Dayna Update

I have wondered if my readers have wondered how Dayna is doing since I posted a month or so ago, so I decided to do a little update.

When I last wrote about her, she was Seattle where she saw a number of specialists and then took time (due to a number of different treatment options to consider) to decide on her course of action. She came back here over a long weekend to pack up and stock up on love and prayers, and is now back in Seattle where she had her first chemo yesterday.  She has named her tumor Cleatus, and part of her action plan is a strict diet because this type of tumor feeds on certain fats.  She had a port inserted and that enables her to have infusions of vitamins as well as the chemo.  

Already there is good news:  an MRI last week showed that there was minimal growth in the tumor since her surgery, and this is amazing because it is such a fast growing type.  Dayna's, shall we say motto, is Pray. Believe. Fight! and I thought you might enjoy reading part of an update she sent over the weekend:

"Spiritually, I am doing pretty well. I always appreciate prayers, and especially prayers for my healing, specifically. I encourage you to keep praying!

The biggest lesson I have learned from the past six weeks: we are all terminal. We all have an expiration date on our bodies. A few times lately, people I know have come up to me with teary eyes to give me an embrace. An important thing to remember, sweet friends of mine, is that I feel blessed. I appreciate the empathy so deeply, but I feel blessed to have the time that is given to me, regardless of whether God chooses to heal me or not. I don't sit around feeling sad or sorry for myself… life is waiting! I have things to do, appointments to attend, people to see, air to breathe.

Yes, this is 'rocking our world,' so to speak. It is throwing my family and friends and me for a loop. Not one of us expected this, or saw it coming. We have all, in my corner of friends and family, chosen to embrace the trials, as it develops our perseverance (James 1), knowing that perseverance will have its result, that we may be lacking in nothing. We have chosen to love nonetheless, to live nonetheless, knowing that our attitudes and mentality DO make differences."

In addition to her motto, they have come up with this little visual:

And here is a picture of Dayna with her sweet little sprite, Madeleine.

♥