Yesterday I endured my first physical therapy session on the long road to recovery and I am regaining some strength from my setback of the diagnosis of this Stage 4 lung cancer. The hour long therapy of raising my arms and stretching my toes while sitting in my recliner wore me out and I felt like an Olympian training for The Big Race.
It’s hard to imagine that three months have gone by. In that time I was on my death bed and the Palliative Care team came to talk about staying comfortable during my final days. I did not realize that with the rapid reaccumulating of the fluid in my lungs that they were expecting me to live for only four to six months! Deb commented recently, “You were dying, Sue, and all the doctors and nurses felt so bad for you.”
Little did those doctors realize that my days and months are in God’s hand and that God isn’t finished with me! He stopped the fluids from building up in my lungs. The draining treatment has gone from daily to every three days and now we are at once a week and there is not even a drop! If this continues, prayerfully they will remove that chest drainage tube once and for all.
My physical therapist, Victor, is starting me at the very beginning with focusing on breathing exercises to expand my lungs and stretching muscles I haven’t used for months. I’m also walking short distances with my walker and getting steadier each day. It’s a far cry from the Hospital Chaplain explaining how to receive help from Hospice!
I am not only growing stronger but also I am not having any side affects with the chemo pills other than food tastes bad. But I do love my protein shakes and orange sherbet!
So many, many people are storming heaven for me to be totally healed of the cancer and I truly believe that we will experience the answer to all of these prayers.
Today, as I forge forward doing my physical therapy excercises, I am also beginning to think about my next book. The journey that I am on right now is giving me some tremendous thoughts and reflections to bring to book form.
Even though we are not at WaterBrooks for the summer, or on the road with speaking appointments, several other things are keeping us busy with the ministry and I am excited for each and every moment that God gives me breath to accomplish His purpose.
The I Breathe t-shirts will be available on the 18th of August for anyone who wants to help support my battle with lung cancer. We will be sending out an announcement soon on how you can order one. The Scripture verse on them is from Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Filming is back on the schedule with the producer coming to interview me for the up and coming documentary on my life and ministry. By Gods grace and power we are moving forward with the dreams He has given and building them into realities.
Remember the blog I wrote about my 70th year? I remember pondering that it would be an incredible year because God has always used the number seven in my lifetime as a very special number. Boy, was I right! I was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer for my 70th birthday and furthermore have seen the handiwork of the Lord in ways I have never seen before in my life. Already just in the first three months of my 70th year, it has been one I could never have fathomed… a matter of life and death!!!
And I am giving thanks for all the great and mighty things He has done in my life, all that He is doing, and all that He has yet do!
Victor, my Physical Therapist constantly reminds me, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!! Philippians 4:14
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57
Victor coaching me with my excercises using the same cane I carried on the last episode of Sue Thomas FBEYE when I announced to the world that I had MS.
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