“This is crazy.”
“This is nuts.”
“Do you believe this?”
Those sentences have been the top spoken sentences in my little world since last Friday. We are literally stunned. For those of you who have never had the sheer pleasure of meeting my mom, she is amazing. She is kind and loving and beyond generous and active and funny and quirky and SO LOVED. I have never been apart of such an out pouring of love like what has been shown for my mom. I get phone calls and texts and emails and Facebook messages all day and night about my mom. Messages of hope, messages of love, people praying for her right then, people sending scripture…it has really been amazing. My cousin Jan set up a Caring Bridge page for her because so many people want to know how she is doing. You can see it HERE.
When trying to explain to people what has happened over the last few days it completely blows my mind. Literally my mom was at the flea market and went to a movie on Friday. She started having movement issues with her left side during the day on Friday and Friday night she was in the hospital with a brain tumor. Turns out she had 3 tumors and they were all very aggressive grade 4 glioblastoma. She had brain surgery Tuesday to remove the tumors…they got 90% which is great.
Tuesday was also our 12th month waiting for our little guy. The only name we have really been considering for our next sweet boy was also the name of her brain surgeon. God sent my mom lots of little encouragements like that one.
Yes, I even had our sign at the hospital. I’ve got to keep it real.
My mom did amazing in surgery. She was recalling crazy things, like the name of the nurse who was with her right before they put her to sleep (Thelma). Thelma told my mom all about how she also had a glioblastoma tumor grade 4 a year ago and the same doctor who was working on mom, worked on her. God cares about small details like an encouraging nurse right before you go in for surgery.
My mom is now experiencing paralysis on her left side, which was expected. But she is discouraged by this. She just keeps saying to me, “How did we get here?” I just keep thinking about how shocked I am and I cannot even imagine and begin to grasp how she is feeling. She is now going to have to learn how to use her left leg and left arm again. It is so surreal helping her with her therapy…she is literally learning how to walk again. She keeps saying, “I just want to be able to walk fast again.” I am genetically a fast walker…I get my fast walking from my mom…she always seems like she’s on a mission 🙂
So tomorrow she will begin aggressive physical therapy and hopefully in two weeks or so she will be much much stronger and can go home. Then 2 weeks from now she will begin her chemotherapy and radiation. After 6 weeks of those, she will begin a trial vaccine that is brand new. Every doctor we talk with has this look in their eye when they talk about the new trial vaccine…like a kid in a candy shop. They are all so excited because my mom is the first at this hospital to be apart of the trial. It’s crazy. I feel like we are on Gray’s Anatomy.
I have to say that through all of this I am absolutely amazed at my mother. Is she completely shocked? Abso-freakin-lutely. Is she feeling defeated? Yep! But her faith has not waivered. I read her Jesus Calling book to her everyday and she asks me to read her scripture and all the encouraging messages that people keep sending her. We are all so stunned, but stand firm in the fact that God’s ways are not our ways; His thoughts are not our thoughts. With all the words of how floored we are, my mom has also spoken “God is good.” just as much. That is why I am so glad she is my mom. Nobody can claim her but me and my brother. She completely blows me away and how God has calmed her and shown Himself to her is even more mind blowing. His grace is truly, truly sufficient, power perfected in weakness. 2 Cor. 12:9
So now we get down and dirty and get busy whipping cancer’s butt…I wanted to use another word there…I’m feeling ticked off today. My mom is a pretty tough lady and I look forward to watching her do amazing things in the months and years to come. We have had so many sweet, sweet messages, but two that have just been completely stuck in my brain are these:
My Aunt Tootsie: I am reminded of what Vance Havner wrote about Walter Cronkite when he closed his newscast with “and that’s the way it is November 15th 2011.” Vance said he always wanted to answer “No Walter, that’s just the way it looks.” Thank God things are not always the way they look, He is a great God and is certainly capable of pulling off some big surprises. I’m praying for a big one today!
My dear friend Ashley: …Remember “you were made for such a time as this”. I love you a lot. You can do this. She can do this. And most of all HE can do this. He’s got everything under control.
How awesome it is to have such wise and encouraging people in our lives.
So let’s get on with it. God has the ultimate say and my mom and we are ready to fight and fight hard. Can’t wait to read this post a year from now and see what God has done. I expect only big things from such a big and mighty God. Your prayers for my mom are greatly, crazily and insanely appreciated.
Loading tweets...
Tears flowing. My mom is my best friend and looks like yours is, too. praying for his all sufficient grace and healing. he LOVES healing people and show people His power, so i pray for 100% recovering. He wants it. He cares.
I love how strong, firm, and bold your family’s faith is – it is so encouraging. God IS doing big things. Praying for your mom!
