Reflections on the Unexpected

It was a Friday afternoon while in Ohio that I received the call telling me there was an irregularity in my mammogram screening.  A nodule was found deep within my breast and I needed to have further imaging and testing done.  The screening was done in Michigan and here I was in Ohio scheduled to fly to California on Monday.  In my mind there was no way to pursue the testing until our return to Michigan in August.  Therefore, I proceeded to schedule an appointment for August 2.  That was over 5 weeks away and I was just going to have to wait!  But as many of you know, the waiting is often the hardest part.

Initiallly, I was fine with the news.  It wasn't until later that night that I was tossing and turning and thinking the worst.  My mom had breast cancer and my mind couldn't shake the thought of that happening to me too.  The what if's were running through my mind and I was scared as to what this might all mean to my family, our ministry and me.  The next morning I found great comfort in God's word, in prayer and talking things through with Jonathan.  I am thankful that from that point forward God gave me great strength, peace and comfort as I set the unknown (to me) in His ever caring and loving hands.

I called my doctor the morning we flew out to California and he advised that if I could get the testing done while out in California to go ahead and do so.  The ease of finding a doctor, having images mailed, referrals made, scheduling an appointment and insurance issues handled across state lines was amazing to me.  It was a God sent provision for us to discover this in America.  I cannot even begin to image the stress of it all if this happened in Italy.  Not only having to speak medical terms in Italian but the extreme amount of time this would have been to coordinate.  I'm not saying God couldn't have done the same in Italy, but I did take much comfort in working with a system and language known to me.

One week later I had the imaging done in Santa Barbara.  The technician said she would take the images needed and if the radiologist saw something suspicious I would then proceed to have an ultrasound.  The minutes were long as she took the images to be read.  She came back in and said "if you would follow me to the ultrasound room."  So clearly, we were not dealing with a simple cyst and there was something more to it.  The ultrasound confirmed a solid mass of 2.3 cm.  This time I was not surprised as I had prepared myself to hear the worse.  God continued to flood my heart with peace--a peace that surpasses all understanding.  If for nothing else than to experience His peace and increase in faith, to me this was worth it.

Another week later I was having the biopsy done, having been set up with a surgeon during that time.  The procedure was painless (another answer to prayer) and we received some encouraging words from the surgeon from what she saw indicating that I most likely had a fibroadenoma.  Upon taking in our transient summer and overseas living she advised to have the mass surgically removed, even if the pathology results came back negative.  A surgery date was scheduled before leaving the office for July 26, just days before flying back to the Midwest.  However, she assured me I would be fine for the trip and we felt this was the "best" possible time to have this done considering our intense schedule and not having to reestablish myself with a surgeon in Michigan.

I waited another week to receive the test results and was relieved to hear the good news while on vacation that the biopsy results were negative!  Such a huge answer to so many of your prayers!  I am so thankful that during this entire stage of uncertainty a damper was never put on our precious family time.  It was a blessing to be near my mom for so many reasons.  Her encouragement, retelling of God's faithfulness through her own experience and just being there meant the world to me.  Something special that is not always afforded as missionaries.

And guess what...ONE week later I was having outpatient surgery for the removal of the fibroadenoma.  Everything went really smoothly with the procedure and recovery.  Any discomfort was easily relieved with some ice and tylenol.  The final pathology report on the mass came back negative and concludes this chapter of medical history in my life.

So much to be thankful for throughout this entire unexpected trial.  I was overwhelmed with so many words of encouragement and assurances of prayer from so many.  God indeed is to be glorified for the outcome, for his working and deepening of faith in my life that only comes through those hard trials, for the growth in our marriage and so much more.  His timing is indeed perfect...even if that means that every furlough so far we have experienced some health related problem in our family.  God is good no matter what!  His grace is sufficient and I am overjoyed to be his daughter and having experienced and learned what I have this summer.  Thank you for supporting our family and ministering to us in a profound way!!

Family Reunion 2012

As promised, here is another highlight post from our time in California.  For sure our time together with family in the states always tops our list of precious memories.  For now most of my family resides in California and the past two furloughs we have been blessed to reunite together on a family vacation in Mammoth Lakes located in the Sierra Nevadas.  We greatly missed Cody and Michelle (and baby fish) whom we missed by a matter of days in their return from Iraq and their start of a stateside visit.  The trip wasn't the same without you guys!  Still there were 7 grandchildren, grandparents and us parents living under one roof for a week.

We enjoyed hiking, fishing, swimming, eating, coloring, biking, visiting the ghost town of Bodie and much more.  The kids didn't catch any fish, but they did find dinosaur eggs.  The hunt arranged by Papa was a highlight for the kids and they enjoyed escavating their dinosaur from the plaster eggs.  On our return home we crossed over the mountains and into Yosemite National Park.  We arrived home exhausted, needing a vacation from our vacation...but we wouldn't trade it for the world!  Enjoy more pictures and thoughts from my siblings Jennie and Ben.  We are already thinking and dreaming about our 2014 reunion!