Rebuilding physically and spiritually

Dear friends!

It's been a wonderful couple of weeks since I last wrote. We had a spiritual feast as we listened to and learned from our prophet, President Nelson, and church leaders at the October general conference. President Nelson identified one of the plagues of our day to be that too few people know where to turn for truth and he encouraged us to seek for pure truth, doctrine, and revelation. "If most of the information you get comes from social or other media, your ability to hear the whisperings of the Spirit will be diminished. If you are not also seeking the Lord through daily prayer and gospel study, you leave yourself vulnerable to philosophies that may be intriguing but are not true." (Make Time for the Lord)

Our children were out of school for the first two weeks of October so we also enjoyed getting away to visit some family in California. My feet were so happy in the sand at Santa Monica Beach and we loved attending the Los Angeles temple and visitors' center with our cousins.

After we returned, I had a follow-up appointment with Dr. Curley on the 14th and he was happy to see my hands and feet were healing and that I was able to walk outside more consistently. My blood counts were still low but he was not surprised by that. He said it can take 3-4 months from the end of chemo for the bone marrow to replenish white blood cells and platelets. I told Dr. Curley, "We really love you, but when do we get to break up?" 😉 He said if my bone scan results looked good that we could set check-ups and blood work for every three months for the next two years, and then after that slowly space visits out a little more until I reach five years. Once I reach five years of clear scans and healthy blood work the chances of the cancer coming back are very low.

The next morning, I went to the imaging center to get a shot of radioactive dye and to set up my bone scan. I was able to go home until 1pm and then return for the test. During that time the kids were still out of school so I tried to keep my distance so I was not emitting any radioactivity, and we laughed as we sang "Radioactive, radioactive..." (from Imagine Dragons) and they calling me "Sooo..san" (from Monsters vs. Aliens) 🤣

For anyone who is claustrophobic, I'd recommend avoiding bone scans! All of the scans together lasted about 45 minutes. They placed a rubber band around my feet to hold them in place and wrapped my upper body in an arm wrap, straight jacket thing. When the machine moved into place around my body, the cameras were literally 1 inch away from my face! I had to keep my eyes shut and just breathe deeply the entire time to get through it. Thankfully, the test was not loud like an MRI and the technician was very good and talked me through exactly what he was going to do and how long it would last. He did an overall body scan that lasted 20 minutes and then he took five 5-minute images of my abdomen, pelvis, chest, and head. I was definitely relieved to have this test complete! On Friday, my results came back and everything looked normal!! I have never been so excited to be NORMAL in all my life! 😊

Glen and I have decided to push my reconstructive surgery date from December 1st to February 1st to allow my body more time to heal. I have spent the past few days on the phone talking with insurance to get approval and coordinating new dates and appointments. I am expected to be in the hospital for 2-3 days and my recovery will last about 6-8 weeks. Until then I am taking lots of healthy supplements and vitamins that I was prohibited from using during my chemo and radiation, to strengthen and rebuild my energy. It feels so wonderful to be putting good things into my body. I am still very tired but I am getting better every day, and I'm looking forward to enjoying several days this week with a few sisters and my mom in Texas to celebrate the end of treatment!

Often, I find myself reflecting on the experiences of the past couple of years and I wonder what I have learned. I have come to see that the purpose of suffering is to bring about change. It is not punishment from God but tutoring in our mortal condition to bring us closer to God. I have never been more certain that God loves me and that he knows and feels what I am experiencing because he has suffered it too. He sees us, he supports us, and he strengthens us because we are his children. I also know that "God, our Heavenly Father, wants us to choose to come home to Him. His plan of eternal progression is not complicated, and it honors our agency. We are free to choose who we will be—and with whom we will be—in the world to come!" (President Nelson, The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation)

As I build my spiritual foundation upon Jesus Christ and learn how to draw upon His power, I need not succumb to the unique anxieties of this time. I pray for you in all that you are experiencing in your personal lives.

Love, 

Di