Praying for ur mom and ur family!!!! U r all amazing and inspirational with ur faith in God!!! Faith and prayer r soopowerful and can move mountains!! It always strikes me at times like these how wonderful the human race is because as the word spreads, so many people u don’t even know, have never even met are praying for u!! What an awesome and powerful force!!! Looking forward to hearing all the progress that is sure to come n the upcoming days!!! Take care and God bless!!! <3
What a great read, Laura! Thanks for writing so real and from the heart. You write in a way that gives us a clear insight into what Sandra and you guys have been going through this past week. I will tell Sandra myself in a note, but please tell her that I love her and am thinking of her and praying for her. And if there is anything I can do, please let me know. And I mean that! :–)
Anyway, love you….
this is crazy! but i know you are feeling such powerful things working here.
i will be praying for her and your family!
Laura, your beautiful spirit has carried over from your mom, you can hear it in every word you speak! Praise God you are her words right now you are her strength and God has prepared your walk! Every day I read your blog or here your cries for Prayer and everyday I get a little bit of your strength also, you reach so many people and that is exactly the way you described your mother! I just went through lung cancer with my dad and there is no cancer now!! God is a powerful God he will take care of her! Keep your faith and he will give you and your mom strength! Prayers to you and your family during this time!! Lean on us all we are here when you need an extra hand!
Mylinda
Laura,
Praying and thinking about you all daily…what warriors you are and what an inspiration to all of us. Go and kick that cancers bootie hard!
Sandra — I am praying for a full recovery for you — Best for you always — May God Bless You In Every Way
I prayed for your mom and am so glad to hear the surgery went well. My Dad had a brain stem stroke when he was 49 (one day he’s out building fences and decks with his fit muscular body and the next he’s in the hospital unable to make his right side function). So I get the shock factor. I just want to encourage you that amazing recoveries are possible. My Dad is right handed so having it affect that side was a big deal but he relearned to walk, talk, write, swing a hammer, drive a car, everything. He’ll always have sensory issues on that side but he’s still here and still living his life. Also, they fought the insurance company for more inpatient rehab (versus outpatient) which they finally agreed to pay for 3 weeks of and that made an enormous difference in how fast he progressed.
We’ll keep your mom and family in my prayers.
Oh Laura, my God keep moving in a mighty way in your hearts and minds as you take this journey with your mother. Prayers to each and every soul involved in her recovery. May you feel the peace only the Lord can provide!
Laura, I love you cuz. I love our family, and love how close the Hall family is. All that has happened in the last few days makes me know how lucky we all are to have this large, caring family, and all of us having the same faith in Christ is such a huge bonus. If there is anything that you or Chris needs, I am here.
Hi Laura this is Thelma ..I was the nurse who take care of your mom during her surgery last Tuesday..She was so anxious and scared so I told her everything is will be fine , God is good and He will be there for her during the surgery…I hold her hand and started to share my journey with God when I had a same surgery
.From the time I met your mom in the holding room before her surgery I felt that there is a special bond or connection between us and that is we both have strong faith to God..I thought about her last weekend and plan to visit her in her room maybe this week since I want to now her more..
Laura,
I am so sorry to hear about your mom. My thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult week.
Oh Sandra my friend. . Just learned Friday night of your tumors, surgery and now you are in heaven with our lord. Haven’t seen you in a while but it seems like it was yesterday. We were in church service and you sat down in front of me. I remember that wonderful Smile and your sense of humor. We talked ourselves through our tough times and celebrated our blessings. I Am SO BLESSED to have known you and I pray for your daughter and son as they.try to find comfort through their pain. They were truly blessed to have someone as precious as you for their mom. I lost a dear friend but Jesus gained a wonderful angel. I love you sweet Sandra!
Laura. I don’t know if you remember me or not, but my parents were Larry and Judy Burgess from Charlotte, best friends of Wayne and Jane. We used to come and see you all when we were all young.
I had to write and let you know that I am devastated over your loss. I loved your mom and thought she was one of the funniest people I knew. My heart also aches for you as I lost my mom to cancer when I was just 21. I know the hole that is now left in your heart. My husband and I have also adopted 2 daughters. I’ve missed her more than ever before in the raising of these girls. Please be assured of my fervent prayers for your family during these most unthinkable and difficult days. I know that my mom and your mom had one more reunion!! They are walking streets of gold, feasting on tables of delight, and experiencing the glory of our Lord. We love your family and hold them dear to our hearts.
Julie(Burgess)Haley
Laura, I am so, so sorry to hear of your loss. I will be praying for you and your family.
Laura, I was shocked and upset when I read Lynette’s FaceBook entry about Sandra today. I have not been on FB for some time and did not know about your mom’s condition. I am so very sorry and will surely keep your whole family in my prayers. I always got such a kick out of her sense of humor! She and my sister were in school together. We lost my sister 5 years ago to lung cancer. She was diagnosed in Jan. and we lost her in May. It is shocking when it is so sudden. I grieve with you all and pray for comfort and peace for your whole family.