Life is hard. Kindness, courage, and love will help you prosper.
Join me as I try to learn how to heal from being struck by lightning
Welcome! This page will soon feature a curated collection of printable resources from my Etsy shop, along with helpful health and wellness tips that supported my healing journey. My goal is to provide tools that encourage, inspire, and support you in everyday life.
Check back soon — new resources are on the way!
Walking Through Faith in Challenging Days
September 15-17, 2022
Walking through faith during extreme trials means learning to carry physical weakness while clinging to spiritual truth. These entries reflect a few days in September 2022, capturing the balance between pain, fatigue, family life, and trusting God throughout it all.
September 15
4:30 Joe woke me to tell me my phone was going off. I hadn’t heard it. After checking, everything is okay.
Headache. Whole body stiff and achy. Thirsty. Tongue hurts.
Song on my mind: “Oh, I Liveth Thee” (just the tune, not the words). Switched to Ship Ahoy for a bit of encouragement.
5:00 Joe comes to give me kiss before leaving for work. Let’s me know that he has his suit and briefcase. Tells me he doesn’t think I should be going tonight. Bummer. I guess that gives me the answer if I should go. Safety and health is important especially when my immune system is low.
Checked the bank account, concerned about insurance coverage. Praise God, everything is covered today!
Looking into natural ways to support my immune system and manage thrush/candida:
Fell asleep. Apparently I’ve hit the snooze button unknowingly. Need to get up and check on Dezirae. Haven’t heard her stir at all. She overslept.
Scripture Reflection: Isaiah 43:2-4
My mouth is hurting, making eating a challenge. I’ve lost six more pounds since starting chemo—52 pounds total since noticing the lump last November. Half of that loss has been during treatment. Whew!
7:45 need to blow nose as nose is running, but I can taste blood in back of throat. Blow nose as blood is gushing. Yuck! Have to dash to bathroom for another tissue. I don’t like bloody noses. They make me feel very weak and lightheaded afterwards.
Went to take something to the trash outside and was pleasantly surprised by am Amazon driver who was dropping off happy mail. I let out a muffled scream and exclaimed I wasn’t expecting you there. We both laughed. Picked up packages put them on couch and proceeded to trash can. On way back reminded of huge ant pile by sidewalk. Decided to pour the five-gallon bucket of water on it except I struggled lifting it. Poured some out, then was able to wabble it to ant pile. In attempting to dump it, I managed soak my feet as well. I’m awake now! Lol.
Simple chores like changing sheets, washing clothes, and dusting the piano become big accomplishments on days like this. Time to rest for while till I can stop being shaky and have enough energy to dust a little more.
Scripture Reflection: Zephaniah 3:17; 1 John 4:16
6:00 experienced a brief moment of choking on my saliva and difficulty of catching my breath.
7:20 Evening church online was a bit challenging due to video issues
9:00 I’m exhausted. Can’t push anymore. Having trouble choking on saliva today. That’s a bit scary. Whole body hurts. Having to relearn my limits is difficult and challenging. Lots of gas in belly as I lay down tonight. Bloody nose a couple times today. Horrible salty taste in mouth. Managed to eat a little bit of cooked carrots and broccoli for dinner. Exhausted. Nerves stinging and burning in hands, arms, and legs.
Reflection: Relearning my limits is difficult, but small wins—resting, eating, finishing chores, and connecting with God—remind me that even challenging days can be meaningful and full of hope.
September 16
6:10 a.m. — Rough night. Fell asleep around 9:15 p.m., woke after a short nap, and had trouble falling back asleep. Once I did, I had a strange dream about searching for someone who had been missing for years—it felt sad and lingering. Whole body aches, post-nasal drip, sore tongue, and watery eyes made waking up challenging.
Scripture Reflection: James 3:13; Daniel 4–6; Psalm 118:8
Sudden bloody nose rt side while in bathroom. Started feeling very weak so I went to sit on bed. Diarrhea is starting back. I was hoping that wouldn’t be a problem this go round. Apparently it just delayed itself. Ugh. Weight 168. I’ve lost 9 more pounds. That’s 55 lbs since I first found the lump last November, and 29 lbs since I started chemotherapy. This is a tough way to lose weight. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
Waiting for the doctor gave me time to review my bloodwork and reflect on how chemo affects lab results—learning about RBC, HGB, HCT, MCV, and MCH was interesting, even if complex. My doctor noted that my results are within expectations for someone undergoing chemo.
There’s different types of anemia. Interesting. https://www.verywellhealth.com/mean-corpuscular-volume-overview-4583160#toc-purpose-of-mcv-test
During the visit, I received acupuncture for nausea, taste changes, thrush, and general wellness. About 14 needles were used, and afterward my right foot, knee, hip, back, and neck were adjusted. The neck adjustment brought instant relief to my headache, and the strong salty taste in my mouth began to ease. My doctor remarked that I’m stronger than expected given all I’ve endured, which was encouraging.
We discussed concerns about future radiation treatments. The doctor suggested continuing research and waiting to see my margins before making decisions—a reminder that informed choices take patience.
Resources: Curcumin and Breast Health
After the appointment, we ran a few church errands. Joe took me to lunch at Firehouse Subs—my first solid meal in a week! It was delicious, and during lunch we were able to thank a group of officers for their service and pray over them. It reminded me of the joy of ministering and sharing faith, even in small ways.
After returning home, I rested, and later received “happy mail” from friends—a dress, skirt, and navy blue turban. Trying them on was a reminder of progress, gratitude, and small joys. My tongue is pinking up after a morning that showed it almost completely covered in white. I swished with colloidal silver and Biotene, though the taste returns quickly—still, every little bit helps.
Thankful for:
September 17
5:30 a.m. — Woke with significant discomfort and needing to use the restroom. Low back and tailbone are throbbing, even though I haven’t had any injury. Stomach unsettled, sinuses irritated, and lots of sneezing this morning.
Joe rubbed my back for a while, which helped me fall back to sleep for a bit.
Song on my mind: Beautiful Name
Scripture Reflection:
Ephesians 5:1; Daniel 7–9; John 14:1
https://www.orientalmedcare.com/2021/03/18/acupuncture-for-liver-detoxification/
Didn’t feel like being on electronics much today, even though I needed to finish the bulletin. I focused instead on a few manageable chores. Was able to wash, dry, and fold two loads of clothes. I also purged my closet of 2X clothing.
While hanging some of my daughter’s clothes, I decided to try on one of her skirts… and I cannot believe it fit! I joked about borrowing her clothes — she wasn’t quite as amused as I was. 😂
Overall, I felt halfway decent today aside from digestive discomfort that started after my acupuncture visit. I tried researching how long detox-related symptoms might last but didn’t find clear answers.
Checked in with a few cancer buddies today. Heard back from a couple of them, and they appreciated being remembered. I added this as a weekly reminder — supporting others helps lift my spirit too.
Posted a memory entry on my blog and started a new weekly series on Hymn Stories. Today’s feature was “The Old Rugged Cross.” I truly enjoy learning the history and inspiration behind these hymns.
Stomach hurts pretty bad at the moment. I about double over at times. Muscles randomly twitching in either left side or right leg. Rt side cramping easily. Forgot to mention the neuropathy issues to chiropractor y’day. I’m freezing cold at the moment. I suppose my body is having difficulty regulating heat. May need to ask about that at Dr appt next week.
