Pink Celebration

Here I am as a daughter of the King. I know I also look like a princess.

Front: Carolyn, Nancy, Gwen Back: Kristen, Tina, Wendy, Laverne, Carol, Nadine, Addison (baby), Mandi, Kathy & Karen

Gwen with Karen's son, Brandon, and Karen. This was our salad buffet with Kathy's Mom's pink glass dishes. It says on the upright plate: God is Faithful.

Kathy from my Newcomer's group wanted to celebrate my accomplishment of completing chemotherapy and radiation, to acknowledge the end of this part of treatment. My oncology-radiologist asked me more than once, "How are you going to celebrate?" I'm thinking, "Celebrate what?" I've had very mixed feelings about it. I thought this time in between completing radiation and seeing the oncologist (Oct. 18) would be good for getting back to normal. And it has. Yet I'm reticent about celebrating. There's more to come. I'm on the lifetime plan. I haven't quite put this phase in it's place. And then I remember that God holds the plan. He's not going to tell me all of it all at once. He is faithful. He even reminds people to pray. Especially Kathy, in the middle of the night. I'd bet there's more of you that He wakes up. He won't forget.

It is so wonderful to celebrate with women who have been there with me through all of this. I don't say this to offend those of you in Massachusetts who couldn't be here with me. I have needed your prayers most of all. God knows why He did it this way. We don't, but it will eventually be revealed. One reason I had to come to Denver to do this was because Jay doesn't travel anymore. Another reason I had to come to Denver was because our insurance was better. That first insurance plan got me through the largest part of my initial treatment. Now this second plan that Jay's company chose leaves a lot to be desired. The good news is that we only had to deal with it for my radiation treatments. Still don't have any real answers from them or even the actual policy. That's right, we don't have the actual policy, just a summary and just an overview. This plan went into effect Aug. 1. They've inundated us with paper so we might get lost in it and not really know how they manage the plan. We meet with a rep on Tuesday so we'll see if they have some answers. It's not about them not paying, it's about how they have processed the claims. And then they even process two claims differently even though they were for the same thing, but a different day. No rhyme, no reason.

Back to the celebration--Kathy decorated so nicely. I did feel special. Once I got over the initial surprise and my initial tears, I could enjoy our time together. Thank you for making me feel loved and for just being there to celebrate with me.