war going on because the Bible speaks of it, but, as Rusty said, I too had "forgotten" about it. I forgot about its existence in my daily life. I forgot about the importance of it. And most of all, I forgot about its power.

     Its power, sadly, is the battle I am fighting mentally, everyday. The OTHER side of cancer, you know, the one that takes place when all the treatments are done, all the appointments slow down, all the scans are clear, and all of a sudden, you look back and realize the only thing you recognize anymore is fear. Everyday, I wake up and wonder if this is my last day NED. Everyday, I wonder if this or that pain is the beginning of a cancer recurrence. Everyday, I wonder if I am going to be the wife that gets to rock with Matt on a porch swing when our skin is frail. Everyday, I pray that I am the mother who is given enough time to guide my daughters into their own love for Christ so that I can have assurance I will see them again in Heaven. Everyday, I fight my fearful gut.

     It's no surprise that my "gut" has been pretty spot on since June of last year. Each time we have followed it, God has held to His words in Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." He has told me, "You're gonna be ok. Trust Me," and I fought and became NED from one of the most aggressive cancers a woman can endure. He has told me, "Annaline will be fine," and that baby came out with a head full of hair. He told me, "You're story is going to be used to bring others to Me," and I have seen His light shine brighter in others than any sun could match. He has turned each mess, into a beautiful blessing. 

     But lately, that same gut that gave me such strength and reassurance through my darkest days, has become my greatest road to fear. And tonight, I believe I was reminded that my gut must be fighting a spiritual war too. At least, I pray that is it. Because if it is still speaking to me, and not fighting a war where God will prevail, then to be as transparent as I can be for you all, what it is saying to me these days, scares me to death. I don't like what its saying anymore. I don't want to cling to it anymore. I don't want to listen and follow it anymore.  

     I needed to be reminded tonight that sometimes, just sometimes, my faults, in this case the fear that I feel of my future, is not necessarily a choice I have to make or forget about it, but a war I have to remember is going on. It's a battle that is taking place, and most definitely affects me by placing fear in the place of my joy, but there is something much bigger taking place that neither you, nor I, can completely comprehend. And although this spiritual war that is surrounding me was not given to me by God, rest assured, it IS going to be WON by Him! 

     I know that many of you still pray for me daily. And I know that each of you have walked with me through this journey, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. And although the tests have been run, the treatments have been endured, and the cancer has been eliminated, I still very much fight, everyday, and I need you all to pray for me. I need you to pray that I will remember that my gut is in a spiritual war that God will win. I need you to pray that my unbelief of "how could my cancer not return" is weakened. I need you to pray that I will be able to look at my sweet girl, and listen to her bedtime words of "I want to stay in your arms forever," and believe through hope that maybe those words will come true.   

     Please, continue to pray with me on the other side of cancer. I just don't know that I'm strong enough alone. 

Today. ahhh, what a beautiful today.

Today, my friends, is my LAST RADIATION!!

36 treatments are DONE!!!

Ahh, what glory my God is receiving today. 

Thank you Lord for your many blessings, especially for the blessing of TODAY!! 

Juice Plus- A different kinda post ;)

