Dear Reader:

I started this blog Monday afternoon after I wrote a note to my sweet niece, Carrie, thanking her for giving me some thoughtful note cards and also these “Believe” mini-cards with pop-open messages of hope, faith, and belief in miracles.

Little did I know that I had a personal “miracle” waiting on me Tuesday morning.

I had my final medical appointment with my primary doctor, Dr. Sara Montoya, yesterday at 9:30. (By “final” I mean the last medical appointment for this series of earlier unexpected appointments and procedures….my next appointment with any doctor is my oncologist on November 7.)

I am sure you know what a relief it is to finally have a chunk of time with no medical appointments…it is like having a school “snow day” over and over and over again.

*I was actually a little nervous about this regularly scheduled three-month appointment to go over my blood work results. (which I had gone in for the week before)

After all the unexpected medical surprises that had popped up with the biopsy and breast cancer (margin) exploratory surgery…I felt like my blood pressure would be off the charts, my blood platelets askew, the blood sugar and/or cholesterol high and so on and so on and so on.

Lately I have felt, unusually, tired and I didn’t know if it was physical, psychological, emotional or a combination. This added to my apprehension over the blood work results.

Right before I left to go…I grabbed one of the “Believe” pop-up cards and a new shiny penny to take Dr. Montoya with a handwritten message on the back about living a lucky life with a shiny new penny.

(The pop-up message wouldn’t be revealed until Dr. Montoya pulled the tab.)

I decided, also, to put one “Believe” card in my pocketbook to look at following my visit.

© Todd Surber 2008

Dr. Montoya, herself, personally came to get me, and she had a medical intern with her who she introduced to me. We went in and for the first few minutes I caught her up on what had transpired between the last time I saw her and now.

Upbeat and positive she said she thought that this incident simply reaffirmed the effectiveness of the drug I am still on and its power to keep the cancer contained. (That is what everyone wants to see continue for as long as possible…including me too!)

“And now,” she said with a big smile on her face, “I’ve got another encouraging report for you”….this is the best blood work report yet to date since you have been coming to me!”

And it was ….good cholesterol was UP, bad cholesterol was DOWN, My hemoglobin A1C was 5.8!!!!!  My lowest recorded blood pressure- best ever and this went on and on through category after category…with big checks by the tested areas with bigger smiles!

Of course this meant I had to do my “Happy Dance” which I did …the poor intern was probably re-thinking her initial medical/vocational goals! (I told the young woman that she had to come back every three months with me for my check-up…she was my lucky “RABBIT!”)

Dr. Montoya pulled the tab and read her “Believe” message out loud for us and it was all about being lucky and stating that she was. *I told her intern that the only thing wrong with her random message was that we, the patients, were the “lucky” ones to have her.

My next check-up isn’t until January and for one glorious moment I felt the weight of the world fall off my shoulders as I practically skipped out of the office. It was then  I remembered my “Believe” card and pulled the pop-out tab. “Miracles come in Moments. Be Ready and Willing.” (Dr. Wayne Dryer)

I should have known that this latest medical “hurdle” would turn out okay because the signs and winks were lining up Monday afternoon and evening.

After texting Anne and saying that I thought my moon flowers were done for the season….late Monday afternoon I looked out and there was the biggest, most beautiful moon flower staring back at me. Anne reminded me:

“Never, never give up!”

After delighting at the moon flower bloom I stared at the Confederate rose and thought how much taller it had grown. As I stared up at it there it was….dozens of buds about to break into bloom. I was overcome with happiness. Another garden miracle! (Now I am just hoping and praying that rain and wind doesn’t hurt it in the upcoming days.)

We definitely need a miracle with “Matthew” to send him scampering out to sea with no harm to man or property. Our prayers are with everyone’s safety as we face this force of nature drawing closer.

I keep telling myself we are one with nature and then suddenly as I walked through the garden, yesterday, I realized I was….dressed in the exact same colors as my “Sedona” plant.

Then later, as I was putting up the cards and notes from birthday and surgery get-well cards… I came across Joan Turner’s beautiful painted card and realized I matched her card too.

Some days we are just more in tune with our surroundings than others!

So until tomorrow my wish is for everyone’s safety through this potentially destructive storm.

*If for any reason you don’t see the blog popping up for a couple of days you will know that I left or the power went out. I am still trying to decide, with the family, what the best option is….hopefully we will get more encouraging reports with time.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh