1 Thessalonians 5:16 – 18 “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Thank you all for your continued prayers; because of them, the Lord once again has answered. My PET scan came back normal. Praise God! So, as the scriptures say we can “rejoice evermore.” Also, give Him praise and thank Him for His wonderful deeds He’s done unto us. I am so grateful to all of you for praying. God heard and answered. We serve an awesome God!
As for the problems I have been having. The Dr. thinks I may have sleep apnea. I have all the symptoms, always exhausted, headaches, weight gain, oxygen slightly low, memory problems (I know old age, right? ) : ). So, she is sending me to a sleep Dr. to do a sleep study. If I have to get a machine to fix my problems that would be great. I told her I just want my life back to where I can do things without being so exhausted all the time; it can wear you down. I’m also going to a endocrinologist to have my thyroid checked and my hormones. She is also going to send me to a hematologist because my platelet counts are low and some of my other blood counts have not been normal. So, when all is said and done I will have a complete checkup of everything. Great!
Eph. 3:16-19 “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” The scriptures can come alive in our lives daily. I am so grateful for God’s word.
I know I have shared this song before, but I feel like it is so fitting again. God’s grace toward us is soooo amazing. We do not deserve His wonderful grace, or anything, but because of His wonderful love for us, God has poured His grace upon us. When I think of His grace He has bestowed upon me over the years, it brings me to tears because I know in my heart of hearts that I do not deserve it. That’s why the grace and love of God is so amazing. Enjoy my dear friends!
Howdy everyone! I pray all is well you all. My MRI of the brain that we did a couple of weeks ago came back normal. Praise the Lord for that. My cancer blood counts came back not so normal. The cancer counts are continuing to go up. This is not normal. The Dr. did say they were going up slowly so that is better than just shooting up there. So, as a result of the blood counts and some problems I have been having, they are going to do a PET scan on Wednesday the 15th. I will also see the oncologist and heart doctor. As soon as I know anything from these test I will let you know. Thank you so much for your prayers, it really means a lot to me to know I have a band of people out there praying. Thank you. : )
I love the Lord with all my heart, and I know all this is part of His plan. When we are weak, He is strong! Even though I am so tired and weak almost all the time now, I know that I can continue on because of the Lord’s strength in me.
Hey Ya’ll. Sorry it has been so long since I have been on. Just lazy I guess. I have been really tired, so when I get through with my duties, I just take a nap or just chill. I really do want to get better with writing on here.
To let you know what is going on. I had blood work done awhile back. It showed that my white counts were alittle low, also they did a new cancer count and it was high. My oncologist is ordering more blood work and doing a MRI of the brain, because I have had a lot of headaches. Maybe she just wants to see if I still have a brain. : ) She is hoping that it is just a false positive with the blood work and not actually cancer again. That would be nice, but once again, I know that God is in control and all this is in His hands. It was a holiday, Thanksgiving 2009, when I found out I had cancer. The Friday before I had my testing done. Again, the Friday before a holiday I am having testing done. Just hopefully this time the results will be different.
I need to get a new picture up of me. My hair is still short, but it has come in REALLY curly and thick. Totally opposite of what it was before. Please pray that all will come out okay. Also, pray for the Hidalgo family, it was a year ago today that we lost Mark Hidalgo to cancer. It is amazing how time flies. It seems like just yesterday I was at MD Anderson with him. He is truely missed by many.
Will update you all when I get results and answers. : )
February 6, 2011 - Posted by Michelle - 4 Comments
After surgery being cancelled twice, I finally have a set date. I have prayed and held my breath till now. Prayed that I would get well from a cold, and that I would be able to proceed with my surgery. Well, the time is here. I will have my surgery tomorrow, Feb. 7th at 9:00 a.m. in the morning. This will be my last major surgery. It will take about 4 to 5 hours. I will have two or three other surgeries, but they will be minor. I will be glad to get this behind me. I am so tired of having surgeries. Since I got married 22 years ago I have had major surgery about every two years. Just when I think I may have a break, something happens and I have to have sugery. I feel for my poor husband. He has been a trooper by my side all through these years, taking such good care of me. I feel badly for him. I’m sure he is growing weary also. I have truely been blessed with such a wonderful man.
