Today, my parents and my sister sat in the doctors office to hear what the most recent scans showed. Today, they got the best possible news. Today, they got an answer to our prayers and to so many others prayers. Today, the doctor told them "Your prayers have been answered. The scans show the best possible results." Today, a feeling of relief, of gratitude, of the power of prayer was felt by all of us.
My sister's tumor is no longer existent. The other spots that were previously seen on her back are no longer visible. This is what we have been wanting to hear since day 1. This is what we've been praying for. I have seen the power of prayer in others. I have seen what it does for them, for their families. Never before have I felt it myself in such a powerful way.
Ever since day 1, before we even knew for sure that it was cancer, I knew that there was a reason for this. I had to believe that. There was no way that we were going through all this for nothing. There was no way that all these people who were all praying for the same thing, for Anna to get better, there was no way their prayers were not heard. There was no way it was a lost cause. There was no way that Anna's strength and determination, even when she felt horrible and probably wanted to give up, was a lost cause. There's no way that my amazing sister was not going to kick cancer.
Today, we saw the power of prayer. We saw the power of determination, of strength. There could not have been better results from this test.
Of course this day is bitter sweet because our journey is far from over. My sister will still have to endure more chemotherapy, which has been making her feel so awful lately, and she will start radiation next week. Our journey, as much as we wish it was, is not over. We are not finished. We have not entirely beat cancer. But we are on our way. Our first, hard fought, battle is won. We showed cancer whose boss. We kicked cancer in the butt, and will continue to do that.
As I heard the news today, I cried. Except this time, I was crying mostly tears of joy. I flashed back to the first day I found out there may be something serious going on with my sister. I flashed back to those tears of fear, of the sense of hopelessness, and powerlessness. Today, I see that none of that is true. We were not hopeless nor powerless. We are strong, all of us. Not only our immediate family, but extended family and of course friends too. All of us believed, and we were shown it is good to believe.
I couldn't help but reflect on this journey so far when I heard the news. All the emotional roller coasters we've all been riding these last few months. I couldn't be happier that it seems to be all paying off. It has been one heck of a ride so far, and I know it is unfortunately far from over. There is nothing more that I want than the doctor to say "It's over. Go home, and continue your normal life." I want so badly for my sister to be able to be a "normal" teenager again, without the hospital stays and doctor visits, and the scans of her insides. Although this is not the case now, I know that someday soon it will be. We have to ride this roller coaster for a bit longer, but in the end it will be worth it.
However, I am choosing not to think about what the future holds or may hold. We don't know what's to come, what this stupid cancer has planned. However, for now our prayers have been answered and there is nothing more that I could want right now. I have complete faith that our prayers will continue to be answered. God is good.
Thank you to those of you who have been praying with us. Your support is amazing, and so appreciated. Please keep it up!
"God is our refuge and strength- a very present help in trouble" Psalm 46:1