     Hi all! This is not my typical kinda post, but I’ve been praying about it and decided sharing this info is what I needed to do. So, it’s no big surprise I had cancer. I know right?!? Crazy!!! ;) Anywho...although we don’t REALLY know why anyone gets cancer, I do feel pretty certain I know why I got cancer. I HAD terrible health habits. And I mean TERRIBLE!! So, while going through treatments, I knew I had to come out of this adventure with better habits if I wanted the best chance of my cancer not coming back. So, I began a bit of research fun. I tried juicing. More power to you juicing folks….I just simply can’t do it. I’m not even going to tell you all my description of what those drinks tasted like. Yak, just not pretty at all. ;) I then began a whole food drink that a family friend sent me called Zeal. You see, it already had all that good stuff crushed and in the drink powder. And most importantly compared to my juicing adventure, it was delicious!! I mixed it with a little grape juice and down it went!! I began feeling so much better on it as well. I could definitely tell my gut was having life put back into it, and my energy level was elevating which is HUGE for a momma of two littles ;) Although I love my Zeal, and will definitely continue to drink it, I noticed that some days I would miss it, and on those days, I would miss my energy too :( There really is something to be said about eating “super foods.” Either we would be out of grape juice, or we were running out of the house too fast to a doc appointment for me to stop and get it ready. I know, my own excuses, but alas, I would miss my Zeal like crazy on those days. 
     SO, that led me to Juice Plus. I wanted something that would give me the same benefits of Zeal, but would be even easier for me to take, especially when I couldn’t drink my Zeal for whatever reason. Juice Plus is an organic, whole foods CAPSULE!!! Guess what?!? I always have water to take my capsules ;) AND, you wanna know what this momma of two REALLY loved about Juice Plus?? FREE children’s organic, whole food gummies (or capsules)!!! So, not only am I getting Matt’s and my gut healthy, Bella is getting to enjoy whole food health too!! I tell you what. I will do ANYTHING I can to keep my sweet girls from getting childhood cancer. For me, whole food health, in the form of Juice Plus gummies for my baby girls, is an insurance policy!! 
     Now, I am NOT a salesman!! That is one desire I have NEVER had!! But after feeling a difference on Zeal and Juice Plus, I most definitely wanted to share the info with you all!! I feel like if it can save one person from all the struggles my family has had to endure over the last 8 months, it was worth it! I wanna help save ALL my loved ones from cancer and other diseases! If you would do better with a drink, please let me know and I will hook you up with a great guy that sells the Zeal. If you would like to try the organic, whole foods capsules or gummies, please let me know and I’ll get some to you. I am now a “distributor” for Juice Plus ONLY because all my family has begun taking them and we wanted to all be in this together :) When it comes to the Juice Plus, I am including my website so that you can go and research all the health benefits of the product by yourself. There are thousands of medical journals Juice Plus has been included in, and you can read all the articles. It is really fascinating how important gut health really is! Any who, like I said, I am not a salesman, but I do very much want my friends and family to find something they can use to help themselves become healthy so that we can fight stupid cancer in a different way!! Love you all :)       

http://kgriffies.juiceplus.com/content/JuicePlus/en.html

Ahh, the Irony.

"Isn't it ironic? Don't ya think? A little tooooooo ironic, and yeah I really do think?"

Go on....belt it out!!! You know you want to ;) 

The door to my radiation room. Find the irony yet?!?

It's going to help you they say...

It's going to save your life they say.....

Irony. 

...and then God sends perspective.

It's no surprise I have been down for the past week or so about radiation, and the effects it is having on my life both physically and emotionally. Well, last week I was walking into the radiation center, probably with a grouchy "this is a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day" kinda face, and I noticed an older gentleman walking towards the door as well. The following conversation was exchanged,  and most definitely placed for a purpose. That purpose might you ask? A gentle perspective lesson from my Heavenly Father. After all, He always knows what we need and when we need it, right? :)

Mr: "Another day? It gets tiring, huh?"
Me (realizing I need to try to be a Positive Patsy instead of my current Negative Nancy self <insert
          smile> )
      "Yes sir. This is my 20th, but it'll be ok!"
          (thinking to myself...You're being a pretty good little actress today <Pat on the back> Oooouch,
          too hard. Remember, this crap has given you a terrible burn!! Oh I hate radiation. Don't let this
          poor man know your real thoughts!)
Mr: "This is my third." 
Me (thinking to myself...Aww, poor newbie. He has no idea what he's in for. Just try to be positive to
          the poor fella. Bless him.)
      "Oh, ok. Well you hang in there, it's not that bad." 
Mr: "Oh, I don't mean my third treatment. This is my 3rd case of cancer. This is my 100th radiation 
      treatment." 

Perspective given.
Perspective received.

#Godiswritingmystory

Every. Single. Day.

*Disclaimer: Many have asked about my burns, and in an effort to continue my transparency through this journey we have been given, I have included a picture of a couple of my burns/blisters that are found under my armpit. I very much believe in modesty and, although now I ask myself "if I have no breasts, is it immodest to show my chest," I still decided I'd spare those pics. After all, I am still a lady ;) Anywho, if you have a weak tummy, you may not want to scroll to the last image. 

Radiation I have found, is not for the weak :) 

26 down. 10 to go.

#Godiswritingmystory

We were supposed to beat this.....together.

