Slowing Down my Pace

Hey Everyone!

Here's an update on what's been going on the past couple months:

• We went to Vandy for our MRI scan in January and there was a 'suspicious' spot, so he wanted us to come back in February for another scan (typically, they do an MRI every two months, so this was an exception. He wanted to see if it changed over the course of the month). 

• So we went back up to Vandy the first week of February. This time the MRI showed that the spot hadn't changed at all - which is great news and means no regrowth for now. There is a chance the 'suspicious spot' is scar tissue -which would be amazing- but Dr. Moots didn't want to label it unless it stays the same for about a year. Here is the most recent MRI pic:

The scan on the left is the most recent (Feb) and the one on the right is January's Scan

• We don't have to go back up to Vandy for another scan until the last week of March! We celebrated the good news with my Mom, Dad and Step-mom in Nashville.

• My 4th cycle of Chemo was terrible. They increased the dose 20%, and I felt nauseous and didn't have an appetite. I am currently in the middle of my 5th cycle of Chemo (I will stay on the increased dosage from here on out), and this time I feel much better. I can't really figure out this Chemo stuff!

My Dad and I were talking over the weekend about the half-marathon I am training for. We were both sprinters in high school. I ran the 110m high hurdles, 300m hurdles, and 400m. We started talking about how if we are going to have pain, we want it all at once, but it can't last long. Pain compacted into short periods of time. That's how I am built, but I think God is trying to teach me something with this half-marathon...

I recently spoke with someone who is writing a story on the marathon and wanted to interview me about why I wanted to do it... I told her, "I think God is trying to teach me a lesson: to be able to endure pain over longer periods of time and to slow down my pace, not only in the race but in life as well."

So often, I try to rush through the pain, sometimes not even acknowledging it, because that is how I have coped with things in the past. God is trying to prepare me and my family for a long journey with this battle. Where it leads? I don't know, but I truly trust whatever happens next is God's will, and I know there is more pain ahead. There is for all of us, but with God's strength, nothing can defeat us. 

As it's written in Psalm 46:1-3,

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."

I will leave you all with a excerpt from Upside to Adversity that has really stuck with me, and taught me God is using whatever pain we are going through to mold and shape us to be more like Him:

"Someone once described suffering as God's manure for spiritual growth. Manure is not the most pleasant substance in the world, but we can't deny that it promotes growth. No matter what happens in our lives, we know that nothing happens without God's foreknowledge and permission. He always knows what we are going through-and why. God has a plan for the "manure" of our affliction. It is not a plan to hurt us, but to heal us and help us grow."

As always, thank you to those who continue to keep our family in your prayers!

Much Love,

Nathan