I realize that I haven't written in about a month, but I just have been busy and I just haven't.
Today I write with a heavy heart and really don't know where else I want to share my thoughts and feelings... so here they are.
Almost a year ago a highschool classmate contacted me about another classmate who had just found out she had cancer and wanted to know if I'd be willing to share my experience of going through cancer with her, and just listen or whatever she needed. I agreed because I am willing to share with anyone who is willing to listen. Her name is Melissa Lewis, we talked back and forth a few times and stayed in touch. Her situation in ways was similar to mine, but everyone has a differnet experience. As far as I knew she was doing well and all, but then I found out she had been in the hospital for 40 plus days. I can't even imagine having to do that. Then I knew she had started chemo again a few weeks ago. I was praying and hoping things were going well for her and she was winning this battle. Then on Sunday my friend who contacted me to start with sent me a note letting me know that she has passed away at 12 on Sunday. My heart was broken. I really hate seeing anyone with cancer die, but really hate to see it when it is somone who is young. I just don't understand. I know God has a purpose for everything He does, it's just hard having been through it. It's in moments like these I realize that God has soo much more out there for me. I wish everyone could understand how important it is for you to support the ones you love and let them know you love them every chance you get. You never know when it will be your last time seeing them. Cancer is a horrible disease that effects a ton of people everyday, I don't know all the stats but I know its a lot. Cancer can do a lot of things to the people it affects. I have posted this before but feel I should post it again. It's called what Cancer Cannot Do.
What Cancer Cannot Do
Cancer is so limited...
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit.
Please keep this in mind everytime you hear the word Cancer. Also please keep the family and friends of Melissa Lewis in your prayers as they have lost a dear and special person....
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
UNCC RELAY FOR LIFE
Last night was Relay for Life @ UNC Charlotte, and this year I was the survivor chair as well as our team captain. There was a lot to do, but I did it and enjoyed it. Another committee member was able to get all the food for the survivors donated from macaroni grill and olive garden. It was yummy to my tummy:) LOL! I took the time to write each survivor a little hand written note thanking them for coming out to be a part of Relay. I was also asked to share my story of being a survivor and how impartant doing the survivor lap was to me and then ask all the survivors there to walk the first lap with me. Not only did I start the Relay for life with the survivors but this morning at 6:00 am I walked the final lap with a few other committee members! It was great staying out there for the whole event! Below is the speech I shared with everyone. Have a good one !!!!:)
Hello and good evening! I too would also like to thank you for coming to the UNC Charlotte 2009 Relay for Life. My mom, Jan has been involved with Relay for years because her mom passed away from cancer and then in 2003 my dad’s mom passed away with cancer as well. I would never get involved because I really didn’t know what it was all about and always thought I would never be the one with cancer, honestly who does? Well, I am here to let you know, you never know, because 10 days after my 25th birthday, on August 31st, 2006, I was diagnosed with a rare form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I had 1st noticed a knot in my throat at the end of July and just thought it would go away, well it didn’t and I finally went to the dr. because I couldn’t eat or even drink water. The next day I was sent for a CT scan and then to see an ENT dr. Which after doing a few tests sent me straight to ICU where within 8 hours I had a trach in my throat breathing for me because they were scared that I wouldn’t make it through the night! Well that was a huge wakeup call this was real and I had Cancer. 4 days later it was determined what type I had and how it would be treated. After a week of being diagnosed I started my first round of chemo. Thankfully, before coming home 11 days after being admitted the first time the tumor in my throat had shrunk enough for them to remove the trach. Each of my treatments were done inpatient where I had to be admitted to the hospital for 4-5 days every 3 weeks for a total of 6 chemo treatments. As of December 29, 2006 I have been cancer free. Had it not been for my faith, family, and friends I wouldn’t have made it through those 4 months of chemo and all the dr.’s appointments that came along with it. In April of 2007 my mom convinced me to come out to relay and walk the survivor lap, finishing that survivor lap and each survivor lap since has been a huge since of accomplishment. It is great to do something with people that have been through a similar situation and you can all stand together and complete this lap. It also reminds me of how important it is for each one of us to Celebrate, Remember, and Fight back so each year there can be more survivors here to start the relay with the Survivor lap!
