Tag Archives: Faith

New Normal

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This is a reblog of the post I did a year ago. I updated the first line of the post.

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This month marks the 8th anniversary of Remission from my cancer!!

What was my normal schedule and activities all my life until 2008?

Getting up before 6:00 a.m.

Rushing to get on the road to go to work

Multitasking on the job and loving it

Keeping up with cooking dinner and other chores

Keeping up with all the family and social activities

Traveling one to three trips a year

What happened from summer 2008 to summer 2009?

Melanoma Cancer

Six months of chemotherapy

Four surgeries

Five weeks of radiation

What is my new normal?

Thank God for retirement, or else I would not be able to do the following:

Deal with the side effect of chemotherapy – lymphedema on the legs

Unable to fall asleep until the numbness and tingling of my legs subside

Time to get up would have to depend on the time I fall asleep the night before

Running errands is as big a job as climbing mountains

Making two to three stops are manageable, the fourth one has to wait for another day

Elevating my legs and resting is a daily route, whereas years ago I considered it as wasting time

Exercise is a necessity, not a luxury

Priority is the key to manage my schedule

Something for my spiritual, physical, mental life, and make time to be a blessing to others

No promise is made to do everything and I don’t feel guilty if I can’t do it

God bless my being, even when I can’t measure up with my doing!

~

Contribution to Debbie’s Forgiving Fridays

Mother-Daughter Reunion

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I was the first one in my whole family who has high blood pressure. I was the first one and the only one who had a divorce. The onset of high blood pressure was during the child custody battle. I was taken to court four times to fight for custody of my daughter within five years after the divorce. My blood pressure was creeping up on me.

My daughter was constantly under pressure to ask me let her stay with her dad full time. It hurt me more to see her suffered from the pressure. So without the official court order, I let her stay with her dad full time for six months.

By the end of six months, I was taken back to court claiming the pattern of having my daughter full time. After a whole week of court hearing, came the court order on the fifth day. Before the announcement, the judge called my daughter into his chamber. He spent twenty minutes with my daughter who was thirteen year-old at the time. She presented a two-page letter to the judge, giving the reasons she wanted to be with her dad permanently.

The judge came out from his chamber, stating that, after a whole week’s hearing, what he believed was what the child said. Therefore, the father received primary custody.

With that court order, my daughter was taken away, out of California, out of my reach. Gradually, all the phone numbers were disconnected. Email addresses were changed, except one. By law, I should have access to my daughter. The only access was one email address when she was controlled of whether or not returning my email and what to write when she did reply.

I only saw my daughter once in five year, from her thirteen years of age until she turned eighteen. Several months before she turned eighteen, I hinted her that she would be adult and that she could make her own decision. She took my words into her heart.

When she applied to universities, she was accepted by several with good scholarships. She chose one that was four hours’ drive away from her dad. She went to Portland, Oregon. Like all the university students, she constantly moved housing from semester to semester. When she turned eighteen and moved to another address. She didn’t give the new address to her dad.

The summer after she turned eighteen, she started contacting me. What a joy! What a relief! That was the best day in my life; only second to the day she was born.

We started to communicate, to build our relationship, to catch up of all the fear, doubt, and uncertainty during the past years.

We are grateful to God who have watched over us, protected us, and brought us back together. With her husband Will, and my husband Lynton, we have built a wonderful and close relationship as a family.

Daily Prompt: Relieved

Brain Tumors

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The Thursday before Good Friday Service on April 14, 2017, a choir member discovered that he was not able to write with his right hand. The next day when he went to work, he had a headache. With these signs, he went to the doctor. Testing, MRI were done right away and the results revealed that he had two brain tumors. He and his wife were not panicked. They informed the grown-up children right away. The doctor wanted to review the testings with him before scheduled a surgery.

With the knowledge of the brain tumors, even though he was not able to sing in the choir for Good Friday Service, he and his wife came to sit in the audience. They were in complete ease with their faith and confidence in God.

The surgery was done two days ago to remove the tumors. His wife and all the children were with him when he woke up from the surgery. As of this moment, they are waiting for the pathology result to show the nature of the tumors. The doctor did say that the brain tumors were originated elsewhere in the body. Some tracing needed to be done.

The whole family was trusting that He will see them through this circumstance.

~

Daily Prompt: Panicked

White Coat Syndrome

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Woman measuring her blood pressure.

Years ago, under a difficult situation
I started having high blood pressure.
Dosage of medication kept
Increased by measure, to
Keep my head from under water.
~
Crisis came to a closure after years
Losing tens of thousands of dollars
Still took med and frequent monitor
Without the constant pressure
My heart beats gradually got slower
~
It kept a steady pace for years
Decided to get rid of the med with
Doctor’s permission
Dosage was decreased by 10 mg at a time
Inform the doctor was always on my mind
~
Had the lower dosage more than
Three months before making any changes
Exercise and diet were the combination
Five years had gone by and
Finally to my med a good bye
~

The only time my high blood pressure spikes is
When I have medical appointments
The doctor said my nervousness is a
White Coat Syndrome

~

Daily Prompt: Nervous

Daily Prompt: Spike

Beautiful Tiny Baby

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Seven months being pregnant

Driving from California to Oregon

For a Christmas occasion

“Take breaks more often.” Doctor said

.

Still, it was 1,000 miles in distance

When we arrived, I had contraction

Went to the hospital in Salem

 “We are not equipped to care for

Premature babies.” Doctor said

.

I was taken by an ambulance

Traveled one hour to Portland

I was holding my baby tight

Praying, telling her, “I love you,”

All the way

.

We arrived to the hospital safe and sound

The contraction seemed to quiet down

I had a belt on my belly strapped around

To monitor the frequency of contraction

.

Not long after I had dinner

The monitor beeped a warning sound

Yes, my daughter wanted to come around

A Caesarean Section is in order

.

 “An experimental drug could be

Injected to your spinal chord

To mature the baby’s lungs, so to

Breathe on her own support

The effect to you is unknown.” Doctor said

.

Without hesitation, I wanted the injection

It turned out to be a right decision

Baby Mercy only needed twelve hours of

Respiratory help

.

She was tiny and beautiful

I had her in my arms,

Her eyes followed my mine

My baby had the Angel’s guide

.

Her birth was years ago,

The vivid memory never gets old

She started with her tiny feet

Her steps have been directed by

Her heavenly Father’s lead

Daily Prompt: Vivid

Daily Prompt: Hesitate

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