“My grace is sufficient for you,

for  my power is made perfect in weakness.

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses,

so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses,

insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.

For when I am weak, then I am strong.  II Corinthians 12:9-10

      I am physically weak now but my spirit is strong. He keeps His word—always.

     I will be working on this post off and on for most of the day today because I get tired easily.
     To bring you up on the surgery I will start with Monday morning. Billy and I got up at 4:00 am and went to the hospital. They took me right away into pre op and started prepping me, which took a lot of time. I had written a note for Dr. Shellenberger which I was keeping in my hand for when he came in to see me. They had already shot me with some “happy juice” and a little later Donna and Billy were in the cubicle with me and I started looking for my note and   couldn’t find it. We shook the bed clothes and Donna looked under my bed, I asked the nurse, Shannon, if she knew what happened to my note. She said I had given it to Dr. Shellenberger when he came to see me. We had about a 6 minute conversation and he left. I do not remember one second of that event. There were other events throughout the day that I don’t remember but family has told me about. It is a very strange feeling to lose blocks of time. That is what drugs will do for you. The surgery went well and took a little over 3 hours. He removed the cancer tumor and lots of lymph nodes. My incision is much longer than I thought it would be. It is 8 inches long and goes from behind my left ear across my neck just past  where my chin ends. I am very swollen and look quite gross. I also have a drip port coming from between my shoulder and my neck. I hope to get rid of it on Friday. It is not very becoming to have a little plastic container with blood hanging down the front of you.  I have to measure and keep a record 3 times a day of how much drainage I get. What fun!
     I have figured out that I can wear a scarf around my neck for church and perhaps it won’t gross every one out. It will look better when the stitches come out. I can’t miss church, it is one of the high points of my week. I need to see all the people that I love and feel their love for me. My girls say I don’t look so bad, but they are just being nice to Mom.
     I have no pain at all around the incision, the only pain I have felt was my throat. When they put the breathing tube down it must have scratched my throat. I also have a lot of phlegm in my throat and have to cough often to keep my lungs clear.
     I think I am going to sleep in my hammock chair tonight so the phlegm won’t gather in my throat while I am lying flat. It is also easier to get out of than the bed.
     Once again, the Lord has come through for  me. Things seem to be going well. We will know more when Dr.S. gets the pathology report on the lymph nodes. If they are clear, no    radiation. If they are not clear, radiation. It is all in God’s hands as it has been from the His will is what will bring Him the most glory and what is best for me. All things truly do work for the good to those called according to His purpose. The book of Romans says it like this:

“And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit,

because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,

 for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:27-29

Good night to all. Remember to say your prayers and kiss the ones you love.

Mary Margaret

The big "C" in me is Christ enabling me to deal with the little "c" which is the cancer!

Don’t forget to E-mail me. . .

angel8mmj@gmail.com