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Do you remember my friend Kristie, dear readers? Last year, she was the mother with the bright, tearful eyes, watching her children sing from the back of the church. She had made it in time for the Christmas program, and she soaked up like grace, that moment, that one precious moment that cancer did not steal.
She continued to fight her cancer that month, and all the following year.
Now, a year later, she has an update for us.
a day we will never forget...indeed God IS good!!
an update from Kristie Wessel
Derek and I have just gotten back from our third trip to MD Anderson
The trip started out very hectic and out of control honestly!! The first test they did was standard blood work. This blood work revealed a creatinine level that was too high for the IV dye that they use in the CT scans rendering this test less than effective, a critically low magnesium—and by critical here I mean they were saying they were amazed my heart had not stopped..
Next, the PET scan…
When you get a PET scan you are in this little tube for about 25 minutes with your arms raised up above your head. It is of course natural for me to fold my hands while in this position. And pray. I remember being very open and honest with God. I admitted to not praying the way that I should, nor as often as I should. I asked the Holy Spirit to help me on those days when I was struggling. And then I told myself that for the balance of the PET scan time I was going to focus on a prayer, a prayer of thanksgiving—like in Philippians.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
I tried very hard to keep the “I wants” and the “I think I need”s from coming out as I realize God already knows just exactly what I need. So in my prayer of thanks; thanks for all the wonderful people in our lives who have brought meals, sent cards, donated at fund raisers—most probably attending more than one fund raiser and all giving so VERY generously, for those that said prayers, made and decorated sugar cookies J (including some of the most beautifully decorated and shaped cookies I have ever had—they honestly kept me up all night one night as I finally saw all the love and hard work that went into each and every one—I saw the maker methodically choosing each and every cookie cutter and each and every color with nothing short of true love, the next morning it even brought me to tears, and I am a blubbering mess right now just thinking about them!!-- thanks for wonderful friends who cleaned and decorated the Wessel home for Christmas, for an awesome church family, an awesome family, my two wonderful children and their health, for my angel-Derek and all he has done, for wonderful parents who gave me the wonderful and most important gift of a Christian upbringing, for all White Creek has taught me and is teaching Konnor right now, for two wonderful sisters and their families and their health, for our loving home, for our 2nd trip to Florida courtesy of Inheritance of Hope, for the help I need at just the right time from complete strangers, for a trip the ENTIRE family gets to enjoy……………………………….you get the picture, I tried to stay focused the entire time on my list.
And then after the scan was completed I went to get the blood products and magnesium I was in need of. The next morning, at 7:30, we went back to the infusion center and got the last bag of magnesium, and then we met with our doctor.
On our way back to the hotel, we got a phone call from the doctor’s office that they were in shock but my counts had rebounded surprisingly well and that no more infusions at that time were needed. I was free and safe to travel home. My white count was up a little but still considered critical and the only thing that will bring it up is time now. So be extremely careful in regards to infection they say.
Later, as I was waiting to talk to hotel management, I got another phone call from the doctor’s office. He said “Ms. Wessel I just wanted to call and give you the results of your PET scan. The PET scan shows evidence of no residual cancer.”
I of course fall to my knees thanking God and in complete shock. Derek sees me on the floor and comes running over asking are you ok, are you ok. To which I respond I’m fine, I’m fine, I—am--fine, for the first time in a long time I am fine!!
To God be the glory!!! I had the doctor’s office repeat the news and I called again on Friday (the following day) just to be sureJ. I am still in shock I think. And I keep running Our God is an awesome God thru my head. He is most definitely in the miracle business!! I never thought I would hear those words and almost 2 years-- to the date-- I heard them. It is my own Christmas miracle.
(I must be honest here and say that my official diagnosis is recurrent Hodgkin’s lymphoma so it might not be a question of if it will return it might be more like when. It might be a week, a month, a year, 5 years, and then again, it might be never. I will take what I am blessed with, I will try my hardest not to dwell on it, and for the time being I am enjoying life----------CANCER FREE!!!!)
Now I ask everyone to please say a prayer of thanksgiving, and please do not forget about us. Hopefully, further testing in February reveals the same, the bone marrow biopsy reveals nothing concerning, and my white count comes up quickly and the rest of the counts get straightened out. Thanks to each and every one of you, for everything—most importantly for all those prayers; for all those whispers. Again, to God be the glory!!! Much love always to everyone!!!
Love Always ~ Kristie
Wow. Praise the Lord!! Thanks for sharing, and continued prayers for Kristie,
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