Lifes Adventures - Breast Cancer & Survivorship 101: December 2011

Monday, December 5, 2011

Survivorship 101, Part 1

I thought it was time to add a survivor picture to the header - this was taken a couple of nights ago. The top picture was taken the day after my first chemo, we had a scarf and hat testing luncheon. I think I like having hair again. I'm so thankful that they live close, and were, and are, there for me. Thank you Juliana, Teresa, Katrina and Emily (granddaughter).

Survivorship 101 has been one of the hardest things I've done. Harder than the treatments for sure. During treatment you are all tied up with your doctor appointments, tests, treatments, dealing with the immediate side effects of what is going on today. It doesn't leave you a lot of time for anything else, just make it throught today, then when it's over, it will be over. NOT TRUE! It's never over, just different. I think that some women like to try to believe it's over, and maybe they are successful at resuming their lives as they were before, but not me.

I just re-read my plans for survivorship from the May posting. Sounded easy, but not so much.

The good things-

Cancer Free!!!!!
Cancer Free!!!!!!!!
Cancer Free!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome God
Super Family
Wonderful support system of friends & other cancer survivors
Helpful, caring, listening doctors
It could be worse

The bad things -

If you don't have something good to say don't say anything at all.

Coming soon to this blog, my thoughts on Pinktober, support groups, managing side effects and more. My plan (early New Year's resolution) is to blog more often!

Thanks and God Bless you all,
Linda

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O QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, Most Holy Virgin, we venerate thee. Thou art the beloved Daughter of the Most High God, the chosen Mother of the Incarnate Word, the Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Spirit, the Sacred Vessel of the Most Holy Trinity.
O Mother of the Divine Redeemer, who under the title of Our Lady of Good Remedy comes to the aid of all who call upon thee, extend thy maternal protection to us. We depend on thee, Dear Mother, as helpless and needy children depend on a tender and caring mother.

Hail, Mary....

O LADY OF GOOD REMEDY, source of unfailing help, grant that we may draw from thy treasury of graces in our time of need.
Touch the hearts of sinners, that they may seek reconciliation and forgiveness. Bring comfort to the afflicted and the lonely; help the poor and the hopeless; aid the sick and the suffering. May they be healed in body and strengthened in spirit to endure their sufferings with patient resignation and Christian fortitude.

Hail, Mary....

DEAR LADY OF GOOD REMEDY, source of unfailing help, thy compassionate heart knows a remedy for every affliction and misery we encounter in life. Help me with thy prayers and intercession to find a remedy for my problems and needs, especially for... (Indicate your special intentions here).
On my part, O loving Mother, I pledge myself to a more intensely Christian lifestyle, to a more careful observance of the laws of God, to be more conscientious in fulfilling the obligations of my state in life, and to strive to be a source of healing in this broken world of ours.
Dear Lady of Good Remedy, be ever present to me, and through thy intercession, may I enjoy health of body and peace of mind, and grow stronger in the faith and in the love of thy Son, Jesus.

Hail, Mary.....

V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of Good Remedy,
R. That we may deepen our dedication to thy Son, and make the world alive with His Spirit.

Some history on our Lady of Good Remedy - 800 years ago Christians were being captured and sold into slavery by the thousands, and nobody knew what to do about it. Then, in the year 1198, a man had an idea. St. John of Matha founded the Trinitarians to go to the slave markets, buy the Christian slaves and set them free. To carry out this plan, the Trinitarians needed large amounts of money. So, they placed their fund-raising efforts under the patronage of Mary. They were so successful at that, over the centuries, the Trinitarians were able to free thousands and thousands of people and to return them safely home. In gratitude for her miraculous assistance, St. John of Matha honored Mary with the title of "Our Lady of Good Remedy." Devotion to Mary under this ancient title is widely known in Europe and Latin America, and the Church celebrates her feast day on October 8. Our Lady of Good Remedy is often depicted as the Virgin Mary handing a bag of money to St. John of Matha. When in need - for whatever reason, but especially where you have had difficulty obtaining help - invoke the aid of Our Lady of Good Remedy, and you will surely experience the power of her intercession.