Update from Michelle 7/9
Dear Imago Family,
This journey feels long already and I’m not even in it real good. I described it in my journal the other day as “relentless not knowing.” For everything I know, there are two things I don’t know or have to wait for or need to decide.
My surgery went well, but my doctor found more cancer than she expected. Those margins—the ones I mentioned in the last update—did not cooperate. Long story short, there is another surgery in my near future to go after what’s left and then, after healing, radiation and reconstruction.
Except for some cording in my arm (normal with removal of the sentinel lymph nodes) I was shockingly without a lot of pain. My body is aware that something happened, but it’s not angry and screaming at me. I chalk that up to SO MANY PRAYERS. Hoping the next surgery has the same result.
Some more good news. A recent test result says I won’t need chemotherapy at this point. I was not looking forward to going bald. My head is small and oddly shaped. Nobody needs to see that.
I’m napping a lot and reading a lot. I’m also bored a lot, but that is to be expected. I miss my Imago family very much, and I will admit to some melancholy moments. I was tempted to give in to the sadness and then the Spirit made a pest of Himself by tossing the same song at me over and over. India.Arie’s “Simple.” (link below)
“I love you. I love you. What more can I say? It’s simple. I love you…” the lyrics say. It is what I needed to hear. It’s all I needed to hear. Turns out I’m a simple girl, and this journey I’m on is about simple things—rest, community, love, learning to let go of what doesn’t matter, and remembering to hold onto what does.
Please keep praying. Thank you for the cards, I read them all, many more than once. Thank you for the meal cards and the flowers. Thank you for loving me. I so much love you back.
M.