More disruptive than I expected – and more supported than I could have imagined
Over the next weeks and months, as I went through preparations, surgery, and radiation, then began the long road of daily hormone therapy, I came to terms with what a disruptive and life-changing this event would be (at least in the short term). My body didn’t like the treatment regimen. We had to put the ministry on hold for months and cancel events. And during all of it, Jeff, our kids, my mom, our family, and our friends were amazing sources of strength; more than I could ever imagine. A group of amazing prayer-warrior women got on the phone with each other for an hour every week to pray for me. My neighbor and friend opened her backyard firepit so we – and close friends – could sit and talk. Which was so very important for someone who was having to go through cancer in the COVID era – where every doctor’s visit, every painful biopsy (there were many others), the surgery, and every radiation visit had to be done utterly alone.
I also realized there was a much larger community of women who were ready to support one another. My friends and fellow authors, Lysa TerKeurst and Jill Savage, were unbelievable supports, having gone through the journey ahead of me.
Many women at my events began coming up to me and saying things like, “I know it’s scary. But I’ve been cancer-free for eight years. You’ll get there!” Many others come up and shared stories that were much harder than mine – like needing months of chemo, which I was so thankful to avoid.
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