Connecting along the Journey of Breast Cancer

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Loving Friends....there are many! These are a few!


Photo 1: My St. Mary's College friends: Kathy Gourley, Goldsboro; and Nelle Keeley, Raleigh; spent part of a weekend to care for me after my 1st surgery. Kathy was my roommate after college in Raleigh and Nelle is another preacher's kid whose children, Patrick and Elliot are my Godchildren.

We had some good laughs and they truly made me know they were in this with me. They are friends of 30 years like my friend, Sue Smith, noted earlier in a posting. They have been true life long friends from my young adult years of college! They are the best!

Photo 2: Mimi and Craig Quick, Greenville - Mimi and Craig have been so dear to me helping me with many tasks at my house. Mimi, who is retired from the faculty of the School of Nursing at East Carolina, has been my resident nurse staying with me through both of my surgeries. She has been so helpful with her nursing skills and comforting during my times of emotional stretches with all that has been before me. Mimi is a rock for me to know that healing is a reality and something I am working towards each day! Thank you to Mimi for all she has done and for Craig who has so graciously shared his loving wife with me during my journey! Note: Mimi is a quiet spirit thus she has nicely balanced my extroversion and need to be always busy. She has been a great gatekeeper during my moments of needed rest for recovery!

Photo 2












Photo 3

Photo 3:
Richard and Vicki Peterson, with Vicki's Mother, Emmie Jenkins of Greenville. The three of them has offered so much to me. Richard has been so helpful overseeing my fall work activities in youth and young adult ministry! I am so grateful for his ministry in East Carolina. Vicki, a dear long time friend, helped organize my schedule of people assigned to staying with me after surgery. What a gift! Also, she has called forth the St. Timothy's, "Unseen Guest", ministry to bring me food during my recovery. Thanks sweet Vicki! Emmie, a rock for her family has extended the Motherly love to me as well with visits and meals in her home! She even provided a day of housekeeping to help me keep things in order which have been more challenging than usual. What a love she is to all! A great family, along with their children, young adults now... Erin, Mike and Chris!

Transportation and "Unseen Guest" (but seen) friends: Loving acts of kindness have been extended by more than I can name....it has just been incrediable! A few that have brought food and provided transportation for me are: Anne and Dan Daniel, Ellen Crawley, Anna Faye Campbell, Susan Holmes, Valerie Foster, Lisa Shaw, Jane Wynne, Stephanie Pihl, Bonnie Holton, Jimi Paderick, Jamie Roberson, Debbi and Jeff Hazelton, Cheryl Czapjliski.

Thanks for all the visits in the hospital, cards, emails, fruit and calls from so many! As a people person, I have appreciated each and everyone one of you in your extension of love and concern! Thank you for all your kind and generous acts of love. I have been so deeply touched and humbled by all your care.

My Family....A Strong Foundation!

October 22 - Today, I have pondered on how important my family is to me. First and foremost, I am so blessed and grateful for my parents, Doris and John (Jack) Taylor, my brother, Mark and his wife, Laura. I am so thankful for all the wonderful times we have shared over the years as family.

My dear Mother died in September of 2004 and we think of her often and smile as we remember her deep love for people and life. Ironically, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, 1 year and 11 months exactly, from the time she went on to her eternal life with our Lord. As Dad says often, I am just like my Mother. That is so true! I am grateful for all she gave me of her being as I feel likewise about my dear Father.

My sweet Father has been struggling with some major health issues over the past couple of months. He has been living at a nursing and rehabilitation facility working on recovering from a challenging stretch of illness in August and September. He has been working very hard to regain his strength and ability to walk with confidence after being out of commission for this period of time. He is doing better daily and hopes to return home in the near future.

One of his goals was to be at Homecoming at Trinity Church, Chocowinity. Dad was invited to be the preacher to share his celebration of 50 years of ministry. Dad was ordained to the diaconate on July 2, 1956 at Trinity. To preach was to come full circle from his beginning of ministry launched from that church. Dad did a grand job preaching reflecting on his early years of ministry with a marvelous sense of humor in his stories.

A marker was placed in a brick sidewalk noting Dad's ordination at Trinity by Zack Taylor, a distant cousin and his parents, Karen and John Taylor. It was very neat for him to remembered by the Taylor's.

FAMILY gathered to join in the day. Members of our extended family....nephews, their wives and a son, a niece and cousins shared in the day. Mark and Laura, his wife and I were so thankful that we could be together with our immediate family as well as the extended family of our church communities. Some of my friends from Greenville joined in the day with my family too, Vicki and Richard Peterson, Emmie Jenkins (Vicki's Mother) and Mimi and Craig Quick.

What a day of blessings for our family of the church! Their prayers of support and love are so deeply felt and appreciated. Thank you all for making Homecoming do very special!

NOTE: This event was 3 weeks after my mastectomy followed 3 days later by my second surgery for additional lymph node removal. It is amazing how in the midst of physical strife great joy can be had in one's life! I am so blessed!

Friday, October 20, 2006

HAPPENERS REACHING OUT IN LOVE AND PRAYER!


October 12th -I had a wonderful visit from my dear friends, The Rev. and Mrs. David Umphlett and their new son, James Custis Umphlett. It was absolutely wonderful to finally have the chance to meet James Custis. What a CUTIE!!! Thanks for letting me hold him for a few minutes! He is a winner and surely will bring much joy to many!

David, is serving as the Spiritual Director of Happening. Happening was held at Trinity Center last weekend for senior high youth in East Carolina. Over 120 youth attended from across the diocese for a weekend of faith development in an environment of affirmation and love offered by their peers. It truly is a life changing weekend for many teens! Cookie Cantwell, my dear friend, has led this program for many years working with tons of teens involved in Happening.

