God's good work...

Hi Everyone,

This blog is coming to you today from a different perspective. It is a collaborative effort between two of Vicki's daughters: Jillian and Madi. We are sitting here in mom's room at the hospital, talking to a very alert, yet very tired patient! Her surgery took about 4 hours and went really well! They did not have to take any lymph-nodes from her left side! yay God!!! The doctors also said that what they removed looked as expected, scarred from where the chemo had killed any cancer cells, but that upon first glance they (the 'nodes') seem to be cancer free. We will know for sure in a week or so, but this is very exciting news!

We arrived at the hospital this morning at 6am for registration and she was taken back for prep at 6:30am. It has been a very long day for all of us but sitting here in the room with her, we are reminded that one day of restless waiting is well worth it to be talking to a "healthy" mom! Yes, I didn't mistype... both her anesthesiologist and surgeon used that exact word, healthy! What an amazing God we have! Our mother has been through six chemo treatments and now a major surgery and she is considered healthy!

Dad suggested we title this blog "halfway there" ... seeing as how we still don't have a title (don't worry, there will be one by the time we post), I guess that will be the working title. In a sense, its very fitting. The chemo was part one, this surgery is part two, the radiation is the next step, and the final and closing chapter will be the reconstruction process. It reminds me of the promise God makes to complete the work that he begins in us. I believe this is definitely a work... I know that it hasn't always seemed like a "good work" but it has brought us together as a family (especially since we are spread out across the entire eastern half of the country), shown us the power of our Creator in a way that was inescapable, and made us rely fully on His grace to get us, HER, through this battle. He has provided not only His perfect healing hand and guidance for all of her doctors, but He's given her an army of prayer warriors boldly asking for her healing. We as her family have felt the strength and peace of Christ's body of believers as they embrace us through prayer from all over the country! Prayer is such an amazing thing and to quote our mom "I will never say, 'all I can do is pray'" because we know that it is more powerful than fathomable.

You all should know that as we've sat here writing this blog, mom has been falling in and out of sleep. She's looking so good! Making jokes when she's awake, lightly snoring when she's catchin' some zzzz's.... She is smiling and laughing and we are so happy to be sitting here in this little room to laugh and smile with her. From the mouth of the patient herself, "Good news today, Praise God! and, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRAYERS!"