I created this blog to post updates about our (me and my family's) journey with God as we walk through the process of fighting cancer. My Mom (Noreta Bowers) was diagnosed with gall bladder cancer on August 5, 2010. She is 71 years old and I want to "be just like her when I grow up." My nerves and emotions are raw but I have a close circle of family and friends that I know want to keep up with how my Mom is doing. This blog should do the trick.
August 18, 2010 was the visit to the oncologist and it was the hardest thing, by far, I have ever had to do. Sit there while the Doctor so matter of factly discussed a disease - gall bladder cancer- that is very rare. However, Mom, Dad, Bonnie and I were all quite strong and caomposed. That, my friends, was God. Humans can't stay that put together when you are talking about your life. He has been there with us through it all. The first day we were told about the cancer when Mom went in for outpatient surgery to have her gall bladder removed, a maid, cleaning the restrooms at Vanderbilt Medical Clinic offered my sister a box of Kleenex to dry her tears then came looking for her later on and asked her what she could do for her. Bonnie asked if she was a praying person and she said yes. Bonnie asked her to pray for her mother. God sighting number one. Later on in the room when the doctor told my Mom he had spotted cancer, a nurse said " I was not even supposed to be on this floor today but here I am and I feel the need to pray for you all right now". God sighting number 2. A few days later my Dad went to work and saw a praying mantis on the door of the office. Then he came home and saw another one on the side of their home. God sighting number 3. He is all over this. Praise God, I can feel him. Whatever happens through all of this it will be for his good.
Teresa, I had no idea you were going through this. I'm so glad you are sharing this journey with others. I feel your emotion through your words and it's heart wrenching. Nothing can replace a mothers love and I know you are fighting to keep that alive yet you are awakened to God's presence and will. I am praying for you, your family and your Mom. God Bless. Lynette
We are so sorry Noreta has all this to go through. Herky has put Noreta on our church's pray list and you know we are around if you ever need anything. We are praying for all of ya'll. we love you all...
Teresa, Bonnie shared your blog link with me and I am so thankful that she did. I wanted you to know that, as best we can, we are walking this road with your family in hopes that God will allow us to carry part of your load. We have been so very saddened to learn of your mom's diagnosis and the accompanying heartache that it brings for each of you. I keep thinking of all of the children that your Mom has touched over the years while teaching them in Sunday School.....my Braeden loved having her. I am so humbled at your God sightings...He is always present, isn't He? He is the same God who gave sight to the blind and made the lame walk again. He can and does work miracles...still. Please let us know if our family (or our church family) can do anything for you all.
Teresa, Your path and your journey will be your testimony. I am proud to call you friend, will keep you and your family in my prayers. Isaiah 66:13 "As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you."
Dear Teresa, Thank you for letting me know what is going on with your family. I am saddened to hear of your mom's sickness bit touched by the strength that God is giving to you and your entire family. I will be praying for healing and peace for you guys.
Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as EAGLES they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint"
Mom went for her CT scan on Friday, August 20th. She said she had a pretty good day. I spoke with her this morning. I called her on her cell and she was visiting Grandmama. She said she was weak but she felt like going to see her so that is good news. Her first Chemo treatment is Wednesday. We are all anxious to get that started. I wanted to share what happened last night as another example of God's work in action. I worked at Stone Soup, which is a program our church hosts for disabled families. Parents come and drop off their children and volunteers from the church work to "babysit" these kids- all ages and all kinds of disabilities. So, if any of you know people that have a disabled child, please have them call Judson Baptist Church office and get information. It is so good for these parents to be able to have time away. While doing crafts I started talking to one of the other workers. We both asked the usual questions. When I asked her what she did, she said she was a scientist at Vanderbilt. I asked what that meant as far as a job and she said she did research on breast cancer- hum- wonder why we were at the table together??? We started talking about cancer and it was a comfort to talk to someone who is so involved in the disease. Another worker is a woman I have seen at church before but we had never met. She has really short hair and a scar on her neck. I found out that she is a breast cancer survivior. I was surrounded by it. Some people may find that depressing and morbid but I knew it was God's way of letting me know he is with me and it is o.k. to think and talk about it. All of this did not really hit me until this morning and I just could not get those encounters with those two women out of my head. I felt the need to share. Love you all!
