Friendship in the Pit

Yeah!! One hurdle crossed. Yesterday was the last of the 4 Adriamycin & Cytoxan treatments. Now onto 12 weekly treatments of Taxotere. I was a little concerned about the port working after so much trouble with it the last time but with all the prayers and about 10 minutes of all but standing on my head, it worked like a charm! Thanks for the prayers.

Even though this was the last of this chemo cocktail, it was certainly not the easiest. My blood work shows significant anemia, hence the fatigue and shortness of breath. But the nausea was wicked. I was sick all day and was disappointed I had to miss Eric's first softball game of the season. But they smoked 'em 24-1 so I guess I didn't miss much of a game I.finally gave in tothe nausea and took the Phenergan. "Night night" for 14 hrs. I wish they could kind a anti-nausea drug that didn't put you in a coma.

Woke up feeling a little better today. There is a magic pill called Emend that you get to take for 3 days. It doesn't make you sleepy and works great for about 6 hours. So I am enjoying the benefits of that today. Wish that could be something you could take everyday though.

I opened my e-mail today, and as He has done several times in the past, God spoke to me in a devotional. I wanted to share it with you.

Friendship in the Pit
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman Wednesday, April 08 2009

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." - Proverbs 17:17 "I am in there again," I told my friend. "The pit." A time when no one can cheer you up and you wonder if there ever was or is a God. Have you ever had such times? Discouragement can be devastating even to the best of saints. It can bring us so low. The writer of Proverbs phrased it well when he said, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Prov. 13:12). When we get so low that we despair of our belief, we can identify with the prophet Elijah who wanted to die after being so discouraged with life. "I'm coming over," my friend said. "Aw, you don't have to do that," I said. "I'm coming over. We're going to pray." About 30 minutes later my friend walked in the door. We sat in living room and my friend began to pray. I didn't feel like praying. I was too deep in the pit. All I could do was listen. After awhile my friend was quiet. We both sat quietly for ten to fifteen minutes, praying quietly to ourselves. Suddenly my friend said, "First Thessalonians 5:24!" "What verse is that?" I asked.
"I don't know," she said. "That is the verse He spoke to me."
I grabbed my Bible and looked up the verse. "The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it." We laughed. Can He be so personal? Can He care that much? That night I grew more in my love of my two friends, not to mention being brought out of the pit. Do you have a friend who is there when you need somebody at any hour of the day? Are you there for your friend? Ask the Lord how you can be a better friend to someone today.

As I read this I thanked God for all the friends He has given me. Friends at church, friends at work, friends I have never even met, new friends I have made as a result of this journey. My friends let me ride on their hope when mine is dim and most importantly, My friends pray for me.

THANK YOU FOR BEING MY FRIEND!!