Roller Coaster Ride Continued

Yes, I know, it's been a week since my last post...that happens sometimes. There are just those moments in life, when you set aside everything else to focus on something much more important...and that's what this week has been - a time set aside to support, encourage and continually pray for my best friend, "the sister God forgot to give me", Leslie.  I'm sure you remember the post about the start of the roller coaster ride...

As of today, all of the tumors have been treated and/or removed and Leslie is resting as comfortably as possible.  She's such a trooper!  I hated being 3,000 miles (give or take) away from her during this time, but I monitored updates and/or was in contact with Leslie via phone calls or texts.  She had a Gamma Knife procedure done Wednesday and they zapped 8 tumors instead of the 4 they originally thought were there.  Then yesterday afternoon, she had brain surgery to remove the largest, most problematic tumor - the one that had grown and caused the bleeding.

The updates were incredible...she had a smile on her face through it all...and never lost her faith in God's protection. In fact, the update after her surgery was complete and she was in the surgical ICU for the night, was that she was awake and continually praising God!  Anyone who knows Leslie, knows that this is SO her!  Not once in her cancer journey has she ever gotten angry at God, never once has she doubted that He would bring good out of this situation and never once has she stopped praising and thanking Him.  She is the epitome of Christian Faith.

You ask yourself, why I put my blogging on hold for a week, while she was the one enduring all of this and I was so far away - the answer is simple...she's my dearest friend and I had a job to do...my job was to continually pray her through this!  It wasn't that I did absolutely nothing for a week, because I was still busy ministering to others while monitoring updates. In fact, I kept very busy this week....I had the opportunity to spend several hours one afternoon playing with my favorite 5 year old boy in the world (who has also been in cancer battle); I worked with a great group of young children at our local library's Summer Reading Program; I accompanied someone else dear to me to a doctor appointment; I helped out with our church's teen youth group; I joined another friend battling cancer for a nice long lunch...and the list goes on.  All of this without ceasing to pray for Leslie.  So many have a mind-set that if you "pray without ceasing" that's all you do, that you have to set aside all activity...wrong!  Prayers are continually sent through our activity and even when we connect to others.

This roller coaster ride is far from over...there are more treatments ahead of Leslie.  I'm praying there are a lot more "ups" than "downs" during the duration of this ride.  In fact, nothing would make me happier than to have this ride be at the point of coming back into the station, where we can all get off and take a much calmer, quieter, less thrilling ride!  The updates will continue...and knowing Leslie, her recovery will not only be remarkable, but faith filled! 

Oh, yeah, if you can't tell....Leslie is my BIGGEST HERO!  for so many reasons.  There will be more about her as time goes on too ;)

I'm also about to post my first book review for my book blogger career!  Stay tuned....