     I believe that everything in life happens for a reason. For instance, one of my friends lost her young niece to a car accident 6 years ago. At the time, we most definitely couldn't understand the 'whys' of her accident, but not even a year later, I understood. That same friend, who walked with her family through that loss, was then there for me as my family dealt with the loss of my sister-in-law, Susan, who also died unexpectedly at a young age. Because she had already walked the death of the young, she was able to give me words of strength in our time of grief. Eight years ago, another dear friend of mine began walking the weary road of a cancer diagnosis in the family when her daddy was diagnosed. Again, the 'whys' were not understood until June 3rd of this past year, when that sweet friend was the one that was sitting by my side as my phone rang with my own cancer diagnosis. In that moment, there was no other person that needed to be here with me more because she loved me and knew what was to come because she had already lived it. You see what I mean?? Everything happens for a reason, and God puts the perfect people in our lives, with the perfect life experiences, just when we need them.

     Today, I attended the funeral of one of those people. Ernest Hodges was diagnosed with cancer well over a year ago. Matt worked with him for many years and considered him a good friend, so immediately, our hearts sank with the 'whys' of such a young guy fighting cancer. Here he was, a young husband and father, and was fighting for his life. Fast forward to June of 2015, and the 'whys' of Ernest became more clear, because now, I too was a young wife and mother fighting for my life. Ernest instantly became another cancer role model for me, and when we talked for the first time after my diagnosis, I said to him, "We are going to fight this together?!" Ernest, with that huge, contagious smile said, "Yes we are!" and instantly, I believed him. I was filled with gratefulness for the strength he gave me in those words. And boy did we fight. All the while, comparing notes on how badly cancer stunk, our families rocked, and our Savior blessed.

     But now, we aren't. We don't get to fight together anymore. Although he is no longer infected with cancer, he never got to hear "no evidence of disease" with earthly ears. His sweet wife is grieving for one more sweet embrace with the man that God gave her as the leader of her young family. His sweet daughter is longing for someone, anyone, to bring her daddy back so that she can give him one more hug. His family and friends are wishing for one more contagious grin. I'm wandering this cancer battle land for one of my favorite side kicks.

     I think I know why Ernest got cancer...so that he could help others, like me, who would all too soon begin walking the treacherous cancer road as well. Thankfully, God used his story to help me find strength when I needed it the most. I don't know why I got cancer. I like to think that maybe, just maybe, someone, somewhere, is finding strength in my words for their own battle. And I pray to my Father above that there will be other life circumstances, and people, that will be brought into my life, just at the perfect times, so that I can hear their story and use it to understand the 'whys' of this tough world. I'm so thankful Ernest was one of those people for me.

     And just as I believe everything happens for a reason, I also believe it is in His time that we are given the ability to understand it, and so for right now, I don't guess we get to understand why Ernest couldn't win this fight. It is simply not the time for understanding. So I will grieve for Ernest, just as Christ also grieved while on this earth, and for today, I am going to allow myself to be upset over the 'whys.' Why couldn't we continue to fight together? Why couldn't we both be plugging on like a couple of warriors out to save the day? Why can't he be here to hold his wife and daughter one more time, or two or three or four more times? Why can't we see that contagious smile again? Why couldn't we beat this, together? I guess these are just 'whys' we will have to understand another day.

We love you Hodges family, and are in constant prayer for your comfort! 

Flashback to June 3, 2015: Telling the world...God's servants pick up our broken pieces.

The following are the Facebook posts Matt and I put up a few hours after the phone call from Dr. Strickland.


Katie's:
     Well, today my family received some pretty hard news to swallow. It has been confirmed that I am beginning a battle in breast cancer. Although all reports are not back, based on the results we do have, it looks to be stage 3 inflammatory breast cancer (further tests will confirm that). Don't google it bc it will scare you to death and I am here to reassure you I am not going anywhere!!! I'll know more tomorrow after my oncology appt @ 2:30, but it looks like chemo will start immediately, with surgery to follow after margins have shrunk. Rest assured, we are making sure baby Griffies will be fine through all treatments, and nothing will be done until we are given that reassurance. That being said, it's a very aggressive cancer and we cannot wait until delivery. I love you all and desperately need your prayers for me and my nugget as we begin this journey. More than anything, my God will be glorified because He has given me a peace of "I'm gonna be ok" that can only come from Him, and for that, I am blessed and thankful!!! Now, let's beat this cancer!!

