Post 129: Thank You

Dear Family, Friends (online and off), and Bloggers,

I've been chatting with my sister Holly this evening. My beautiful sister, who for the past few weeks has been heavy on my mind and heart with all she is dealing with. I can't imagine being put through this kind of torture, the waiting game of finding out if your child has a sickness or not, and the Dr.'s with their many different opinions. It's just a mess.

Hailie goes to the Dr. again on the 30th. They are then going to do more blood work, or in Hailie's terms, she's gonna get a poke. Hailie has been fever free for several days now, Praise God! I'm not sure when we will have the news of the blood tests.

My sister is believing that Hailie is cancer free and leaning on God. I am so proud of her! She has grown so much, not just in her faith, but as an adult, a wife, a mom, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. She is a good girl and turning out A-OK. I have missed her so much during this time. She and I have talked online and emailed constantly. I've wanted to be there with her and help her through this and thankfully with today's technology I've been able to somewhat be there.

In an email I received from her recently she said to me, "Even from another country you are such a big help with everything". You don't know what that meant to me, because I have felt so helpless. I'm so far away. I can't be there to watch Hailie, hold Holly's hand, pray with her, or even cry with her. But I can be there in other ways and to know that she feels that makes me feel so much better about not being able to be there in person.

Tonight as Holly & I have chatted, she has told me, "I have been hearing all the prayers for Hailie and it just amazes me how many people out there are praying for my little girl and how much power is in those prayers. I check my email everyday and see the prayers for Hailie. I am amazed at the out pour of love and prayer. How good it is and how good it makes us feel as a family as we go through this nightmare. I received one the yesterday that made me cry."

Holly sent me that prayer that made her cry, that touched her so much, and I don't know who the person is! But her first name is Jennifer. Jennifer, THANK YOU! Your email was very touching and moving and it brightened Holly's day. Thank you for sending her those special words.

My sister and I have had our moments, don't get me wrong...all siblings do. Like the time she slept with gum in her hair and we woke up with our heads stuck together or the time she threw up in my bed and then went and crawled in her own and didn't tell anyone! But we've had our amazing moments too and I want to tell you about one of those, so that you can get a glimpse of the type of person Holly is.

In 2003, I'd gone to the doctor - my prolactin was up. If you don't know what that is, it's a stupid hormone and mine has a mind of it's own. My husband was deployed. We were living in Utah. I had no family near me. I had a 3 year old and a 9 month old. The Dr. informed me that I probably had a pituitary tumor, a brain tumor. We were going to have to do an MRI and several other things. Needless to say this was not any kind of news I wanted to hear, especially out there all by myself with 2 little kids.

I called my husband, my mom, and my grandparents. I was a wreck. Not long after I called Mom - I got another phone call. It was Holly. She said, I booked a flight, I'm on my way. Told me when she would land and where. She dropped her life, everything she had going, and ran to me. She fly for the first time all by herself on an airplane from Missouri to Utah, to be with me, to watch my kids while I had tests done, and to help me with anything else I needed. She spent nearly a month with me, before we drove home to Missouri together. My MRI showed no tumor. I still battle with high prolactin to this day - but I will never forget the day the Dr. delivered that news to me or the selfless act of my sister. She went above and beyond, and she touched my heart and soul.

So you see how special she is to me? She loves her family, she would do anything for them, and she has a heart of gold. Your emails, your prayers have meant the world to her and to me, because in a way you have helped me be there for her. So from the very depths of my heart, I thank you. If you still feel called to email Holly - feel free to, continue to amaze her, continue to show her just how much God loves her. Thank you ALL so very, very much.

Holly - I love you - and I pray that you know how special you are to me. Continue to lean on God, he won't let you fall.