Game Changer

The mastectomy and reconstruction surgery are scheduled for high noon tomorrow. It kind of feels like an old west shootout, watching the clock and waiting for the moment. We'll be at the hospital early in the morning and then she should be back home the following day after an overnight stay. After the cancer has once again been obliterated.

In the meantime: one hour left to eat and drink what she wants before the midnight cutoff! It's chow time.

We took a fulfilling road trip with the boys from Wednesday through Sunday. No Florida and Legoland (thanks for nothing, Hurricane Matthew). But we enjoyed an apple orchard, the Louisville Slugger factory, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (SPACE CAMP!), and good ol' Nashville.

The day after we got home we told the boys that their mom is going to have surgery. Liz was inspired with how to share the news so that they would understand. She talked about how her current treatments are maintenance to keep the cancer away. And now this surgery is necessary to keep the cancer away as well. We didn't tell them the specifics of the surgery, or even what it's called. We're keeping it simple: mom will have surgery to keep the cancer away, the hospital is where Eli was born (so they'll do a good job!), the boys will have food to eat and rides to/from school, and mom will be home in a couple of days.

It's not fair. It's different than before. It's a game changer: everything will be or seem different after tomorrow. Liz hopes that every morning the lump will disappear and this nightmare will end. No luck yet, but we have one more night to go before the surgery. Here's hoping!

I'm reminded of a scripture story about people who were persecuted and who had terrible burdens placed on them. Their pleas to god didn't remove the struggles and pain. But "the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease." The people were strengthened with increased capacity to ease their burdens. I pray that we gain that same enabling power -- heaven knows we can use it.

BATTLE ON.