Thank you Lord for healing my mom

Mom received the news of PET scan back today and it is NEGATIVE. Which means that is positive news! She asked about the spot on her lung and there was nothing to report on. So this was her final PET scan!

So praise our sweet Savior for another great outcome!

I was reading through my journal last night. Those who know me, know I've kept one since I was 8 years old. I was reading from the point where my sister was diagnosed with MS in June 2005 up through my mom's stem cell transplant in May 2006. There were so many heart breaking moments on those pages. Times were I felt so broken and helpless. Moments of anger and frustration as we dealt with many ups and downs along the way. And yet each step of the way I prayed that the Lord would protect our family, strengthen our souls, and heal my mother. I truly relied on the Lord to get me through each and every minute of the day for that entire year.
I prayed for my dad frequently since he was alone while my mom was in the hospital. I prayed he would be strong and find friends to talk to, and find ways to keep up with the house, the bills, and find his own moments of happiness.

I prayed for my sister because she was battling her own diagnosis of MS and was away at college going through all this alone. I prayed God would help her adjust to the medication so she wouldn't experience problems with her legs or lose her eye sight again.

And I prayed for my mom. I prayed for healing, for a miracle, for comfort, for understanding. I came to a place where I told God, "She is not mine, she is yours." I cried out in anger to God because our family was enduring so much pain. The pain of being told your mother has 1-2 years to live. Knowing she might not see me or my sister get married or have children. Knowing her and my father couldn't have a retirement together. The pain of watching her hair fall out and seeing her so deathly sick from the chemo. At one point I described my mom as "non-human" because she was drugged up on medication that she couldn't focus or communicate very well.
And I prayed for my own brokeness. I prayed for strength and support. I prayed that I wouldn't fall apart during that time and that God would fill me with hope each day.

As I was reading these journal entries last night I wept. I wept for the past and what we had been through as a family. I wept for the ache I still feel, and will always feel, whenever I hear the word cancer. And I wept because God truly blessed our family. I don't understand why some families suffer the ultimate loss of a loved one, and I don't understand why my mom was chosen to stay with our family on Earth. But I give Him the glory. All the glory.

We put our hope, faith, love, and trust in our Heavenly Father and three years later my mom is in remission. Today marks a great day in our lives because we are taking one more step forward and saying goodbye to the fear of cancer.

On behalf of our family I want to thank each person who took a moment of their time to pray for my mother and our family. Thank you for checking this website and keeping up on the details. Thank you to those who came to the hospital, brought our family meals, drove my mom to her appointments, helped my dad at our house, hugged me when I was crying, and sacrificed for our needs. Thank you to those who donated money to send my parents on that Alaskan cruise. At the time we didn't think she would live to see another vacation, and now she has hope of many more adventures down the road.

I hope you know Christ and know of what He can do. In times of joy, sorrow, hurt, anger, or happiness, He will hold your hand through all of it and provide you with peace and understanding - no matter the problem.

With love,
Kari and Family

Psalm: 9:9-10, “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” (NIV)