Well...Today was #10 Chemo treatment-God is still good!

Disclaimer: I have really bad chemo brain and this format does not provide spell check, grammatical errors, etc. I know I've gotten really bad remembering things and writing, "leave" for "live" or other variations of that. I try to find mistakes myself but my writing critiqueing skills have progressively gotten worse. It will come back but I apologize in advance. :-)


Please pray for our Missionaries, Steve and Barbara Willoughby from Singapore. They both received devastating news in 2008 that they are both battling cancer. He with brain cancer and I'm not totally sure about hers. However, the last update I've received is that they are in the United States trying to get treatment and their 3 children are still in Singapore. I really relate to them because when the effects of their chemos etc have been mentioned, they are the same as mine. How can they lead their church in that shape? God has a plan! We just have to pray for them physically and then spiritially on what direction God wants them to go in. It seems they have an awesome church family in Singapore. Hmmmmm.....maybe it is time for me to go.

I always felt led to be a Medical Missionary and go to the Philippines as a child and teenager but then I adopted my children and felt my Mission was home raising them to have a heart for God. Thus my mission field became Douglasville, Georgia at the Boyd home. Lord knows, we've done everything in my power to live and do right. I tell my kids, you have been raised right so if you choose to go to HEll.....it would be sad but I've decided that no matter what happens, that is not where I'm going. Kids get too big for their britches and think they might be doing something to hurt you and I remind them as young adults they ultimately hurt themselves. Thank the Lord all 3 of my children are living for the Lord!!! ;-0 It hasn't always been that way but I'm telling you, I know PRAYER works!!


I've been home a couple of hours and honestly I'm already starting to feel the effects of the chemo!! I don't feel well but I wanted to blog before I get to where I don't feel like moving at all.

Today started off as most days....they insisted that we be there at 6:45 a.m. for my appt. However, they do not open up until 7:00 am with one nurse who has to sanitize the area. They will never take patients in before 7:30 am. and then they take patients in first come first served. So, as we the patients were asking each other our appts after we had sat for a little while, we realized that everyone had the same story. Appt. at 7 am. but you may get in an hour later always. In fact, I had a 6:45 appt. and one of the other guys I was speaking to have a 7:40 appt., he was called back before me because he signed in right before me (6:50 am. signin vs. 6:55 am) . This is another area that I just accept that it is the way that it is and we are going to be there all day so as long as I get good service, I don't even say anything.

It made for a very interesting day as I met Dee, who works at Emory and she was getting some treatment also and just so happened to come to the LAB while we were all sharing our stories. She was concerned for all of us and decided to take it upon herself to figure out why it takes so long. The nurses explained after they get there at 7 a.m. (which is only 1 nurse) she begins cleaning the area. So we've learned that they don't typically begin before 7:30 am. and sometimes 8:00 a.m. so although it messes up all your other appts., which are also delayed....you just wait and wait.....so that is what we did. You wait over an hour to get in and then the process takes about 15 minutes to get you all hooked up and then you have to wait an hour on your lab for your next appt. and so they keep putting you further and further behind.

However, you know what the great thing is.....I only have 2 more treatments, however I do think the details are important in the journey because it gives me more to be thankful for when I don't have to go through the long days at the hospital. The nurses are so wonderful too! I will miss them. They all recognize me when I'm coming in and that is a good feeling and somewhat of a not good feeling because I realize that I've been down there tooooo long! There are lots of nurses because they see 100-150 a day and I believe that I have had every single one of them at some point.

I watched a young woman about my age across from me give 50 vials of blood today. She kept poking her from one arm to another. I never minded it before but I'm way over it today. No needless pain. She said she, her mother and sister all have the same issue. They produce too much iron and Dee, the friend that I met today is anemic and needs more iron. If we could all just find a way to hook up to one another so we could receive the benefits from another's body that you aren't getting and they yours! ha. Let's just pray for these ladies.

Dee asked for my blog address so I gave it to her so we can stay in contact. I love meeting people and sharing stories. So she told Steve that the new children's hospital across the street has the best cafeteria and also has Chic-fil-A. So those of you who have to visit Emory and want other options, it is on the first floor.

She also spoke about a friend who was given 3 months to live. She decided she had too much to do and starting doing the things she wanted to do. Unfortunately after 13 or maybe it was 18 years, she did eventually die but it was because she was hit by a bus in Madagascar!! She was out living life.....it was something unfortunate but she was doing the things she had a passion for. Too bad it wasn't going to reach out to the hurting, dying and lost but because I don't know her, I can't say.

However, I plan to leave to be a ripe old codger living for the Lord recklessly repeating my story over and over until everyone is just tired of it. God is good......all the time.

God and I are on the same carpet riding the big slide and we are almost to the bottom. I can't wait until I'm close enough to see your praying, cheering supporting faces at the end. I hear you but don't see you. Once we are at the end, I plan to see all of YOU! God is the most powerful gift that I can share, which most of all of you have, however we have to use that power or ......remember, "your eternal value will be just a waste".
We don't have to do a lot if we are all doing it together, "many hands make light work". We can work but still make a difference. We'll just have to figure it out.

Anyway, I think I'm going to retreat to a warm bath (shhh, I'm not supposed to with my chemo bag), put on my warm pjs, drink some peppermint and sack out.

Please pray over the next 2 weeks that my blood counts get better. They were low but not low enough they stopped my chemo. Any low counts make me feel worse and I'm feeling the effects already, which is unusual so if you don't hear from me, just know I'm thinking and praying for you and I will blog as soon as I can.

Yeah.....almost done! Please continue praying for the requests we see and don't forget to put yours on here.
Love to all,
Leah