The title of tonight’s post is a verse that my Aunt Erin sent to me among a great collection of verses about God’s power to heal and faithfulness, and it seems a fitting verse for this week as I am now finished with tests and all set to go for treatment on Thursday. I realized that Thursday will mark the first time of healing in this process rather than what up to this point has only been tests–prodding me with needles, coring me, or giving me all kinds of radioactive material possible for some sort of scan or other.

As I sat in 4 waiting rooms today, I watched a good amount of the day’s news while trying to work on a paper. Ultimately, I realized that there are 2 things I’m proud of tonight:
(1) I drank two whole bottles of barium sulfate “masked” by a “berry” flavoring–and I mean to tell you, I downed the liquid without a thought of gagging or throwing up–PTL. If you know me well, you know how great of a feat this is. Add this to the list of “10 foods I eat” that everyone is always asking me about expanding. (if you detect sarcasm about the barium sulfate and the fact that everyone thinks I eat only 10 foods, you are correct).
(2) I am also proud that, although I (temporarily) reside in the “Most Corrupt State in America,” I feel like I have come out fairly unscathed (although the jury on that has to wait another semester for the final verdict). Really though, who was surprised that an Illinois official did something corrupt?

That’s all the political commentary I’ve got, but I DO, however, have some more important info and praises about my Hodgkin’s. The woman (PA? Sarah Miyata’s her name, but I don’t know her title) who did my bone marrow biopsy–the test that is my nemesis (see post on 12/4)–called today to say that it’s negative, which is good because that means the lymphoma has not spread to my bone marrow. Praise the Lord! As gross as the biopsy was, I cannot imagine a bone marrow transplant, so that is a huge blessing. Also, thanks again for your prayers for today–I so appreciate the specific prayers and people really committing to stand by us through each detail of this process. Here’s how my day broke down in the end: X-Ray on the 4th floor from 1:30-2:30, PET scan on the 8th floor from 2:45-4:45, out to the lobby of the 8th floor and signing in another time for my Pulmonary Function test on the same floor at 4:45, and then, since we finished early, I went BACK to the 4th floor for my CT scan between 5:30 and 7:30.

The best part of my day was the PET scan because after they inject you with radioactive sugar, it has to set in for an hour. During that hour, you can’t be active, talk on your phone, write, or move too much because then it would mess with the scan that shows where and how fast the sugar is metabolizing. So, despite my best intentions before the scan of working on a paper, I was not allowed to; instead, I literally had to lay down and rest. Sign me up for more of those. So, I watched some Telemundo (because the man who was in there before me and for half the time with me spoke Spanish and had dibs on the remote), and then I slept a little…but you probably didn’t need or want to know all that.

On a more serious note, there are now 2 days before treatment starts, and I’m a little overwhelmed. Not so much with the chemo (again, PTL!), but because I have 2 exams, 3 papers, my last volleyball banquet, and a surgery for a port (more on that another time when I know more…basically it’s so that they don’t have to stick different veins for each treatment) all somehow fitting into the next week before my teammate Stef and I leave to drive the 14 1/2 hours to Dallas for Christmas. That said, I was reading a story of a guy who had the same kind of Hodgkin’s as I have, and he said that, while he always prayed for healing, he never thought to pray that the side effects wouldn’t be bad.

So, I’m asking for prayer that the side effects wouldn’t be bad. Especially for this first time I would love prayer (because I hear differing reports that the first is the worst or that it gets worse as you go along), since I have a ton to finish up on this (my last legitimate) semester, and as our VB banquet is Saturday, and I’d like to not be throwing up/nauseous/feeling awful for that. While that sounds trivial, I love my teammates, and this was in some respects a really hard season volleyball-wise, so the banquet is kind of closure to my Wheaton Thunder Volleyball career, and I’d like to be conscious for it. 🙂

Also, I know I’ve mentioned it to a few of you, but just in general, I would love prayer for the minimal side effects since everyone keeps telling me that they differ from person to person so you don’t know what to expect. I have such a peace that God is in this for healing, but I am a little anxious about some side effects since that’s a lot of unknown stuff. To summarize, your prayers have been such a blessing bringing His peace, and as I head into Thursday, please continue those! If they feel like only a small way to help, you are wrong, simple as that. They are HUGE! Also, my mom IS coming up on Thursday (like an hour and a half before treatment), so if you’d pray that she has a safe and timely flight on Thursday and back home on Friday, that would be great.

Each day I am so touched by people’s love, so while this might sound sappy right now, seriously, thank you for just blowing my mind with your love. As I’ve mentioned before and you know if you’re around me…ever…I’m a little cynical at times, and it’s really easy for me to become nonchalant about people flaking out or whatever. I think thanking you for “restoring my trust in humankind” is too Christmas-movieish, but at the same time, there’s a little truth to every cliche. So, thank you again for reminding me of the incredible support God has placed all around me…I am so humbled to see so much love, especially having doubted that at times. Have a great night/morning/day (whenever you read this)!

On Christ the solid rock I stand,

Hannah