Update

Hello! I feel like it has been a while since I have updated, but the busy season of the holidays will do that to us at times! Christmas and New year’s were wonderful for the kids-the magic and belief at their ages is just amazing! If only we could all hold onto that childlike faith, (like God tells us to in His world actually) and believe in the magic and spirit of things. It was incredible watching them and experiencing it through their eyes, and I am so blessed and grateful that I was once again able too. Praise God! The girls are just having so much fun being, well, little girls! Playing baby dolls, Barbie dolls, dressing up in tutus and talking on pretend cell phones, doing arts and crafts and just having plain old fun! Oh how I wish I could go back to my childhood days sometimes! The fun we all had playing in the neighborhood and just being kids. Sometimes it seems like so long ago and sometimes I can re-live pieces of it while watching my girls, and that is just awesome!

A lot of people have been asking me how I am doing, and praise God I am feeling great. I have my next set of scans on March 29th, a day filled with lots of tests and my treatment as well but I am believing that all will be well. On this note I recently read an interesting article about metastatic disease and how to explain it to people, and I will share bits of that here: ” I will never be declared cancer free, I have metastatic breast cancer. Once a person is diagnosed with metastatic disease, it means the cancer has left the primary site and spread through the blood to other spots in the body. There is no cure for metastatic disease, it is always a stage 4, or in simpler words, terminal. There is no “remission” and there is no course of treatment for “curing” the cancer and moving on. However, at this point in my disease I have been declared NED by my doctors; No evidence of Disease. This does not mean the cancer is not there, it simply means that the cancer is too small to be detected at this point by the imaging.This is where I am at right now, and it is a good place to be for a bit. “
This writer speaks about the gravity of the disease, and she, too, has what I have, but she does not yet have the one thing that I do; The Hope of a Risen God who sees all, knows all, and heals all IF IT IS IN HIS Will. I, too, like this author, have metastatic disease, and have also been told that I will “never be cancer free” but I am choosing not to believe that. My last scan did have those initials on it; NED, no evidence of disease, and although my doctors may never use the terminology “cancer free”, or “in remission” or “cured” on me, I am declaring it in Jesus’ name and believing it, and I thank you for believing this with me. I am not sure how long I will have to go for my tri-weekly treatments, I will leave that up to God to place that on my heart and discuss with my doctors when the time is right. Until then, I will bask in my state of NED -no evidence of disease, and rejoice in the blessing of yet another day.
That being said, I am starting out on a new venture in life: after eight years of being a stay-at-home mom I am going to begin working again!! (Well, I say working, but let me tell you being a stay at home mom is the hardest job by far that I have ever done! What I really mean is that I will be starting to work for an actual income!) I have prayed about it a lot and after seeing many friends and church family use the skincare products of Rodan and Fields with amazing results and success and other friends have great fun and success with Touchstone Crystals by Swarvoski Jewelers I have decided to start selling both of their products as an independent consultant. I am super excited about this as for the first time in over 2 years I actually have energy again and can get out to be with people for fun, something I have missed! So this will force me to get out and see many of you all that I love while having the chance to make extra income for our family to enjoy this one life that God has given us. I think my new slogan might be something like “beauty on the outside and glowing skin can only radiate from within” since we all know that the love of Jesus dwelling within us is what makes us beautiful!!
I am just so humbled that over 2 years after being diagnosed with terminal cancer I am here, not just surviving, but thriving, and wanting to give all the glory to Him. To spread the love of Jesus and help others, and to love like He loved will always be the most important thing, but I am truly excited about being granted the ability to be here and do these other things as well.
So thank you once again for all of your love and prayers. God is so good and has certainly blessed us so greatly. May you continue to feel His love and His light in your life, and let your own light shine for Him! Love and Blessings, April, Chris, Faith, Savannah Grace and Isabella Hope