Please continue to pray for me as I recover. Also, pray for a friend of mine who has cancer also, he has it in several places, his name is Michael Hyde.
Thank you once again for your prayers! Will update as soon as I get a chance this week. : )
WOW! When I reflect on 2010, a lot of things come to mind. First of all, it was the worst year of my life. I battled with cancer, very low blood counts, cancellation of surgeries, and a lot of ups and downs with my cancer and treatments. I lost my mother Nov. 16th, then Dec. 11th, I lost my dear uncle, who was the only father figure I have ever known. What a year! At the same time, I see it as the best year I have ever had also. Let me explain. You see, when I was told I had cancer, I was told that it was a rare type and it was very aggressive, and that, it was. I was also told that they had an experimental drug that they were using for my type of cancer and it had worked for some but not all. I was also told that I would have to have 8 weeks of radiation on top of all the chemo I had. Well, as most of you know, that did not happen. You see, it was the best year because God showed Himself so mighty in many ways, that even my doctors could not disagree with the miracles He had done. Everyone I knew was praying for God to heal me and I even went to the pastor and elders of the church and asked them to pray for God to heal me. God answered all our prayers. I’m not sure when, but before I even had my surgery, He healed me. It was not MD Anderson and their drugs, it was GOD! After my double mastectomy, the pathology report showed that all the cancer was gone and I was at that point cancer free. PRAISE GOD! As a result of this report my radiation oncologist was amazed at how well I had done and convinced himself that I did not need to do radiation. Another miracle! You see the norm for my type of cancer, the stage I was at and how aggressive it was, was to do radiation, no questions asked. Well, I was going to refuse radiation because I did not have a peace about doing it, so while in the office, Mark and I were praying and God changed that doctors mind right then and there. All my doctors have been amazed at how well I have done, they are shocked and not sure what to say. I have told them all along that I serve a great God and that He wanted them to see a miracle. I have given Him all the glory and they know where I stand.
Ok, for my final update on my health. They have scheduled my surgery for the third time. It will be on Feb. 7th. This is another miracle that the Lord did. You see, my counts were very low the first of Dec.. So, my oncologist cancelled my surgery a second time and said that it would take months for them to come up. So my surgery was not going to be until March. Well, the very next week when I did my chemo they did blood work again, and my counts had come up higher then they had been since before the cancer. I did not know that these counts had gone up that day. This is the day I got the call that my uncle was dying, so I drove home quickly. He did not pass till Sat.. But I know that God allowed my counts to go down so low that my oncologist would cancel surgery. I was suppose to have my surgery on the 10th, my uncle passed on the 11th. I believe God allowed that to happen so that I could be there when my uncle was sick and passed away. My doctor was shocked, once again. My counts had come up so much that she could not believe it and agreed with me that the Lord was looking out for me, she said. So, she gave me the clear to have my surgery. There is finally light at the end of the tunnel. My last chemo is suppose to be Feb. 23rd., and my surgery Feb 7th. That means that I will be through for three months and only go every three months for a year, then every six months for four years, then every year after that. I am very excited. It is bitter sweet though because I have loved seeing God do all the miracles He has done and have so enjoyed experiencing His love, grace, mercy and compassion. I will forever be grateful to Him. I know that it is not over and that He can show Himself to me mightily without cancer. I await to see what He brings in this next year.
