I hold the Purple Heart Award. I received it today as I was leaving the Cancer Center after my 12th and final week’s chemotherapy session. As I was leaving the treatment center a nurse stopped me and with a big smile said she had to give me a hug. Another nurse also gave me a hug. Then another came up and asked if I had been given my “sheet”, to which I replied, “No,…my sheet?” She retrieved a white “certificate” which read,

“Purple Heart Award”
This is to certify that Jacqueline Wallace
has completed chemotherapy on this day, the 23rd of October, 2008.

It was signed on the back by several nurses.

This certificate bearing nurse also gave me a hug, and with big smiles they all wished me a wonderful time visiting my home (they all know I am set to fly home to West Virginia November 2 for a few weeks). I told them I was so thankful for each of them and just today had told someone how nice every nurse and the others working in the Cancer Center were. I hadn’t come across a grumpy one yet!

It is true. These ladies and the doctor I have and the others working there, are all the best, and I am thankful for the Lord’s care of me through them all these months.

I truthfully am glad to be done with the weekly sessions, though. It hadn’t come to grinding anxiousness to be done, if you know what I mean. I am just relieved it is over. Glad. God’s amazing peace continues to hold me in the realm of the “sane”!

I will have a month to recuperate. I fly to WV and will be in my own home with my hubby for 2 ½ weeks, visiting my friends and neighbors once again, enjoying my front porch (with all new posts and railings which Randy recently built and installed!) and savoring our lovely West Virginia scenes (even though I missed the fall colors). It will be 9 ½ months since I’ve been home.

Thank you for all your prayers for me to this point. God has been sustaining me. I have my times of frustration, such as when praying for healing from this cold which I have had for three weeks, yet I go back to God’s word, am encouraged and chastened in heart to remember to praise and thank God for his goodness to me. I have so much to be thankful for.

Though I have felt lazy mentally and physically, I have to try to find the balance I need, recognizing that physical and mental tiredness is part of this whole package of treatment. I guess I have to “give (myself) a break”, literally. I am looking forward to building up some measure of strength to start my walks again and getting other things accomplished. Of course, I will be resuming my Herceptin infusions (not considered chemotherapy) November 21, the day after I return from West Virginia, and will be starting radiation therapy sometime after that as well, which has as its major side-effect, (you guessed it! Tiredness!) Balance and perspective are very important!

Thanks again for praying for me. I will need it for some time to come! Prayer points:
+ Pray I get over this cold before I fly Sunday Nov.2 and that my plugged ear will not cause problems. Safety and strength for flying to and from WV.
+I have radiation next in the treatment regimen. Pray God allows me to forego the radiation. This would be a miracle since as far as I know they routinely do rad. after a lumpectomy. I really prefer not to do radiation with all the side effects.
+Healing of Monica's eye (daughter in law) who again had a freak eye poking accident and tore the cornea.
+Pray for Randy as he writes a book on missions and family involvement, as well as other books and articles.

'Til next time…

Jacque