Rhoda's Healing Journey

04/18/2026

Dark humor is incoming. Some days. 🙄 Some days are such fun. 🙄 I may have to cancel this whole breast cancer thing because it's really becoming unhandy. I might now have skin cancer spots, and it MIGHT be medication related. Apparently I need medication to get rid of cancer, which MIGHT be making my skin extra sensitive to the sun. This just isn't going to work for me. 🤣 On the other hand, maybe it's leprosy. 🙄 I mean who really knows at this point. Meanwhile, I'm just over here planting some tomatoes until I hear that I'm no longer allowed to do that either.

04/10/2026

At the start of this whole terrible cancer ride, as I was lying in my hospital bed, barely able to walk 10 steps to the bathroom, not knowing if I would survive, this verse popped into my mind.

Isaiah 40:31 NIV
" but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

I thought I must be going crazy. I thought I must be losing my mind. What on earth??? I can't walk, let alone run. I run out of breath just sitting up. So soaring and running was an impossibility.

But here I still am. Guess what my plans are for tomorrow? Making my usual yummy donuts and selling them at the local school's spring fing!

Miracles still happen.

04/08/2026

https://renegademennonite.wordpress.com/2026/04/08/grand-slam/

A quick cancer update on here since not everyone is on my page. This way everyone gets the update. As some of you know, I had my 3 month PET scan last week, and the news seemed too good to…

04/05/2026

Happy Resurrection Sunday! I'm so grateful to have a sort of resurrection story myself. Stay tuned for an update on my most recent PET scan.

04/01/2026

https://renegademennonite.wordpress.com/2026/03/31/before-and-after/

There is life before cancer, and there is life after cancer. Or perhaps the more true reality is life with cancer because there is really no such thing as after cancer. It doesn’t meet you on…

03/04/2026

Days without symptoms are a precious, precious gift!

02/20/2026

I was stunned today when I looked into the mirror and noticed rosy cheeks. It's been a long time since I've seen rosy cheeks on my own face. It's hard to achieve that when your body can't seem to keep good blood flowing in the veins. I couldn't quite capture it in the photo, but I tried. ☺️ Anyway, it was encouraging since in the last few days I've been extra tired. Considering that is how I got diagnosed in the first place, I feel a bit skittish about tiredness. But labs today (the ones that came back so far) are stellar! Stellar labs feel like a miracle, too, because the Dr warned me I probably would never again have good hemoglobin and platelet numbers. But I do anyway! Thank you, Jesus!

02/15/2026

I've posted a link to an update in the comments.😉

01/12/2026

https://renegademennonite.wordpress.com/2026/01/11/recent-reflections/

I’ve been quiet. Not because all the words have been spoken, but sometimes words do not really explain, or do justice, or properly fill up the empty space. Sometimes empty space is the better…

01/06/2026

Longer details to come (maybe).
This is me getting released from the 5th hospital in 5 months. This time I had pancreatitis secondary to gallstones, and had my gallbladder removed yesterday. To keep up the tradition of unusual, my gallbladder was larger than normal. (Of course) I'm so thankful that it isn't related to cancer, but I also feel like it's time to just be at home and heal.
Thank you, Linda, for coming to rescue me.

01/03/2026

I super dislike making this post. I wasn't planning to have a photo shoot in a hospital any time soon, and yet, here we are. 🙄🤪 Turns out I've got pancreatitis secondary to gall stones. So I am waiting for gall bladder surgery, which will hopefully happen on Monday. I'm so so grateful it isn't a cancer related problem, but the cancer meds have made it a bit trickery to plan for a successful surgery. I'm doing much better, and my pain levels have been so much calmer than when I first came to the ED. This was not how I planned to start 2026.

01/01/2026

https://renegademennonite.wordpress.com/2025/12/31/good-bye-2025/

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. I am not sorry to see you go. I realize that no one knows what’s ahead at the beginning of a brand new year, but I REALLY didn’t know. H…