Isn’t God good! So, now I am cancer free, do not have to do radiation, and God blesses us with a car that gets 30 miles to a tank. The gas in a huge 12 passenger van does not do well at all. Huge blessing that only God can do. Also, during this whole time He has blessed us with many friends who brought us food, helped out financially, spiritually, and emotionally. I can not begin to thank all of you enough for all you have done for our family. I will be forever grateful. Don’t get me wrong, it has not been a bed of roses, at times things were really rough. But I don’t really remember too much of all the pain and sickness. What stands out to me the most is the love and compassion of my heavenly Father. He extended His hand out to me in so many ways, and so showed Himself to me in ways I would have never known if I did not get cancer. For this I am truly grateful. I would not change 2010 for anything in the world. You see, God showed Himself mighty not only to me and my family, but He also showed Himself to all of you by letting you see that He still does miracles today. I am so much closer to the Lord now because of my cancer, and I am grateful. I chose at the beginning of this journey to praise God through this and to have joy. I feel like I have done that. I have failed at times, and I do not deserve anything that the Lord has done for me. But He loves you and me so much that He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, so that we could have eternal life with Him. If I had never accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior when I was 31 years old, I would not have been able to handle this trial He has given me. It is because He loves us that He brings trials in our life, because He wants to bring us closer to Him. Everyone knows John 3:16, ” For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Christ died for ALL of us, and His desire is that all come to repentance, so we can live in Heaven with Him. It does not matter what you have done, what kind of life you have lived, God is standing with open arms waiting for you to come to Him. Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” All you have to do is believe in Him, give your life to Him and purpose to live all the days of your life for Him. You will make mistakes, we all do, but He is willing to always forgive us our sins if we just ask. I can not explain the love and compassion I have felt this past year and a half from the Lord, but I pray that all of you who read this either have felt this love, or will. If you are not a child of God, and have never given your life to christ, I ask that you do not tarry, and that you give your life to Christ today. We do not know what the next day holds for us, if we will be here or not, but we can hold our future in our hands by the decisions that we make. We will all live forever, either in heaven or in hell. The most important decision you will ever make in your life is to either REJECT Christ, or ACCEPT Him.” Choose you this day whom ye will serve”Josh. 24:15. If any of you want to talk to me in more detail, you can contact me in a private e-mail at; michelle@michellesmoments.com. You can give me your phone number in that e-mail and I will call you.
I am grateful toward all of you for all you have done for me and my family. Keep praying for my upcoming surgery that all will go well. I will continue to update.
Also, please pray for a friend of mine who has cancer. He is young and from what I understand it is in his liver, spleen, and other areas. His name is Michael Hyde. Please pray for God’s healing. If any of you have prayer request please let me know, I will be happy to pray for you, and so will everyone else. Love all of you, Michelle. : )
November 27, 2010 - Posted by Michelle - 8 Comments
Once again, I have had much going on since my last post. For starters, I had been up at the hospital 24/7 for 11 days with my mother. She went in with congestion and ended up dying of a septic infection in her lungs, on November 16th at 7:45 in the evening. Her only surviving sister out of 12 was there, me, Mark and six of my cousins. She suffered and was in a lot of pain the last days, but when she went home to be with the Lord she went peacefully. It was very hard for me, and still is, but with God’s grace I will be okay. We had made plans to go to Missouri for Thanksgiving seven months before. So, we buried my mom on Sat., and left for Missouri on Sun.. It was a very good visit and one I much needed. I just needed to get away. Pray for my aunt, as she is the last one living of twelve siblings. Her name is Dot Bundick.
On another note, my health. I am no longer able to do the experimental vaccine that they wanted me to be a part of. I explained this in my last post. My blood counts have dropped all of a sudden, and one count has gone way up, it is suppose to be low. So because of this, I can not be a part of the experiment. Also, because my counts are so off, I can no longer have my surgery on the 29th of Nov.. I am at too much of a risk of getting an infection if I do. This was a major blow. I have so looked forward to getting this surgery behind me. I have waited 7 months, and now I have to wait till they come up. If my counts do not come up soon, my Dr. will have to do a bone marrow biopsy to see what is going on with my bone marrow. She is concerned because at the end of Sept. my counts were all basically normal and they were up. Now, all of a sudden they have dropped. This explains my exhaustion. I have constantly been tired and weak.
So, as you can see, I have had one disappointment after another. If I did not have the Lord I think I would have already gone out of my mind, been on anti-depressants and a host of other things. It is because of my security in Christ that I am able to go on with Joy. I do have to admit, I am growing weary. Being so tired and weak all the time and in constant pain can take a toll on your mind, will, and emotions. I have to continue to seek the Lord daily, because if i don’t I will get easily discouraged. The Lord is my rock and my fortress, I have nothing to fear. Psalm 23 really comes to life for me right now, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastured: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” AMEN. I don’t know why the Lord has chosen to have all these things happen to me. I do know that it is His will, or it would not be going on in my life right now. I also know that He has done many wonderful things through these trials. One is this website and the many people who read it. If I can at all be an encouragement to one person, it is worth it all. The prayers that have gone out for me is absolutely amazing. I never knew that so many people cared. That has been a great encouragement to me. You all don’t know how much it means to me to know that you are praying for me, words can not express it enough. If you have any prayer request, please let me know. I would love to intercede on your behalf.
