Red Wednesday's Wisdom

On the night before my first Rituxan treatment, I announced to my Mom before we went to bed “I’m going to wear my red tomorrow!” I gave no explanation and she did not ask for one. The next morning, on Wednesday, 8/10/11, I dressed myself in red. As I waited to greet Mom and Dad in preparation for them to accompany me to my anticipated first 6 hour treatment, Mom enters the kitchen and I am in awe as she too has dressed herself in red. Dad walks into the kitchen, and as would be expected, he is bare chested. Mom gives him a very clear direction (as only my Mom can do with my Dad) “get your red on!” Dumbfounded, my Dad leaves us and as we are all now laughing, Daddy comes back in a red shirt and then he asks the question that was echoed all day long, “What’s with the red?” We were having too much fun and laughter to be going to my oncology appointment, but that is exactly what we were getting ready to do.

Me with Mom and Dad, armed in our red to fight!

As some of you know, I drive a red convertible. The license plate says “In Faith.” I bought that car on a Good Friday, 8 years ago. Whenever I get in the car, I am constantly reminded of how much Jesus loves me and what He did for me on the cross. Red reminds me of God’s Holy Spirit who is my healer, comforter, counselor, power and guidance. I BELIEVE this because Jesus tells me this in John 14:15-16, “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate.” Advocate is equal to Comforter, Encourager, and Counselor.

I know that God is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Over and over I have witnessed God’s living and loving presence in me and towards me. I have seen how He’s been at work through all of you as you have loved on me!!!! And that is why I wear the red. Red is all about God’s love and passion for each and every one of us.

From the moment Mom, Dad, and I walked into that office waiting room, people were asking the three of us if we had intentionally worn red. The resounding and obvious answer was, “Yes!” By wearing the color red we were sharing our belief in God and His desire to heal all of us. Because we are both physical and spiritual beings, our healing needs to happen on both a physical and spiritual level. God is our Almighty Physician and I know I am walking in the path of healing that He has set for me. Thank you, God, for all the people that you have orchestrated to care for me so I can heal.

I LOVE my doctor and so did Mom and Dad. The first question she asked when she saw us was, “What does the red mean?” I asked, “What does it mean to you?” She responded, “In my religion it means the Holy Spirit. I responded, “That is exactly what it means to us. The Holy Spirit is with us and is bringing healing!” I know the Holy Spirit lead me to her through my family doctor. My primary doctor never asked me about who I wanted to see or where I wanted to go, he just told me what I was going to do, and I did it.

As my oncologist informed us about the treatment I’d be undergoing, she also said precautions would need to be taken to observe me in between treatments and to see how I was responding to the therapy. We are all praying for no side effects and for complete healing for me, but I still need to be smart and use the Godly wisdom that God has given me. So, for now, I am going to take the doctor’s advice and not be alone and stay at friend’s homes, the first to have me is my dear friend Laurie. This will give me and my family peace of mind with everyone in the family being further away. My folks can now return to Florida. Thank you, Lord, for Laurie and her family and how they are opening their home up to me. And thanks to all of you who are serving me in so many different ways!!!

After meeting with my oncologist, we saw the “intake” nurse, who gathers and shares information. She was wearing a shirt that said BELIEVE on the front. I was surprised since I had just written about belief the day before, and so I asked the nurse what the BELIEVE on her shirt was about. She turned around so we could read the back. After seeing the list of encouraging words, this was at the bottom: Believe in the Holy Spirit!

When we walked into the treatment room, I was introduced to my nurse Sara, who was also wearing a red shirt! Of course she commented on how we were all wearing our red. When you see evidence of the Holy Spirit at work, there are no coincidences, there are only God incidences, and our morning was filled with them!

Me with my nurse Sara

It has been three days since getting the infusion and I am feeling GREAT! The #1 response I hear from phone conversations is this: “Oh my gosh, I am hearing the energy back in your voice!!!!” Over the past two years I have recognized how I need to pace myself and not go into 10th gear. That is very challenging for me, as some of you know, but I am recognizing I need to SLOW DOWN. Compared to many of you, as we have discussed, I realize that my slow is your fast. I am the same person you have seen in motion over the past two years; the only difference is that you now know a diagnosis that you did not know before. It does not alter who I am or what I am capable of doing.

On a funny note, Rituxan contains a mouse protein, weird, and kind of gross, right? Well, on the night of my first infusion, a little FAT mouse decided to make a visit to me. I have not set a mouse trap in months at my home and I could hear him (or her) under the sink after I went to bed…..I could then hear him in my bedroom closet, he had followed me into my room! The next morning I heard him under the sink again. I cleared everything out and then I realized that he was in the waste basket. Just as I picked up the basket to take it outside, he jumped out and escaped, lucky guy! QUESTION: Do you think the Rituxan is giving off a mouse scent? I am wondering if the little thing thinks that I am his long lost mother!!! Yes, God is full of humor, remember, laughter is also medicine.

PLEASE continue to pray for the following:

• This week I especially ask that you pray for the IgM to not increase with the Rituxan therapy, this can be a potential side effect that would require a further more invasive intervention, plasmaphoresis. This would have to be done before the Rituxan infusion could be given again, and we’d obviously just like me to stay the course and continue to get my treatments as planned.


• Continue to pray for me to be free of side effects and for COMPLETE healing.
• I would also ask that you pray for me to remain consistent with my juicing and have no sugar cravings during my month of treatment at this time, I’m willing to do what it takes, hence limiting my sugar intake!
  
  My love and heartfelt thanks.