Sunday 3 May 2015

Triple Talk

Life continues to be an adventure.  My pain has had it's ups and downs.  I had a few days of hardly any pain, which was such a gift.  Currently, I have returned to lower back pain that shoots down my legs.  But the days of less pain were after a specific treatment, which means we've probably figured out the source of my pain and now have some direction on how to treat it.  So I'm feeling much more hopeful that less pain will be achieved (soon).  I am definitely starting to walk more and get around better, which is great since it's been beautiful outside.  My goal for the next few weeks is to build up some stamina.  After laying around so much for the past several weeks, I've lost my endurance.  Hopefully it will come back quickly.  One bit of great news, that I'm almost scared to share because it's so recent, is that I'm sleeping so much better.  I usually only wake up twice a night now and can usually go back to sleep fairly quickly.  This is a huge improvement from waking up every 2 hours and often staying awake for long periods of time.  This alone helps me feel better, although I do feel like I need several weeks of this to catch up for all the lost sleep over the past few months!

Amongst ups and downs with pain, I have spoken to over 600 women this past week.  I spoke at 2 spring teas, both held in churches, where I shared my journey and specifically shared how my faith has carried me through everything that we have been dealt.  I was once again reminded after each of these speaking opportunities that every woman has a story, and everyone has hardships.  So many incredible women came to share their stories with me after, and to encourage/thank me for sharing mine with them.  One particular lady held both my hands and thanked me for giving her new strength.  She didn't share what she needed strength for, but I could see a light shining in her eyes that she was ready for battle, to face her hardship head on because God was going to guide every move she made.  Meeting women like this is why I speak, why I love speaking.  It makes all the prep time and the anxiety of getting in front of an audience worth it.

The third event that I spoke at was The South Central Cancer Care Fashion Show fundraiser.  This was a unique speaking experience because it was with my mom.  We were asked to inspire.....from a patient perspective and from a volunteer perspective.  My mom is a volunteer driver for cancer patients that need to travel from Morden to Winnipeg for their treatments.  It was incredibly special to be able to speak together.  After we spoke, we got to watch an amazing fashion show and be a part of a fun evening.  We had lots of love and support at our table, including my sister-in-law (see picture below).  It was an honour to be part of this really amazing night for a good cause.   What's really amazing is that each day that I was scheduled to speak, I didn't feel well.  On all 3 days, my back was exceptionally sore, and I lay around a lot, wondering how I would ever get up and speak that evening.  It was truly a miracle to experience my pain disappear and my energy increase as the evening approached.  God met me in my state and gave me what I needed to get through each evening.  I am so thankful to Him.

So it's been an adventurous week of ups and downs.  When I sit and reflect on all that happens in a week, I can't help but wonder what this next week will bring....




2 comments:

  1. I'm writing on Sunday morning - Happy Mother's Day! You are an inspiration to so many, including me. Thank you. I pray God will continue to minister to you in meaningful ways and I'm so thankful for the ways God is taking care of your pain and sleep. I'll keep praying.

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  2. Thank you for your inspiration and ability to faithfully witness. I relate to your mother being a driver for cancer patients. Since my mother passed from cancer last year, I have dedicated myself to driving patients to their appointments through an organization run by her church. Your post and your faith have given me more strength to continue providing rides.

    Neil Kash @ US HealthWorks

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