One good note, I did get the results back from my lung scan and it came back clear. Still waiting on the echo, but the Dr. that did it said that my heart looked strong. Please continue to pray that my counts will go back to normal so I can have my surgery and hopefully start feeling better. The Dr. said if they don’t come up soon it means that my bone marrow is not producing right now. What that means, I am not sure.
Thank you once again for all your love and prayers. Will keep you posted as I continue to find out more information.
November 12, 2010 - Posted by Michelle - 4 Comments
I apologize for the time span. There has been a lot going on. First of all, I have been going to MD Anderson for some test, echocardiogram, stress test, CT scan of the neck, chest and brain. I have been having some problems with breathing, headaches, and pulse going high. They want to check to see if the cancer has spread to these areas. I went to MDA on Wednesday, Nov. 10th. The CT of the brain showed that I do have a brain. ( Glad about that). : ) It did show no signs of cancer. Still waiting on all other test. The heart Dr. that did the stress said that my heart was strong and that he thought there was a problem with the lungs. My white blood cell counts have gone down again. The oncologist is concerned and is going to watch it. She is not sure why they are low. I am suppose to have my next surgery on Nov. 29th. It will take about 5 hours. If my counts do not come up I may have to wait. So please pray they find out what is wrong and that they come up.
On another note. I have been up at the hospital 24/7 for almost a week now with my mom. She came in with pneumonia, renal failure and UT infection. Her kidneys have gotten better but the lungs worse and there is fluid on the outside of the lungs also. Her breathing is shallow. They said right now she could go either way. So please pray about this.
Also, my brother in Il. Is 63, he is 95% clogged in his curated arteries. He will be having surgery also on Nov. 29th. Please pray for all these.
One more thing. MDA has asked me to be a part of a trial study vaccine. My chances of this cancer coming back are extremely high. They are hoping this vaccine will decrease the chances of it coming back, or keep it from coming back ever. It does have some side affects. But Mark and I have talked about it and have chosen to go ahead and do it. I know that God is in control. I am willing to help others out as much as possible. If this works, then it will benefit many others. If it doesn’t, then I haven’t lost anything. I am still doing the herceptin chemo every three weeks till march. I have been so tired also, this is another reason why I have not posted. No excuse though. I am on facebook and do try to make short updates. So you can find me there and keep up.
Psalm 105:3-4 “Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord, and his strength; seek his face evermore.”
I have the peace of our Lord. I know His word says He will never leave us nor forsake us. He has proven this to me this past year. Know we serve an almighty God who loves us with an everlasting love. No matter what trials the Lord brings my way, I will continue to praise His holy name. It is the least I could do, for all He’s done for me. I still choose joy through the trials.
Love you all and I am so grateful for your love, concern and prayers. I WILL update soon, when I get the rest of my results. Choose to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul. : )
September 18, 2010 - Posted by Michelle - 4 Comments
Sorry I haven’t been on in a long while. I have been busy, really tired, and was gone to Florida for a week with my hubby. : )
Ok, to fill you in on what is going on. Three weeks ago I saw my reconstruction doctor. She said that my skin on the left side is pretty thin, and because of this we may have to go ahead with the latissimus dorsi muscle surgery.( UGH) The good news is, I don’t have to go back to see her till Nov. 17th. She wants to give it plenty of time to heal, and hopes that it will thicken up with time. I have my next surgery on Nov. 29th. Also, I had another echo-cardiogram on Friday the 10th. I pray that it turns out ok. I have started trying to work out again, and I am doing light aerobics. Well, when I do the aerobics and it comes time to check our heart rate, mine is around 190 – 200. NOT good. It usually is 50 -60. Also, on the 10th I had a bone density test. The chemo drug that I do every three weeks can cause heart damage and deterioration of the bones. I have started having problems with my right knee and bad problems with my right hip. Sometimes I can barely walk because of the pain in my hip. I go to the heart Dr. and the oncologist on the 29th of Sept.. I will have to wait till then to get the results of my test. They also did blood work on me two weeks ago because I am still really tired and I have also had symptoms of going through menopause, so they wanted to check and see what is going on. The tough thing is, I will be 47 in a week, so, is this all old age, or really cancer, chemo related. Hard to tell. I do know that I did not have these problems before. Plus, I feel young, not old, and I can still play tennis and basketball. : )
I would appreciate your prayers on these matters. If my bones have deteriorated any more, I am thinking about quiting the chemo. I am suppose to continue it till Feb. or March. I know God did a miracle and healed me, and because of this I do not have a problem stopping it. I also know that He is in control and He is with me, and will continue to be. We serve an awesome God who will never leave us or forsake us.
