I really appreciate all that my doctors and nurses have told me along this journey...but there are some surprising things they don't think to tell you.
One is that you lose the hair in your nose! Now for those of you who dream of not having to fight these nasty little hairs that like to creep outside their nasal boundaries, I'm here to tell you that nose hair plays a vital role. First, nose hair protects inhalation of nasty airborne pathogens. But it also plays a very practical role and it wasn't until I lost all my nasal hair that I wanted it back...as every time my nose produced it's normal moisture, it just ran right out of my nose instead of being held on my nasal membranes by those short, but mighty little helpers. So I found myself needing to "dab" at my nose all day long which was really irritating! So imagine my joy this morning as I applied my make-up to find that the little guys are returning. It sounds silly, but I was so happy to see those little helpers come back!
Another thing they don't tell you is that many people, including me, get what they call "chemo rings" on their nails. If you look closely at my fingernails on the picture, you will see that I now have something in common with trees! I have two rings showing, but two more await below what is visible (you get one ring per chemo treatment). So seeing these rings move closer and closer to the white part of my nail and filing them away over time will feel good too.
Isn't it crazy what signs you long for to mark your progress towards life without cancer? Isn't it also amazing to witness what cancer treatment does to every cell in your body? It gives me pause to realize that I need to acknowledge the work that my good body is doing to overcome not only the cancer, but also the associated effects from the treatments.
We are indeed wonderfully made and I praise God above for all that is known and unknown about the way our bodies fight these types of massive assaults...it is indeed something awe- inspiring to witness and to experience day to day. So in my greater-than-normal sense of fatigue today, I pause to recognize that my body is doing some mighty work and I need to cooperate by taking the demands on myself down a notch or two! Remind me to do that the next time you see me OK?
God has been reminding you of that all along on this leg of the journey. Reminding you that He has you in His mighty hand and you just needed to relax and just BE. He has wonderfully and fearfully made each and everyone of us. Many don't realize or come to acknowledge that fact. He is truly our awesome creator, each person unique in design and personality....not unlike the angels but we have that wonderful thing called free will or choice.
ReplyDeleteKeep seeking God in every moment...even in nose hairs returning. He is recreating you after this battle, restructuring and restoring. Just BE and allow Him to shape you into the next vessel for His glorious use. A friend of mine read the passage of the potter and wanted to be made into the most beautiful vessel possible....then she realized that God like us humans only uses the finest china for specific purposes and that the china remains on the shelf until the appropriate time. I pray daily that He makes me and molds me into the every day dish to be used often even when I get a chip here and there. Enjoy the journey, submit to the Potter's hand, and just BE. Huggers