Dear Family & Friends,
Good News: Dr. Carroll’s office called yesterday: I DO qualify for the UCLA Clinical Trial because UCLA determined that my breast cancer cells ARE positive [receptive] to both HER-2/neu* and Estrogen. **
Bad News: The test results indicate that my breast cancer is aggressive.
Good News: Dr. Carroll’s office has three tools to counter-act the aggressiveness: Chemo, Herceptin and Tamoxifen.
Bad News: There will be short-term side effects and there is a risk of long term side-effects.
Good News: The Clinical Trial will help improve the treatment for women in the future, who receive a Breast Cancer Diagnosis.
Bad News: I will receive six rounds of chemotherapy, instead of four, because of the Clinical Trial.
Good News: I have my family & friends praying for me! The Holy God of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps; He is tracing my journey!
True Confessions:
This next part of my journey, the chemo, will be the most difficult challenge I have ever faced. The spector of the surgery that I endured pales in comparison. I’ll be requesting specific prayer requests in future blogs but, for now, here is a general way in which to pray:
Beauty from ashes and silver from refining fire: My life is in God’s hands. He may do with me what he wills. My prayer is that from this refining fire, the dross of my life would be removed, until pure silver emerges. From the ashes of this consuming fire, may God allow me to emerge with one thought only: to worship him in the beauty of his holiness.
I’ll be far from beautiful during this process of chemotherapy: I’ll be bald and possibly weak and ill. As my friend, Kim Hughes, encourages me: “Be not ashamed!” As I write this, I weep, not because I am ashamed, but because I am human: Frankly, I dread the short-term effects and I am, truthfully, afraid of the long-term side effects! So desperately do I need your prayers!
Levavi oculos: I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121.1-2
Coram Deo,
Margo
P. S. Herein ends the blog but below is optional reading!
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*HER-2/neu: “Your body has genes that make cells grow. They’re called proto-oncogenes. They usually do their job just fine, but sometimes they become mutated into what are referred to as oncogenes, or genes that cause cancer. One of the genes produces a receptor that helps the cells grow. It’s called HER-2/neu and it’s an oncogene . . . Herceptin can stop the uncontrolled growth, and it does this by binding [connecting] to the HER-2/neu oncogene.”
**Estrogen: “Ovaries produce two hormones, estrogen and progesterone. In addition to all that the good hormones do for us, they can actually stimulate the growth of some breast tumors. Traitors! . . . Tamoxifen blocks estrogen receptors in the breast cancer cells by acting as an antagonist [or competitor]. The estrogen and Tamoxifen rush to grab on to the hormone receptor of the breast cancer cell but Tamoxifen ultimately blinds with them so they can’t multiply.”
Those quotes, by the way, are from the book, Breast Cancer for Dummies: Yes, there really is a book with that title!
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Margot’s Corner 
We love you so much Margo. Thank you for your faithful witness through all of this. Our prayers continue to be lifted to our God.
Kris
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You’re continuing to be in our prayers… Your strength is inspirational.
Dear,Aunt Margo
I know you will be more than beautiful in Gods eyes and in mine.You are as wise as an owl.I will keep praying for you:).
Dear Margo,
You remind me of the Proverbs 31 woman because of your valor. You are a courageous person, and I am sure that the Lord is pleased with you. I thought of you when I read this Psalm:
“One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.”” Psalm 27:4
Our family is praying for you and Steve daily.
We love you both.
Dear Margo:
Kathy C. has shared your prayer request with me along with your blog regarding your journey with cancer. Your faith and your honesty about how you are feeling is inspiring. You have always impressed me as someone who is very willing to do the Lord’s will and to do it so willingly with His gracious mercy and love is an incredible blessing to everyone who hears. I will continue to pray for you and the future refining God has for you; it reminds me of the song (I think it is called “I am the Lord your God”) which has the following phrase/verse “When you walk through the fire, I will be with you, and the flames they shall not, not consume you. Do not fear, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are Mine….for I am the Lord your God….” I sing this every night to my granddaughter (when I have her here); now I will pray that song over you every time I sing it.