If you think you ever have it rough, watch this and his other stuff he has on YouTube. I thought of him when I found out I had cancer. Cancer is nothing compared to what he has had to overcome. What an awesome testimony. Love this guy. Hope it encourages you, and remember, if you think you have it rough; think of those who have it much worse than you, then thank God for your circumstances. Watch and enjoy!
Went to MDA yesterday and saw my surgeon and did therapy again. My surgeon said that everything looked good so she expanded me a little to see how things would do, then she will take the stitches out Friday if everything is ok. I started having some leaking from a stitch last night. Please pray that this will not turn into anything serious again. God is on the throne and He is in control. I know that all these little things that have been happening is all part of His plan. It has given me more of an opportunity to be a witness to my doctors through this, since I have had to go so often. It has also given a friend of mine who has taken me to MDA the opportunity to witness while she is waiting for me to get out of the Dr. office. She has been faithful. I thank God every day for the dear friends He has put in my life.
I was talking to my younger children and thinking about what God has done in the past ten months and it brought me to tears. His love and grace is so amazing. During this whole time He has never left our side and He has poured out His grace upon us in so many ways, that it is so humbling. He has blessed time and time again in so many ways that it has just been overwhelming to experience. We don’t deserve Him, Heaven or anything from God. But because of His wonderful grace and love for us, He chooses to bless us, even when we don’t deserve it. Day after day we sin against a Holy God, and He is always faithful to forgive us. When I see the wretched person that I am and how often I fail Him It grieves me so, but He is always there to forgive me and pick me right back up. Once again, His grace so amazes me. I have drawn so much closer to the Lord and have truly seen things in a different way than before the cancer. Parts of His word has become so real to me, whereas before I would just read it. I am grateful that the Lord gave me this cancer, because of all the things He has shown me through this and to have seen all the blessings and miracles He has done. Even if He chose not to heal me, I would still be grateful and I still would not have changed a thing. It has been worth it all!
I go two days every week to MDA for therapy. The pain as far as the therapy goes has gotten much better, it is still very painful, but nothing like before. So, thank you all so much once again for your prayers. I also, will remain going to do the herceptin every three weeks for about eight more months. Pray that it does not damage my heart. The # 1 side effect of this drug is it can damage the heart. Love you all and listen carefully to this song. It will bless you. God’s grace is truly amazing!
Got back today from two long days at MD Anderson. Saw my surgeon again yesterday because my incision opened up again. I put butterfly band-aids on it Saturday. This worked. I took them off Monday morning. In the middle of the night my incision opened up again. This time it was a lot. Looked like someone took a knife and sliced me open. Well, my surgeon was going to admit me to the hospital, but decided to do minor surgery instead. So, I had a small surgery yesterday that took about 45 minutes. They cut out the old incision completely and took out all the exposed skin. The main thing I have to worry about now is infection, because the skin was open and exposed to the air for awhile. If I knew this I would have gone Saturday. But, the doctor gave me strong antibiotics and said she got all the old scar and tissue out.
I am so glad that I don’t have to depend on the doctors, but God. The Lord is still the one in control here. So, I am asking you guys to please join me in prayer that He will protect me from getting an infection.
As far as the pain, it is a little better, but not much. Thank you so much for all your prayers.
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
