Email to all:
Hello everyone,
Wow, what a summer! Full of friends, family, fun and food! We had a lovely time in Holland on a family holiday, but would have preferred to go for longer so that we could see more people and relax too! Together@Shuttleworth (regional church weekend away) was brilliant! I spent a lot of time working on site with Dad but still got to see some people and experience more of God! I’ve been having a bit of a “new-start” summer. Things are slowly coming to an end and yet things are starting too! Amazing! Change is good right? :o)
The next thing that is starting is my radiotherapy treatment. I will be heading off to Cambridge toady for an 11am appointment for my first blast of radiation. It will be every working day (weekends off) until the 22nd September. With my first cancer battle in 2005 I endured 5 weeks of radiotherapy and it was definitely hard going, but having been through chemo I don’t think it will be as tough as I remember. I felt relatively normal for a week or so, but then it started to build up and eventually I was just sooo tired! I think this time around may be quite similar. Please could you pray that I receive some more supernatural energy from my Creator and also that my skin is protected from the radiation. There is a chance that my skin will be burned during the process, but last time I wasn’t really affected in that way, so here’s praying that this time is the same!
Another thing starting today is Tamoxifen. I have been holding off with taking them until now as I wanted to experience a summer holiday without any side effects! I have been a little anxious about taking them, but my oncologist has assured me that the drug will reduce the risk of the cancer returning quite significantly, so here goes! First one today. I have to take it everyday for the next 5 years. Please pray that there are ZERO side-effects and that it does its job efficiently. :o)
Cancer has featured a lot recently in what I have been reading, seeing on telly/internet and hearing from people close to me and close to other people who are affected by it. As someone who has suffered through 2 types of cancer, one rare and the other common, it is so easy to be gripped by fear. Fear of which cancer will affect me or someone I love next. I just want to make a statement to you all. I believe in a God who heals. His purpose for our lives does NOT include sickness. Jesus came to give us life and in the Bible it states that “he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” That, my friends, is what I believe. I will NOT live in fear of cancer or any other sickness. I will live in the knowledge that my God is for me! I pray that you know this in your hearts and also experience His healing hand.
I love you all very much, thank you for your continuing support.
Hugs,
Hayley
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