Matt's:

     Katie was diagnosed today with Stage 2 breast cancer. We meet tomorrow with the oncologist to discuss chemo treatments. Katie was told that it is a very aggressive cancer but that it is a curable cancer. I'm sure it's going to be a tough road ahead but I'm confident that God is with us during this and every thing is going to be fine. I ask that you pray for our family, for Katie's healing, for baby Griffies' health, and for Bella. God is good, all the time and all the time, God is good!! Thanks!

My response in the wee early morning hours of June 4th:

     As I sit here unable to sleep, and read all these precious messages again and again, to say that I am completely humbled and in awe of God's love through you, His servants, is an understatement!! I am truly blown away by the number of precious souls that are covering my Heavenly Father's throne tonight on my behalf. I'm sure He's even a little blown away ;) I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being warriors for me. I ask that as this journey is just beginning and progressing, that you will keep those prayers going up every chance you get!! I have had a peace that I would beat this from the beginning of the possibility that it was even coming, but Satan uses fear in powerful ways and I need him to get behind me. I need to continue reading y'alls sweet messages and know that with all these prayers, there is just no way God could say no! I'm gonna continue loving my sweet hubby's "no worry" nature that sometimes drives me batty, I'm gonna keep that sweet secret my daughter gave me tonight as I was putting her to bed, and I am going to watch my second daughter be born and her life unfold before my eyes, and I am going to continue teaching other's about God through this battle!! Please join me in that faith friends!!!

To say that we were overwhelmed, in a good way, by all the love and support that began flooding our souls and picking up the newly broken pieces at this point, would be an understatement too great to explain!! We both grew up in the church, but neither of us have ever been through a situation quite like this before, and so the love of His people that was poured out on us in such beautiful ways, was truly awe inspiring and brought tears to our eyes daily! God is so very good guys, ALL the time, and we thank you for choosing to walk this weary road with us!! We are truly honored to have you come along :) We also realized at this point, we had a choice. We could either focus on the good and see that if we trusted in Him through this trial, He would win souls for His Kingdom through our toughest of days, and hopefully bring my body back to complete healing, OR, we could sit back and focus on how much it all really sucked, and make this journey much harder than it naturally already was to be. Thankfully, through the sweet words of our friends and family, God showed us we had the strength and peace to choose the first option, and we decided to lean on Him and get ready for the bumpy road ahead, knowing we would be carried by His hands. We began clinging to each other and His promise of "You're gonna be OK. Trust me." Just because we chose Him though, did not stop the crazy from beginning ;) 

#Godiswritingmystory 

Ripping Band Aids: Compression Wrap

I am SO flipping tired of this compression wrap around my chest!!
"Leave it on as much as you can," she says!! 

Well you know what....there are moments in any cancer journey where you feel as though something is squeezing you so tight that you are unable to breathe, and it just becomes too much sometimes! So out of panic, you often just kinda rip it off like a bandaid, even if for just a moment, to get some sweet relief from whatever it is. Well tonight, I got tired of literally not breathing and ripped this bad boy off!!!

Ahhh, freedom.

No worries, it went back on in about 45 minutes ;)

Relay for Life Kick-Off

Please come out and join us as we kick-off Autauga County's Relay for Life season!!! We will be having a cupcake war to see who has the best cupcakes in town, learning how to help our little community raise funds towards cancer research, and most importantly, remembering and honoring the survivors and fighters of cancer in our area!! I am thankful I have been given this platform, as the event's speaking survivor, to share my story of letting go, being held, and living out a God-written story of cancer survival!! Hope to see you there :) 

My Post-Masectomy Path Report: "As good as it can be!"

