I’m so grateful for this new chemotherapy which has significantly reduced my cough! I typically cough much less in a day than I previously would have in an hour. I can talk all day long virtually cough-free. Praise God!

I’m thankful for medical science which has developed so many drugs for cancer (and other) patients. One of the chemo drugs I took over the winter was developed from a relative of the vinca (periwinkle) plant which grows in our garden. How cool is that! I’m not entirely sure why, but I found that deeply encouraging.

Vinca from our garden (In the Spring it sports beautiful dark purple blooms.)

This new chemo that I am taking is in pill form, so I don’t have as many needles poking into me lately. The last poke I had (Monday) was for blood tests, and I hardly felt it at all. The skill of some nurses amazes me, and I always try to thank them when they do such a good job. The nurses who have taken my blood at the cancer centre are all kind and very skilled. I am so grateful!

This chemo is quite new, and targets the specific gene to work powerfully against the cancer in my body. I am so grateful for this huge difference it seems to be making in my body. On Monday I have an appointment with my oncologist after a chest x-ray. I look forward to hearing my oncologist’s opinion about the effectiveness of this treatment, and possible remedies for the side effects.

I’m also thankful that (for now, at least), I don’t have to pay for my meds. The pills cost $300. per day, which is more than I’ve ever earned! That little pink “no charge” tag is one of the happiest stickers I’ve ever seen … but I can’t help but think of the many people who don’t have this privilege, this free gift which I enjoy.

The line from “The Lord’s Prayer” resonates deeply as I pray it regularly: Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. God loves mercy and justice (Micah 6:8). What would our world be like if we not only talked like we valued these but also consistently acted like it? What would my life look like? Hmmmm…