Praise the Lord!

Gallivanting Photographer
Just got an e-mail from my friend, Debbie Cogburn. She had to go to Emory in Atlanta for a lumpectomy. About 20 years ago, she had breast cancer and went to Emory. She had to have a breast removed, reconstructed using fat from her own stomach, and underwent chemo and radiation treatments. Her husband had had cancer when he was 18 and the doctors told them they would never have children because of what the chemo and radiation did to their bodies. Well, they are people of faith and they prayed and believed for about 10 years before the Lord decided to grant them the desires of their hearts. Lo and behold, He gave them a double portion and they had twins - a boy and a girl. Debbie homeschooled them and they are two of the smartest kids I've ever met.

Anyway, to get back to what has just happened to Debbie. She was in a trial study group for a new 3-D mammogram machine. She went up to Emory last month and they did a regular mammogram (it was negative-no cancer), then they did the new 3-D mammogram. Well, it showed a cancer the size of pencil eraser on the breast that had not been removed. The tests showed that it was contained, so they decided to do a lumpectomy. She said they also removed a couple of lymph nodes and no other cancer cells have been found, so she will not have to have chemo. God is so good! She goes back next week to have the stitches removed and they will let her know then if they decide to do radiation. She is so excited and giving God all the glory.

I am doubly excited because I just had a scare myself. I had some symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer and my doctor was very concerned. She sent me for a mammogram (which I get every year like clockwork) and also made an appointment for me with a surgeon. My surgeon is no longer in Florida, so it meant I had to wait a month to get in and get established as a New Patient with a new surgeon. I was not happy with that at all, so I called an oncologist that I had seen before when I had anemia real bad. I saw him on my son's birthday and he examined me and said that I did not have cancer. Praise God! That made me feel so much better and the mammogram also came back clear (but it was not the new 3-D kind). I am still keeping my appointment with the surgeon at the end of the month, cause I want to be an established patient in case I ever need him.

Vance and Michelle, that is one of the reasons I ran away from home and came and stayed with you. I only told Vance (husband), Kim, Penny and Mrs. Sandi about my problem. I did not want anybody to worry about me until I found out for sure what was going on. I especially did not want my children to be worried. But, I am fine. God is gracious.

Well, the computer wants to shut down on me, so I better post this as quickly as possible. I have written three blogs in the past three days and the internet shut down before I could post them.

Good night and God bless!