It's back

A year after my parents moved to Australia, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in an advanced stage of development. Within 2 weeks she had been diagnosed, had a mastectomy and was on chemo - very sudden! My dad's worst fears surfaced, those of losing her.

(An Afrikaans friend of ours wanted to know how my mom's VASECTOMY had gone... :) )

She made it OK through chemo, losing her hair and strength and health in the process, then enjoyed a year or two of clear scans. But a spot popped up on her rib, and she had to endure radiation therapy - a little less excrutiating than chemo, but bad nonetheless.

She's been clear for 3 years - until now. A spot was found on her shoulder bone, which stayed the same for a while (an OK thing), but has now been shown to have grown.

So it's back onto chemo again - dad just emailed to give us the "not so good news" as he puts it. He's been amazing in his support of his life-soul-mate, enduring the illness and weakness with tender love and self-sacrificing caring. And now he gets to face this all again.

My mom has a ministry that involves much travel. It's been her life in recent years. But travel will have to be cut back considerably now, including the hoped-for trip to Russia mid-year. She spent a month there last year with a women's ministry group and was hoping to go over with my dad this time.

Most of you don't know her - but if you can spare a prayer for a stranger, she needs all she can get. Thanks.