Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Update

I saw my surgeon today in Birmingham for my check-up. I told him the place on my neck hasn't changed. He felt it and said it felt like it was just sitting there. He said he was okay with it just sitting there. We are, too...rather that than showing any change.

I'm trying to get over a yeast infection in my mouth, though. It flared up really bad after treating a sinus infection with a couple of antibiotics. The prescription for the yeast infection (or thrush) cleared it up after about 3 days (though, I continued to finish the medicine as directed), but then it came back...so I've been treating it for about 3 1/2 weeks with a couple of prescriptions. When I saw my radiation doctor on Friday for my checkup with him, he gave me a prescription for something different to try. My B'ham doctor agreed. So, hopefully, this will do the job. My radiation dr. said it's probably an ongoing thing because of my immune system being so low. That explains why my tongue looked so normal after the first 3 days on the medicine. It hasn't looked normal in 2 1/2 years since I had radiation to my mouth, so I've probably been dealing with this all this time and nobody said anything. It explains why my mouth has been so sore and sensitive at times since I'm feeling the same thing right now.

I finished the 8 weeks of Erbitux and have had my first monthly treatment. Most of the symptoms have cleared up and it doesn't look like I will have them so bad with just having monthly treatments. It is nice to have 3-4 weeks between them.
That's all for now.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Defined by who you are in Christ

Beth Moore's devotional, May 31:

You are not defined by anything that happened to you or anything you've done. You are defined by who you are in Christ. Lord, I have no reason to be ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that You are able to guard what I have entrusted to You for that day (2 Tim. 1:12). Even when I've been faithless, You've been faithful, for You cannot disown Yourself (2 Tim. 2:13). Help me not to fall victim to the accusations of Satan, the accuser of believers. He is furious because he knows his time is short. I have received Your salvation and I am in Your kingdom, under the authority of Your Son, Jesus Christ. The enemy is overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimonies (Rev. 12:10-11). Help me never cease testifying of Your mighty work in me.
(Beth Moore: Praying God's Word Day By Day)

The last sentence was just confirmation for my blog...an opportunity to ever testify of God's mighty work in me...along with the blood of the Lamb, overcoming the enemy.

But this devotional, also, gave me reason to reflect on the enemy's schemes in others' lives. He may try to cause a person to define who they are by what has happened to them or by what they've done, knowing his time is short, wanting that one to feel defeated and hopeless...trying to prevent a testimony of God's mighty work. Thank God He is more faithful to give us definition through what His Son did for us on Calvary rather than anything Satan may have tried to use to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan isn't privy to the big picture. God is!