Hello and good evening! I too would also like to thank you for coming to the UNC Charlotte 2009 Relay for Life. My mom, Jan has been involved with Relay for years because her mom passed away from cancer and then in 2003 my dad’s mom passed away with cancer as well. I would never get involved because I really didn’t know what it was all about and always thought I would never be the one with cancer, honestly who does? Well, I am here to let you know, you never know, because 10 days after my 25th birthday, on August 31st, 2006, I was diagnosed with a rare form of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I had 1st noticed a knot in my throat at the end of July and just thought it would go away, well it didn’t and I finally went to the dr. because I couldn’t eat or even drink water. The next day I was sent for a CT scan and then to see an ENT dr. Which after doing a few tests sent me straight to ICU where within 8 hours I had a trach in my throat breathing for me because they were scared that I wouldn’t make it through the night! Well that was a huge wakeup call this was real and I had Cancer. 4 days later it was determined what type I had and how it would be treated. After a week of being diagnosed I started my first round of chemo. Thankfully, before coming home 11 days after being admitted the first time the tumor in my throat had shrunk enough for them to remove the trach. Each of my treatments were done inpatient where I had to be admitted to the hospital for 4-5 days every 3 weeks for a total of 6 chemo treatments. As of December 29, 2006 I have been cancer free. Had it not been for my faith, family, and friends I wouldn’t have made it through those 4 months of chemo and all the dr.’s appointments that came along with it. In April of 2007 my mom convinced me to come out to relay and walk the survivor lap, finishing that survivor lap and each survivor lap since has been a huge since of accomplishment. It is great to do something with people that have been through a similar situation and you can all stand together and complete this lap. It also reminds me of how important it is for each one of us to Celebrate, Remember, and Fight back so each year there can be more survivors here to start the relay with the Survivor lap!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Another Good Checkup!
Today I had my next follow-up with Dr. Schwartz, my oncologist. It went wonderful and I'm still good to go! I go back in 4 months. It's hard to believe it has been 2 1/2 yrs since diagnosis and 2 yrs and 2 months since I finished chemo. The dr. and I were talking how nice it was that I was actually able to finish my chemo early and didn't have to do the last 2 treatments. Wow, God is soo good! I can never tell you how good He is. I hope and pray that you can see how good He is through the life that I live.
Life has been pretty busy for our family this month. Mom's birthday was March 7th. Will's first birthday was the 14th, and KC was on Monday the 23rd. Also in just 2 weeks we're going to Gatlinburg as a family. It's going to be a super fun trip and I can't wait to go and spend time with them. I am truly blessed with the awesome family I have!!!
God is good!! ALL THE TIME!!! :)
Life has been pretty busy for our family this month. Mom's birthday was March 7th. Will's first birthday was the 14th, and KC was on Monday the 23rd. Also in just 2 weeks we're going to Gatlinburg as a family. It's going to be a super fun trip and I can't wait to go and spend time with them. I am truly blessed with the awesome family I have!!!
God is good!! ALL THE TIME!!! :)
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
May God..
I saw this tonight and I thought it was great so I wanted to share..
May God give you..
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.
Enjoy have a great rest of the week!!
Kim :)
May God give you..
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.
Enjoy have a great rest of the week!!
Kim :)
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
God's Love!
I've been attending a Ladies Bible Study for awhile now. I always learn so much at the Study, but wanted to share something we discussed last night, and really stood out to me. We are studying the book "Having a Mary Spirit, Allowing God to Change us from the Inside Out." by Joanna Weaver, I definitely recommend it.
The Chapter we discussed last night was A Fearless Beauty, talking about not having fear about what is going on in our lives basically. This verse was brought out in there. 1John 4:16 "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us." What a truth we need to stand on! The other thing that stuck out was talking about keeping us sweet. She says this "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him,"God promises in Jeremiah 17:7-8, "He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." I want to be like that! I want to be so rooted and secure in the Lord that even in times of burning stress and lonely drought, I have no worries. I want my response in difficulties to be full of faith, not fear. Instead of griping and groaning. I want to produce peace and joy.
That has become my prayer. It goes along with this song. "From the Inside Out, by Hillsong"
The Chapter we discussed last night was A Fearless Beauty, talking about not having fear about what is going on in our lives basically. This verse was brought out in there. 1John 4:16 "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us." What a truth we need to stand on! The other thing that stuck out was talking about keeping us sweet. She says this "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him,"God promises in Jeremiah 17:7-8, "He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." I want to be like that! I want to be so rooted and secure in the Lord that even in times of burning stress and lonely drought, I have no worries. I want my response in difficulties to be full of faith, not fear. Instead of griping and groaning. I want to produce peace and joy.
That has become my prayer. It goes along with this song. "From the Inside Out, by Hillsong"
A thousand times I've failed
Still your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in your grace
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
my heart and my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Your will above all else, my purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
In my heart, in my soul, Lord I give you control
Consume me from the inside out Lord
Let justice and praise become my embrace
To love You from the inside out
Chorus
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out Lord, my soul cries out
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Update...
Just wanted to drop in and say hello. Things are going good here for me.. I am finished with my 1st spring term of classes, and I passed them both :) I have 2 classes and I will graduated. 1 class starts on the 16th,and the next will start in May sometime.. I so excited, and can't wait. Life has just overall been busy around here. Will, will turn 1 next Saturday and of course there is a party planned for him! I hope all have a good week. Look what we got last sunday night, 4-5 inches of snow...
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Purify my Heart
We sang this song today at church, made me think... Meditate on these lyrics...
Purify My Heart
Purify My Heart
Touch me with Your cleansing fire
Take me to the cross
Your holiness is my desire
Breathe Your life in me
Kindle a love that flows from Your throne
Oh purify my heart
Purify my heart
Purify My Heart
Purify My Heart
Touch me with Your cleansing fire
Take me to the cross
Your holiness is my desire
Breathe Your life in me
Kindle a love that flows from Your throne
Oh purify my heart
Purify my heart
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