WALKING Through the Valley

Hi, Friends,

Two more days and this round of chemo is over. Yahoo! It's been a long month. I was doing quite well (just normal, to-be-expected side effects) until last week when our family went camping and fishing at Mosquito Lake. It's such a beautiful setting just past Lake Alpine, at 8050 feet. About the third day into our trip, though, the altitude got to me, and I had a hard time getting enough air, zapping me of any energy as well. Fortunately, Matt's parents were with us and my mother-in-law had her inhaler with her. That helped get me through the next day and a half until we headed home. I have noticed that I am tired A LOT lately. Perhaps the answer is in the additional blood test I had during my last visit at UCSF. It showed that two additional markers of my thyroid came back within normal range, but that my thyroid stimulating hormone is still abnormally low, which suggests that my thyroid is failing, but my body is trying its hardest to compensate for that. This can continue for awhile, but eventually I will probably need to go on thyroid replacement therapy. I've been assured by family members who are on replacement therapy already, and by the doctors, that this is nothing to worry about. However, it will be just one more pill to add to my already almost-bursting pink pill case!

Not long ago I read a fun book called Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes. In it, a gal gets a call from her doctor that she has had an abnormal mammogram and needs a biopsy. Before she does anything, she gets on a plane to go visit her penpal of 40 years, in Holland. While she is there, many hilarious things happen, but she also has some profound moments as she deals with what may come in her life. One of these moments she finds in the 23rd Psalm. As she is reading it, her friend notices that it says "Even though I WALK through the valley of the shadow of death." That's different from stopping in the valley or sitting down under the shadow of death and just giving up. We don't stop and get stuck in the dark places.

I took the first step into that valley when the doctor called and told me I had cancer. While I do have moments I fear evil, I know that God is with me. His rod and staff are there to comfort me. The shepherd's rod was used for discipline and the staff for rescue. So what represents His rod and staff in my life? Well, many of you are the tools of the Great Shepherd in my life, keeping me close to Him, and encouraging and admonishing me with verses and words of wisdom. Oh, there are so many times I feel so helpless as I go on this journey, but God is taking care of me so wonderfully in this valley. I wonder why that is such an unexpected discovery...

Thank you all, my rods and staffs, for your prayers, and being tools for the Father in my life.

Danene
July 21, 2009