Teresa, Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feeling during this time. I am praying for your family and your mothers' health. I will share the Judson Baptist community service with my friends.
Mom felt good enough to go to church today. That is a blessing. She goes for her first chemo treatment on Wednesday. God says we should be specific in our prayers so I am praying for the following and I would greatly appreciate you doing the same: -Pray they can find a vein. Mom has small veins and they tend to have to poke around to find a good one. That is painful in itself and she mentioned that she was a little scared about that. She will have a port put in soon but they could not schedule it prior to her first treatment. -Pray this chemo increases her appetite and it does not make her sick to her stomach. There is very little food going down these days so she needs to keep down what goes down. The oncologist said she has seen this chemo increase appetites. -Pray the nutritionist can give her some good things to try to eat and that she will find something that is nutritional and something she can "stomach". Thank you all so much for your kind words. You have no idea how comforting they are. Please be aware of all those people you come into contact with every day. You never know what may be going on their lives and a smile or a kind word can mean the world to them.
I spoke to Mom tonight and told her what I had asked people to specifically pray for and she said "thank you". She told me she really appreciates everyone praying for her. She had another church to add to her prayer list. She is keeping a list of all the churches that have her on their prayer list. I sat down to read my devotional and the subject was "Keep Asking". The scripture was "Keep asking and it will be given to you. Keep searching and you will find. Keep knocking and the door will be opened to you." (Luke 11:9). God is speaking. How appropriate for the subject matter to be one of encouragement the day before chemo. Mom reads this same devotional so she got the same message. The devotional stated that the point of this scripture is that "we can move God to act by boldness and persistence of our prayers". I am going to continue to be bold and ask for healing of my mother. Please be bold in your prayers-make that your prayer- Heal Noreta!
I'm so glad you did this girl! Love you & praying!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad too....:) I love you, sweet cousin! If you have blogging ?s, let me know...I've been doing this for quite a few years now!
ReplyDelete(((((hugs)))))
August 18, 2010 was the visit to the oncologist and it was the hardest thing, by far, I have ever had to do. Sit there while the Doctor so matter of factly discussed a disease - gall bladder cancer- that is very rare. However, Mom, Dad, Bonnie and I were all quite strong and caomposed. That, my friends, was God. Humans can't stay that put together when you are talking about your life. He has been there with us through it all. The first day we were told about the cancer when Mom went in for outpatient surgery to have her gall bladder removed, a maid, cleaning the restrooms at Vanderbilt Medical Clinic offered my sister a box of Kleenex to dry her tears then came looking for her later on and asked her what she could do for her. Bonnie asked if she was a praying person and she said yes. Bonnie asked her to pray for her mother. God sighting number one. Later on in the room when the doctor told my Mom he had spotted cancer, a nurse said " I was not even supposed to be on this floor today but here I am and I feel the need to pray for you all right now". God sighting number 2. A few days later my Dad went to work and saw a praying mantis on the door of the office. Then he came home and saw another one on the side of their home. God sighting number 3. He is all over this. Praise God, I can feel him. Whatever happens through all of this it will be for his good.
ReplyDeleteTeresa,
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you were going through this. I'm so glad you are sharing this journey with others. I feel your emotion through your words and it's heart wrenching. Nothing can replace a mothers love and I know you are fighting to keep that alive yet you are awakened to God's presence and will. I am praying for you, your family and your Mom. God Bless.
Lynette
We are so sorry Noreta has all this to go through. Herky has put Noreta on our church's pray list and you know we are around if you ever need anything. We are praying for all of ya'll. we love you all...
