September 14, 2009
It was exactly four years ago today that my life changed forever. On September 14, 2005 I was called in to my surgeon's office at Akron General Hospital. I wore jeans and tan flip flops with flowers on them, a turquoise shirt and a flowered belt to match. Mike drove us there and we sat together in the waiting room, doing just that... waiting. From down the hall, a woman called my name and we were on our way back. Dr. G's office had bookshelves made of nice cherry wood and his desk sat diagonally across the floor. He sat behind it and Mike and I sat in chairs on the opposite side of him, Mike was sitting to my right. Before my soft spoken surgeon started, his face told me what I already feared.
"The biopsy showed breast cancer..."
My mind went into a whirlwind... I heard chemotherapy... radiation... surgery.... oncologist...
And I knew I would lose my hair. This still may sound superficial to some, especially after all of these years. But I still think to this day that losing my hair was one of the hardest parts of the whole cancer thing.
That was 2005. In September 14, 2006, I was desperately praying for my brother, Jeff, to be healed of cancer. I was almost to the end of my treatment regimen, and all signs were positive for remission. And I wanted so badly for Jeff to celebrate his healing as well. Sixteen days later was yet another life changing day in September. Jeff was taken home to Heaven by angel escort.
September 14th of 2007, I was again sitting in my surgeon's office at Akron General while he explained the recurrence of breast cancer that was found in my sternum.
September 14, 2008, I was preparing for a mastectomy scheduled on the16th for yet another recurrence of this disease.
Which brings to me to September 14, 2009... today. No doctors offices or calls, no fears of cancer looming in my mind... I feel wonderful! Now, I am still taking oral chemotherapy every day, which has become routine already. But this September has been so different from any I can even remember. My birthday was September 11. I have to say that I have been overwhelmed at the volume of phone calls and cards I received letting to know how many people are thinking of me. I have never felt so loved. On my birthday, I met Mike and my dad, my brother Brian and my mom and Emily for lunch. I spent the day running around doing things I wanted to do. That evening, my nieces Olivia and Emily helped me make cupcakes. Saturday, I was completely surprised when my mom and Jenn threw me a surprise birthday party with 14 of some of my closest friends. I have never had anything like that happen to me before. It was so nice. Thank you so much to everyone who emailed and called, sent cards and prayers! Some were from people I have never even met and that just amazes me.
The last couple of weeks, I have just really felt God giving me one word "Restoration". By definition, restoration means:
When I looked up Restoration in my online Bible, one particular verse stood out to me.
Amos 9:11
"In that day I will restore
David's fallen tent.
I will repair its broken places,
restore its ruins,
and build it as it used to be,
When I was little, my family used to jokingly call me "Famous Amos" like the brand of cookies. I even had cut outs of the Famous Amos cookie logo taped to my bedroom door growing up. This verse stands out for several reasons, one being that it is found in the book, Amos. Second, it is found in Chapter 9 verse 11... my birthday is also 9-11. And the verse speaks directly about the restoration of Israel, but I can adapt it to my own life. I feel God is restoring me, repairing what this disease has taken from me and bringing me back to the Amy I once was...healthy and full of life.
Thank you so much to everyone who has helped make this September one for me to look back on and truly see God's promises of restoration being fulfilled.
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Here are some silly pictures of me and Emily on my birthday
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