Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Results are in...

Hi, this is Shirley.  Tonight, I have volunteered to be Lynn's hands and voice.  While not as amazing as the proxy I represent, I do have the ability, nonetheless, to relate many of her feelings as I am sharing this experience with her.  I am very thankful I could be here with her to help in anyway...  After all, you know Lynn, the one individual who has "cast her bread upon the waters" many, many times and this little bit of service I have to give can only be considered a very small repayment for the time and love she has given to me for the short, thirty-one years we have known one another.

Today was the scheduled meeting with Dr. Johnson.  The lab report was to tell her the things she needed to know.  Dr. Johnson considered the information she had to convey as "good news and bad news".  She related the condition of two of the sixteen lymph nodes taken in surgery as testing positive for cancer; although confirming that the nodes involved were half-positive and half-negative.  The tumors were determined to be slightly larger than originally thought.

Four weeks need to pass before any further treatment can be considered.  There need to be additional meetings with the oncologist before anything concrete can be determined.  Lynn will also be taking antibiotics for a possible infection in an effort to relieve some soreness and swelling under her left arm.  Her drainage tubes need to stay intact for a while longer, but she was thankful to be rid of the 'fanny-pack" tube that released medication to the surgical site.

Lynn is amazing!  You know her zest and love for life.  It takes a lot for her to admit when she is tired and exhausted but she has reached her limit today, hence the ghost-writer sending you this message.  Please keep her in your prayers and ask our Father in Heaven to help her body fight a possible infection.  Her recent bout with mono and pneumonia has zapped a lot of her body's defenses which she needs to have back.  Although her heart would love to answer every phone call and return every email, her body has to be aware of her limits.  It is not her disposition or nature to ignore anyone but she has to hold back on some of the usual love that pours so freely from her lips and her hands.

I promise to try and sit on her tomorrow and make her rest.  Can you believe she insisted I go out and have her serger repaired today so she could design a more comfortable underarm pillow?  As you might suspect that underarm pillow was more important to her as a means of helping others than herself; she is determined to let the information she has gleaned from this experience guide her to making life better for someone else in the future.  Isn't it wonderful to know that some folks never change? 

On behalf of our family, we thank you so much for all of your love and support; I have been very touched by the cards, flowers, dinners, magazines, craft patterns, clothing, child chauffeuring, emails, phone calls, etc... all filled with love and concern for my sweet sister.  No act of kindness gets past Lynn; even yesterday she spent quite a long time writing thank-you notes.  It troubles her deeply to think someone else might not know how much they mean to her.  Always remember how important you are in her life!

With Gratitude and Love,

Shirley

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