Cancer Sucks

I don't often ask people to pray for things but something is very heavy on my heart and this situation needs prayer.  So if you don't mind, please keep my friend Vicki and her family in your prayers.

My Friend Vicki:

My first 2 years at the company I still work for I worked very closely with 2 wonderful ladies.  We each had 1 part of procedure and everything we did circulated between us.  We got along wonderfully and made more progress in that department than had been in years.  My friend Vicki was one of those ladies, and at work you find that the people you work with are either people you have to work with, or you become friends with them, and then occasionally you get someone you really care for.  I became very close to her.  I always new when I needed to vent, or just to get out of my cubical I could go over to hers and just chat.  Even when we no longer worked together I would go to her if I ever needed a hug or someone to talk to.  In a lot of ways she reminded me of my own mom, and I often felt like she was my mom away from mom.

About 4 months ago she became very sick, lost a lot of weight, and had stomach problems.  After much testing and much concern it was decided that she had Crones disease.  Once she started treatment for it she put on a little weight, felt much better and was back to work.  Not long after that she started having horrible back pain - convinced it was her medication, her doctor changed it to something else.  3 weeks on the new medication and the same back pain came back.  This time the doctor wanted to check out her back.  This was about 2 weeks ago.  She went on medical leave about this time because her pain was so bad she could not go to work (if you knew the work ethic of this lady you would know the pain had to have been very severe). When they did a back scan they found 2 fractures in her spine that could not be explained, and the doctors were concerned it was cancer.  After some tests but no biopsy yet they found a mass in her liver and that became the primary focus instead of her back.  Well, the test results from the biopsy in her liver came back on wednesday and we found out yesterday that it was indeed cancer in her liver and that it was secondary - meaning they don't know where it started.

Today I found out it is also in her Gallbladder, Lungs, and they do believe it to be in her lower back.  Her pain is so severe she is taking morphine and is in a wheel chair because she can not walk.  They have started her on chemo and radiation but still do not know where the cancer started.

Vicki is about 55 I would say - is a single mom to a boy who just graduated from college this spring.  She has a lot of brothers and sisters that are taking turns watching her full-time.

Obviously things do not look good.  This has happened very quickly and I'm scared of how quickly she could leave us.  

I'm sad.

We all know that there are things on earth we don't understand and that we can't change, but I do believe our hearts change when circumstances do not - so that is what my prayer is.  I'm praying for comfort, for peace, for faith, for angels to wrap their wings around this woman that I love and to comfort those who are hurting around her.

This time of year

Well, it's the time of year again at my job where I have this looming deadline and everyone is stressed out about it.  We are announcing all of next years major initiatives in just 3 weeks and things are getting rough.  This last week I've been writing my own copy on projects which isn't necessarily a good thing.  I do an okay job but would prefer a professional to do it.  I stayed late to help a client on Thursday until almost 7:30 and I even have work this weekend.  Tensions are high so there's more at work complaining than usual and I was accused of some things yesterday that I feel were not fair and even though the only thing I can do is let it roll off of me and forget about it, it was hard and it hurt. The good news to all of this is that it's only 3 more weeks.  Once we get past this deadline we move into production mode to get all of these things produced in time for the beginning of show season in December, and then once that starts it's quiet for a couple months.

I'm very happy to have a relatively relaxing weekend - even if I do have some copy to write - we have no other jobs this weekend which is really nice.

I Surrender

I'm on Facebook.... I've given in.  :)