David came bearing a gift from the Happening staff for me. They brought a prayer chain which had been made for me to embrace me in my down times and surely my times of celebration too. I was just overwhelmed as the chain was created on Thursday and hung in the prayer chapel throughout the weekend. I had a multitude of reactions flow forth from tears, awe, to great thanksgiving for all the youth and adults in our diocese who bless my life so deeply. I am so grateful for the love expressed in the many prayers that were written on each link of the chain. It has been hung in my house. I will indeed go to it to gain strength from all my dear youth friends in East Carolina.

To all the Happener's......Thank for all your love and prayers!

Symphony of HOPE
Music from the Heart
in honor of victims
in celebration of survivors
in hope of cure
October 20th - Tonight was an evening that touched my heart! I had the priviledge of attending "The Symphony of Hope" offered by a community symphony and choirs of Oakmont Baptist Church and Covenant Methodist Church. I was invited by Mary and James Eason of Covenant Methodist Church and Mary's sister, Sue Smith, my St. Mary's College roommate of 30 years ago. James was part of the choir. (Mary and James Eason and Sue Smith above)
What an incrediable event to see so many gather who have been or are currently affected by cancer in their lives. The pieces chosen for the orchestra were simply heavenly as I closed my eyes and got in touch with my sensory side of hearing the beautiful notes of several songs which touched me at the depth of my being....my favorite being "Amazing Grace" of course. The violins, violas, cello, percussion, flutes, trumpets, etc. were magnificent.
A video tribute to those who have died from cancer, those who are survivors and those who are currently fighting cancer was shown with the orchestra playing. It was quite moving and yet startling to see how many are affected. I am in the last category of course and I want to be on the survivor list. That is what I am aiming for in my journey.
The second half of the program was a medley of wonderful praise songs which were very uplifting too! I especially enjoyed the spiritual "Soon and Very Soon" which is one I have sung many times with teenagers in my life. The last time I sang it was in an auditorium with 1500 teens from around the country at the Episcopal Youth Event in Berea, Kt. I must say it is a rocking song! I sang away but have to admit the crowd was more sedate than the 1500 teens. No surprise!

I was thrilled to see 3 of my friends from St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Greenville, in the orchestra. Jon Shaw, Leonna and Katie Love played violins and were wonderful as always. They are accomplished musicians indeed. It was a treat to connect with Jon as she was my babysitter when I was 6. My Father was Rector of Grace Church, Plymouth, with her family with her family. Of course, Jon was only a few years older than I. Over the years, I have had the joy of having Jon's children as campers at Camp Trinity with me. (Thanks Jon for being so kind as I shared my update....you are so sweet!)
To have shared in this evening truly touched my heart in a way that I needed. I am on the journey and needed to find solace in where I am on the journey. I am going to continue to take one day at a time and know that God is with me every moment holding me in his loving arms of comfort. Tonight there was comfort in the music! Thank you all who offered this symphony of hope to the community. Yes....I have HOPE I will be a survivor!
Thank you Sue, James and Mary for sharing this event with me! I am so blessed by my loving friends.

Monday, October 16, 2006

False Start....but I am still in the race for recovery!

Today, October 16th, was to be my first day of chemo. I have been pumping myself up for the start of the race! Well.... my wonderful Doctor felt it best to spend another two weeks recovering from my second surgery. She felt it important to not introduce chemo drugs into my body until I recover further from my surgery. I have a few challenges with surgery swelling and fluid loss that I am balancing. Apparently my healing process would be greatly slowed down once chemo begins.

Yes, it was anti-climatic but probably a wise call of the Doctor's part. I have great faith that my oncologist will begin this next phase of treatment when the best time to progress arrives. My new date for chemo to begin is October 30th. Oh well...I will still have hair at Halloween! False start but I am in the race for recovery!

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Carol begins the journey!

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Connecting along the Journey of Breast Cancer

Dear Friends,

This is the beginning of my blog to communicate with my dear friends and family. I began the journey of breast cancer on August 7th when I heard my breast surgeon say to me...."You have Breast Cancer". As possibly you have heard others say, this was a moment when my life changed in ways I am still contemplating.

Since that date, I had a modified radical right breast mastectomy on August 29th, received my pathology report on September 7th that my 3 of the 5 lymph nodes removed had cancer cells and have had another surgery to remove more lymph nodes (an axillary node dissection) and insertion of a port for chemo on October 4th. On October 12th, I received the second pathology report in which the additional lymph nodes were negative!!!! My first positive note of hoping that things have not spread further in my body. My next important date is Oct. 16th...the day I start my chemotheraphy for 6 months to be followed by radiation for 6 weeks. I have a few dates on my calendar now for 2006-2007.

This is to be a journey in my life. This is one which touches many people both women, men, friends and family members. As I continue along this journey, I will attempt to share things which I hope will keep you posted on my experiences. My life has changed but truly I am beginning to understand the words said to me by a breast cancer survivor..."your life will be changed and many blessings will come out of this experience".

The past two months have flown by and the love and support I have received has so deeply touched me and blessed my life in powerful ways! I know many of you have prayed for me, have added me to prayer lists in your parishes and in your communities, and have sent thoughts of encouragement and love which have taken me so far.

Thank you for all your love, support and prayers. I will survive breast cancer with the power of prayer and the guidance and comfort of our Lord along the journey. I will pray for each of you daily and ask that you pray for my healing and recovery from breast cancer! I will fight hard to be a person who wins the battle of cancer! Please know how much I love each of you and hold in my heart with deep gratitude!

With love,

Carol