Challenges During the First Month of 2024

I am writing this post on the last Sunday of January 2024. The first month of this year has gone by quickly. Julie and I have been busy with work, household chores, and other important tasks.

At the same time, we are grateful that we have had time to slow down and also focus on what is important. We have enjoyed worshiping together at Kernersville Wesleyan Church. We have appreciated time with our daughters and extended family. Quiet evenings of watching a movie and spending time together have been helpful resting points.

We learned earlier this month that Julie has breast cancer. Her first oncology appointment was on 1/26/2024. We didn’t know what her prognosis would be until that appointment, which was only a few days ago. Her cancer was caught very early and the tumor is small. Julie has mammograms each year and preventative screening is what enabled early detection. She will have surgery on 2/13/2024. She will need about 2 weeks of recovery, and then she can gradually start driving and resuming routine tasks again.

The doctors are very optimistic that her treatment will go well. We won’t know if she will need radiation therapy or chemotherapy until after the surgery. It is likely that she will need radiation therapy, but will probably not need chemotherapy. Although the surgery will be painful and there are always risks, the oncology appointment went well, and it was good news considering the serious nature of her diagnosis.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Stay in touch.