Path report is back!!!! It's not "humanly" perfect, but I know it is perfect in God's sight so I will take it and be grateful :) Dr. Strickland said its "as good as it can be!" There were a FEW microscopic cancer cells around the sight of the biopsy, but they had changed from Invasive Ductal Carcinoma that is Inflammed to Ductal Carcinoma In Situ which means they were confined to the ducts only AND considered stage 0!!!!! Yep, you read that right, stage ZERO!!!!!!! That's just unheard of with IBC......God's such a show out and I love Him for that ;) Also, out of 11 lymph nodes that were taken and looked at, only 1 showed signs of treatment residue which indicates the chemo killed all the cancer cells that were there and none of them survived treatment and were able to spread!! Overall, all of this means, as of October 30th, the day of my surgery, my body is completely NED, NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE FOUND!!!! This path report indicates I had a full response to treatment and am CANCER FREE as far as any doctor or test can tell!!! We will continue with our treatment plan of radiation to follow healing of the double mastectomy as soon as possible because that step lessens the chances of reoccurrence as much as possible! Thank you all for the prayers and support that have carried our little family through this dark valley. I have never felt the love of God and His people so strongly before, and I hope and pray that each of you can experience this incredibly love at some point throughout your life. It is truly an awe inspiring beauty that can come from none other than our most gracious Lord!! I know I've said it before, but it still holds true through this storm...Let God write your story, it will be beautiful. #Godiswritingmystory

Bella Bits: Gratefulness of a child

"Dear God, Thank you for taking my mommy's cancer away. Thank you God for making my mommy cancer free!!!" -Bella, October 14, 2015

My heart is full.

October 14, 2015: Results are IN!

Please forgive the delay in posting. "Craziness" would be a good adjective for my life the last few weeks! I'm gonna try to do better though :) Hang in there with me ok?!?

"But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given unto you." 
Matthew 6:33

My God asked me to trust Him, and although it hasn't always been easy, He has kept His promises!! There was NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE FOUND!!!!!!!! I wish I could hear and see all the happy dances right now wink emoticon What a journey we have all been on!!! Please, stop reading right now and say a prayer and give God ALL the praise for His unwavering love, devotion, and mercy that He has given my family through this journey!!!!!!! < prayers wink emoticon > Now, let me explain just a bit. The PET scan can only pick up cells that are a certain size, so even though it picked nothing up, there could be some smaller cells still lurking that it can't pick up. So, keep those prayers going that there aren't any sneaky, microscopic cells lurking and that we will be able to get that confirmation through pathology of the breast. Also, if you don't mind, pray for knowledge and peace to make and accept our upcoming decisions. Friends, I cannot even begin to tell you all how much your love and support as God's angels here on earth has helped carry us through this journey! We love and thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!!! ‪#‎Godiswritingmystory‬ ‪#‎GodkeepsHispromises‬

Tests and Prayers

Yesterday was my breast MRI and first ever PET scan! After the PET, I finally felt like a cancer patient....radioactive and all!! ;) Both tests went very well, and like most tests, the prep work was harder than the actual test!! For instance, with the PET, I was to eat high protein and avoid carbs and sugars for the 24 hours before the test. Ha! Yeah, these people CLEARLY do not know Katie Griffies ;) But anyway, we survived the prep, became radioactive, and now, we wait :) Tomorrow we have our oncology appointment to hear the results of the breast MRI and PET scan. Please continue those prayers for "Full response to chemo...NO evidence of disease found!" Also, Matt and I have a HUGE prayer request. We have MANY decisions that have to be made, in what seems like a very short amount of time, and currently, we do not feel that unwavering peace about any of them. I have let God write my story thus far, and I most definitely want Him to keep it up, so I need Him to start talking wink emoticon Please pray He will speak through my medical team with great clarity so that we will have an obvious path to take! Thank you all again for walking with us through this journey. We love you!! ‪#‎Godiswritingmystory‬

Bella Bits: While we paint our pumpkin, TOGETHER....

Bella: "Hey my cancer fighting momma!! I'm glad your cancer is gone momma."

Me: "But we don't know it's gone yet baby."

Bella: "God knows that you are healed. He knows your cancer is gone."

Me: "How do u know that? Did He tell you?!?"

Bella: "He heals those that believe in Him and He promised us you would be done with cancer!"

Please join our family as we strive to have the faith of God's most precious 4 year old blessing, Bella. PET scan and breast MRI is Monday and we are praying for "Complete response to chemo. NO evidence of disease found!"

