Friday, October 25, 2013

10/25/13 Giving Thanks!

Dear Friends and Family,

Gabrielle here.  Our hearts are overflowing with joy to tell you the news that my five-month CA-125 test today was 12.5!  That is DOWN from the July test number of 13.4!!  As you will recall, the normal range for any healthy woman off the street is 0 to 30.  I am below the middle of normal.  We are so relieved and thankful to God! 

I have been feeling really great lately.  I have good energy (about 90% of pre-cancer energy) and am able to exercise at my pre-cancer levels.  Some of you know that I am a fast walker and recently, my friends have been telling me to slow down.  What an amazing thing this is after earlier this year I could barely walk up and down the stairs in my house a couple of times a day.  And on November 1, I will be returning to my 80% work schedule at SPU, working full days Mondays through Thursdays.  This past two months I've been at 70% time. 

Next month I have been asked to speak and give my personal "story of thanks" at SPU's all-campus Thanksgiving Chapel.  I wish I could speak for an hour because I have so much to say on this subject!  Unfortunately, they only gave me six minutes.  What were they thinking??  How can I condense the last year's worth of my thankfulness into six minutes?!  I will do my best.  If any of you would like to attend this Chapel, it will be held on November 26 at 11:00 AM in the First Free Methodist Church main sanctuary.  Free hugs afterwards for anyone who comes!  :-)

Thanks be to God for wanting to keep me around a bit longer (!) and thanks to all of you, my dear friends and family, for your continual prayers on my behalf and your frequent inquiries into how I am doing.  We love you all.

"Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."  Eph. 5:19-20

Love,
Gabrielle

P.S. Thinking of making music in our hearts to the Lord, here's a fun video from pre-cancer days--Daniel and me dancing to "The Monster Mash" while Renee films on her phone and laughs!  :-)

http://vimeo.com/24887010