Being Delivered Through It - Joyce's Story

As promised earlier this month in my blog, I mentioned that I would be sharing stories of friends and family members who have had an ecounter with cancer. I believe what Beth Moore has often taught, "God delivers us in three ways in our circumstances. The first way is that He can deliver us to it." My blog of being diagnosed with inoperable bone cancer is an example of that deliverance.

"The second way God delivers us in our circumstance" Beth says, "is that God delivers us through our circumstance." Over the next week or so, I will be sharing with you stories of people who have impacted my life as they have been delivered through their circumstances. I continue to believe that unless we put a face to a disease, it really isn't a real thing. Cancer is real. Here is a story of a dear and precious lady whom I love and admire. Steve and I have been friends of this family for over almost 17 years. It is Joyce's daughter, Sandra Capelle who has written her mom's story of being delivered through her circumstances. The picture is of Joyce and two of her daughters, Janie (on Joyce's left) and Sandra (on Joyce's right)Here is Joyce's story.

My mother, Joyce Rabensburg, is an amazing woman. At 84 she played her last tennis tournament in Europe. Macular degeneration robbed her of her central vision and she had to step off the court. She is an avid gardener and loves to take walks with her rescued greyhound, Bessie.

In March of 2011, she moved back to Austin after living for 3 years with my sister in Waco. She is living in a wonderful and small assisted living facility now near me and has found a new life there. Two weeks after arriving, she told me she had found a lump in her right breast. As I had already gotten an appointment with her primary care physician, we were able to have him check this out quickly. He also expressed concern and we were on the path of more doctors, scans, and biopsies. When they called with confirmation that it was cancer all I could think of was “how do you tell your 91 year old mom she has cancer?” It just didn't see fair! She should be in the time of her life to just relax and enjoy each day. If I could have taken this on for her, I would have. Mom just said, “OK, what do we do now?” We were directed to an incredible surgeon whom we just fell in love with. This woman was clear in her words to Mom and gave us such confidence.

Two weeks after finding the lump, Mom had a mastectomy of her right breast. For her, the mastectomy was the better choice as she would not have to face radiation or chemotherapy. Four days after the surgery, she decided she had had enough “laying around” and she was up and dressed and checking on the rest of the residents. While she was uncomfortable, she was never in any real pain. At one week, she got the staples out. At two weeks, she got the drain out and pronounced that she was fine now and asked what else could we do for the day. We went to get her hair done and then to the shop for a bra with prosthesis as Mom didn't want to look unbalanced. This was a so “my mom’ as the lady explained that most women don't come in for a bra for 5-6 weeks. When we left (with 2 bras) she looked at me and said, ”I don't think much slows her down, does it?”

Mother is doing incredibly well. While some blood work appeared to indicate more cancer, all subsequent scans have shown her to be completely cancer free. She is back walking half a mile a day and taking care of her plants and many birds.

Both Mother’s parents and her sister died around 60 years of age from cancer. She always thought she'd be dead by 60, so after her 60^th birthday she tells the story that she had to decide what she would do now that she wasn't dead or dying! For me, her life is an inspiration and I pray that when I am 91 I am half the woman my mother is.