#Godiswritingmystory

50 Can Fight

At any given time, there are up to 50 people receiving treatments in the treatment room of the Montgomery Cancer Center. 50 sweet people at any given time will be fighting for their very lives! I'm grateful to have gotten to know some of these sweet people, and today, I may be saying goodbye to the treatment room, but I will keep those relationships close to my heart and whenever I think of them, I will remember them with fondness for the strength we give one another when we're crying with panic as we wait for a test result, sobbing over the loss of hair, talking out surgery options, laughing at the crazy sides of cancer, or simply talking about our faith in Him to deliver us from this nightmare. I am blessed to sit in one of those 50 chairs, and I pray with each treat bag I give out, they will know they are loved and cherished for sitting beside me on this journey!! 

#Godiswritingmystory 

Ringing the Bell

Ringing the bell. Today, Thursday, October 1, 2015, when I finish my 8th and final chemo, I get to ring the bell. They call it “ringing the bell,” but I imagine that for me, it is going to be more like the sounding of the trumpets in Joshua 5:13-6:27. I’ve always loved that Biblical event! Not just because there’s a catching little tune connected to it that Bella and I love to sing, but because it’s one of those stories that is full of faith and action. Here Joshua was marching around a wall, with trumpets, to conquer it. Let that sink in……MARCHING around a wall, with TRUMPETS, to CONQUER it in battle! No guns, no bombs….just MARCHING and TRUMPETS! And even as crazy as the whole plan might have sounded, Joshua trusted his Lord. He had faith in God to keep His promises that the city would be delivered unto them, and showed he was a faithful servant through the actions of following His plan. He took the plan, “crazy” and all, and marched! Simply amazing how God shows His loyalty and power isn’t it?!! This cancer journey is like my battle of Jericho. And the plan, oh yeah, it has definitely been looked upon as “crazy” at times. I mean, lets get real, a pregnant woman had to have chemo?!? Yeah, its definitely been crazy, but God sent His servant at the beginning of this journey and told me exactly what to do, “trust Him.” So Matt and I, along with all of you, picked up our armor of God in the form of prayer, and we marched ourselves to battle!! Guys, we have marched for 17 long and tiring weeks. We have marched through muscle fatigue, headaches, loss of hair, weakness, tiredness, anxiety, extreme dry eye, blisters, giving birth, etc. But tomorrow, 17 weeks after our march began, I get to ring the bell and we get to shout to our God in the Highest again that He is good and faithful to His promises!! I will have survived all chemo, with a perfectly healthy baby girl in toe, and in the next couple of weeks, I pray and believe a PET scan will confirm that I have had a FULL response to chemo and no cancer is found!! I ask that you join me in that prayer as well!! What an absolutely beautiful day my God has allowed me, one of His most undeserving servants, to be able to see!! We are so incredibly blessed to have been chosen to walk this journey, and I am so very thankful God has continually opened my eyes to His blessings and His endearing faithfulness. They call it ringing the bell, I call it blowing my trumpet! 

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Flashback to June 2, 2015: His whisper

When the lump started growing rapidly at 27 weeks, I had a gut feeling. You know, one of those gut wrenching ones that no matter how hard you try to ignore it, and pretend its not real, you just can't shake it?? One of those. I wanted to pretend I was just an emotional prego, but sadly, I knew in my core that something was wrong, terribly wrong, and I was just not going to be able to shake the feeling. My heart knew I had cancer. Fast forward to the morning of my first appointment with my surgeon for the initial ultrasound that would ultimately confirm my gut feeling. I parked right in front of her building, it was about 8:30 in the morning, and the building was covered in pink. So. Much. Pink. I’ve always loved the color pink, but in that moment, I despised it. I despised what it looked like. I despised how it made me feel. I despised what it stood for. I parked the car and just sat and looked at all the pink and thought to myself, “and so it begins,” as tears began to stream down my face. In that moment, knowing I had no control of what I was about to find, I said a simple prayer through my little sighs, “Dear God, please let me be ok, either way….cancer or not.” In that moment, I absolutely cannot explain it, but remember it with the most vivid of details. God reached out with His mighty, but all too gentle hand, and with the sweetest of whispers said, “You’re gonna be ok. Trust me.” With a new found sense of complete peace, my response was a simple “ok, lets do this.” Tears wiped, car locked, big girl panties back on, and I opened the pink door…. 

#Godiswritingmystory