My fifth treatment went very well. I fell asleep on them for the first time which I've been afraid to do for fear that I would snore loudly, they wouldn't be able to wake me up, or that I would wake up swinging at them (which I have been known to do). They did have to wake me up periodically for each medication the nurses gave so that I could look at the medicine and confirm my name and date of birth. Luckily, no one was harmed; I didn't take a single swing at anyone. Oh, and great news. A group of the nurses at the Peninsula Cancer Institute have agreed to do the Hamster Dance with me at my last treatment. We will try our best to catch that on video!

I recently found out about a young lady who will be participating in a 3-day walk from October 3-5th in Washington, D.C., to raise money for breast cancer through awareness, detection, and research by donating to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. She'll be walking 60 miles in 3 days! If you'd like to help her reach her goal of $2,200 in donations, just go to http://www.the3day.org/ and click on "Donate Now", then search for her personal fundraising page by putting in her name, Brianne Foster (she's with Team Betty). You can also call 1-800-996-3DAY to donate over the phone. She is very close to reaching her goal. Go Team Betty, Go!

I had my blood work done yesterday, and I am hanging in there but would appreciate your prayers as they always seem to pull me through. My hemoglobin and red cell count is low but stable, but now my platelets are low and causing me to bruise more easily, and my white cell count is low for the first time, putting me at a higher risk for infection. They are having me come back in a few days to run my blood counts again, and we'll know more then. In the meantime, I feel really good except for being tired and am eating everything in sight again. My mom and I made the most incredible salad last night with every veggie you could think of. In order to get more veggies in us, we played a game yesterday before going to the grocery store and we made it part of our grocery list. You know the one..."I'm going on a trip, and I'm gonna take some Artichokes, Broccoli, Carrots, Dill Pickles..." Bet your wondering what we said for "Q", huh? Okay, we cheated a little and said "Quartered Cucumbers." Can anyone else think of a veggie that starts with "Q"?

Today, the song, "You Never Let Go" by the David Crowder Band keeps running through my head as it did when I first heard of my diagnosis with breast cancer. The song talks about how God is always the same through our joy and pain, sun and rain, and He NEVER lets go of us. I love picturing that in my mind and just repeating those words of truth. "My health declines, but You never let go. Hurricanes devastate, but You never let go. The stock market crashes, but You never let go." Thank you, Jesus, that even when I get tired and distracted and lose my grip, YOU NEVER LET GO.


"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39