ReplyDeleteTeresa, Bonnie shared your blog link with me and I am so thankful that she did. I wanted you to know that, as best we can, we are walking this road with your family in hopes that God will allow us to carry part of your load. We have been so very saddened to learn of your mom's diagnosis and the accompanying heartache that it brings for each of you. I keep thinking of all of the children that your Mom has touched over the years while teaching them in Sunday School.....my Braeden loved having her. I am so humbled at your God sightings...He is always present, isn't He? He is the same God who gave sight to the blind and made the lame walk again. He can and does work miracles...still. Please let us know if our family (or our church family) can do anything for you all.
ReplyDeleteTeresa,
ReplyDeleteYour path and your journey will be your testimony. I am proud to call you friend, will keep you and your family in my prayers.
Isaiah 66:13 "As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you."
Dear Teresa,
ReplyDeleteThank you for letting me know what is going on with your family. I am saddened to hear of your mom's sickness bit touched by the strength that God is giving to you and your entire family. I will be praying for healing and peace for you guys.
Isaiah 40:31
"But they that wait upon the LORD
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as EAGLES
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint"
Love,
Jan Beard
Mom went for her CT scan on Friday, August 20th. She said she had a pretty good day. I spoke with her this morning. I called her on her cell and she was visiting Grandmama. She said she was weak but she felt like going to see her so that is good news. Her first Chemo treatment is Wednesday. We are all anxious to get that started. I wanted to share what happened last night as another example of God's work in action. I worked at Stone Soup, which is a program our church hosts for disabled families. Parents come and drop off their children and volunteers from the church work to "babysit" these kids- all ages and all kinds of disabilities. So, if any of you know people that have a disabled child, please have them call Judson Baptist Church office and get information. It is so good for these parents to be able to have time away. While doing crafts I started talking to one of the other workers. We both asked the usual questions. When I asked her what she did, she said she was a scientist at Vanderbilt. I asked what that meant as far as a job and she said she did research on breast cancer- hum- wonder why we were at the table together??? We started talking about cancer and it was a comfort to talk to someone who is so involved in the disease. Another worker is a woman I have seen at church before but we had never met. She has really short hair and a scar on her neck. I found out that she is a breast cancer survivior. I was surrounded by it. Some people may find that depressing and morbid but I knew it was God's way of letting me know he is with me and it is o.k. to think and talk about it. All of this did not really hit me until this morning and I just could not get those encounters with those two women out of my head. I felt the need to share. Love you all!
ReplyDeleteTeresa,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts and feeling during this time. I am praying for your family and your mothers' health. I will share the Judson Baptist community service with my friends.
May God Bless and Keep you and yours!
Reba
Mom felt good enough to go to church today. That is a blessing. She goes for her first chemo treatment on Wednesday. God says we should be specific in our prayers so I am praying for the following and I would greatly appreciate you doing the same:
ReplyDelete-Pray they can find a vein. Mom has small veins and they tend to have to poke around to find a good one. That is painful in itself and she mentioned that she was a little scared about that. She will have a port put in soon but they could not schedule it prior to her first treatment.
-Pray this chemo increases her appetite and it does not make her sick to her stomach. There is very little food going down these days so she needs to keep down what goes down. The oncologist said she has seen this chemo increase appetites.
-Pray the nutritionist can give her some good things to try to eat and that she will find something that is nutritional and something she can "stomach".
Thank you all so much for your kind words. You have no idea how comforting they are. Please be aware of all those people you come into contact with every day. You never know what may be going on their lives and a smile or a kind word can mean the world to them.
I spoke to Mom tonight and told her what I had asked people to specifically pray for and she said "thank you". She told me she really appreciates everyone praying for her. She had another church to add to her prayer list. She is keeping a list of all the churches that have her on their prayer list. I sat down to read my devotional and the subject was "Keep Asking". The scripture was "Keep asking and it will be given to you. Keep searching and you will find. Keep knocking and the door will be opened to you." (Luke 11:9). God is speaking. How appropriate for the subject matter to be one of encouragement the day before chemo. Mom reads this same devotional so she got the same message. The devotional stated that the point of this scripture is that "we can move God to act by boldness and persistence of our prayers". I am going to continue to be bold and ask for healing of my mother. Please be bold in your prayers-make that your prayer- Heal Noreta!
ReplyDelete