Category Archives: God stuf
Merry Christmas!
Happy Birthday Jesus! I’m so glad it’s Christmas. All the tinsel and lights and the presents are nice but the real gift is You.
Happy Birthday Jesus! I’m so glad it’s Christmas. All the carols and bells make the holiday swell and it’s all about You.
Happy Birthday Jesus! Jesus, I love You!
Merry Christmas from the Ormeo Family to yours!
Toots, Joyce, Ethan, Lizzie, and Enzo
I’m a new fan
Thank-full Day 22
I am thankful for the Bible verses that were important to my mom, that I can hold on to today as I face a major and life changing surgery. From the very beginning of my cancer journey, which has been very short thus far, God has been gracious to allow me to experience this journey with my mom even though she’s been gone for 11 years. The verse that she held on to during her own journey still resonates within me since the first week after my own diagnosis.
Now as I sit with her Bible, I find the only verses that are highlighted and bookmarked since she last used it many years ago. It’s as if she knew that I would one day pick up her Bible to find those verses.
Psalm 37:3-5 (NIV)
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this.
As I face the days beyond surgery/recovery and cancer, I will hold on to three things.
- I need to trust in the Lord, both in the good and in the bad.
- God is holding my right hand, so I don’t need to be afraid. Isaiah 41: 10, 13 (NCV)
- “This is the most awesome experience [Mom had] with the Lord.” (click here to read about that)
PS. By the time you are reading this (auto-scheduled) blog post, I will hopefully be out of surgery and recovering in my room for the night. Thank you for the prayers and love everyone has shown my family and especially me.
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Click here to view the Ormeo’s Thank-full 2011 edition
Click here to view the Ormeo’s Thanksgiving Challenge 2009 edition
Thank-full Day 21
I am thankful for the “Night of Worship” with Watermark Church. It was just what my heavy heart needed. This week as my family and I prepare for surgery, I can’t help but worry about how my family and home will flow as I recover, and more importantly where God will take us from here.
But as I listened to each song, I was reminded that God is who He says He is and will never falter.
“Oh my God He will not delay. My refuge and strength always. I will not fear, His promise is true. My God will come through always. I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord.”
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Click here to view the Ormeo’s Thank-full 2011 edition
Click here to view the Ormeo’s Thanksgiving Challenge 2009 edition
Thank-full Day 15
I am so thankful that God has provided me with a great oncologist. For the couple of weeks we had to wait for a referral, we always prayed that God would give us a great oncologist (and not just have to settle for one) that would be able to the right procedure quickly. I was secretly praying for the robotic hysterectomy because of all the positive reviews I have read and heard from others, compared to the traditional abdominal hysterectomy.
God knew just the right oncologist to give me. Dr. Buckley is one of the main oncologists/surgeons that perform the da Vinci Hysterectomy at our local hospital. This news clip is of him talking about Gynecologic Awareness month, which was back in September (I didn’t even know they had that!) and the robotic procedure. At my first appointment with him, before I could even ask about the robotic surgery, he started our conversation off with why he didn’t see a reason why he couldn’t do the robotic surgery! What a relief and definitely an answer to prayer!
So we continue to pray that the surgery will proceed as planned on November 22nd and the entire surgery will be successfully completed using the da Vinci robot. It’s still major surgery and any type of surgery is scary, but I have to admit, the machine looks pretty cool! It kind of reminds me of Dr. Octopus from Spiderman 2.
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Click here to view the Ormeo’s Thank-full 2011 edition
Click here to view the Ormeo’s Thanksgiving Challenge 2009 edition
Thank-full Day 9
This morning I woke up in a frenzy and panic. I sat up in bed partly ready to hyperventilate as I was thinking through my hematology appointment today and a CT scan tomorrow. As I sat there for a few minutes trying to find the courage to get out of bed, I receive a text message from a number that wasn’t in my phone.
I am thankful for the messages God sends through other people to remind me He is always there. I totally picture God laughing and getting a kick out of my surprise text this morning. He’s got a sense of humor and He laughs at me a lot…God knows what I need even before I do, and I definitely needed that text this morning 
Job 37:5 (NIV)
5 God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding.
ps. I’m not worried about the CT scan in the way you might be thinking. Well maybe a little but you know what my hang up is?? That nasty contrast stuff you have to drink! UGH! The thought of it makes me gag, I remember my mom having to drink two bottles of it for one of her CT scans. I’m a wimp when it comes to food and beverage, sometimes I wish I was like Ethan and Toots when it comes to food (trust me, only sometimes…like once in a blue-never sometimes). I’m too picky hehe
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Click here to view the Ormeo’s Thank-full 2011 edition
Click here to view the Ormeo’s Thanksgiving Challenge 2009 edition
Dear Friends and Family
As some of you may have known, Joyce has been in and out the ER/Hospital these past few weeks, close to about a month because of massive blood loss. She has been diagnosed severely anemic, been admitted twice, received 7 Units of blood (via transfusion) and had an Endometrial Resection & Ablation Surgery (still recovering).
Little did we know, this was all a blessing in disguise.
Two Mondays ago, Joyce was diagnosed with an Endometrial Adenocarcinoma (FIGO Grade 1). It’s a form of Cancer in the uterus, but at its early stages. Our OB/GYN is not too alarmed because of the FIGO Grade, appearance and size of the spot. If Joyce had not gone through all of that, the Doctors would NOT have had any reason to conduct a biopsy. And because of that, the Doctors were able to detect Cancer at an early stage. Despite of our uneasiness and mixed feelings about this news, we believe that God is truly in control and in good timing.
The plan of action: Once we get an approval from insurance, OB/GYN will schedule an appointment for us to see an Oncologist. According to our OB/GYN (collaboration with an Oncologist), Joyce will have to undergo a Complete (or Total) Hysterectomy and a Lymphadenectomy (Lymph Node removal). The Doctors are certain that this would take care of the Endometrial Adenocarcinoma (complete removal and from spreading).
Healing time would be at the minimum of 6 weeks. Chemo-therapy is determined by the size of the Cancer after the removal. But based on its Grade (not stage) right now, it may not even be necessary.
We hope and pray that God will use this situation to make us better, closer, and a stronger family, but most of all, have a profound testimony that God is the great physician.
I know you have questions and concerns and want to show love and support to Joyce, all there is to know, I have written above. We don’t have any other details until we see the Oncologist and we will keep you posted. All we ask of you right now is join us in prayer.
Should you have any questions, feel free to email me or text me.
Prayer Request:
· Peace and Strength for the family
· Insurance process to go quickly [so we can be scheduled and referred]
· Good and knowledgeable Doctors
· Speedy procedure and recovery
· Financial needs
Thank you for you love and support,
Toots (Edwin), Joyce, Ethan, Lizzie and Enzo
11 years later and a Diagnosis
It’s been 11 years since Mom has passed away. But God has been good and has blessed our family in more ways than we could have ever imagined. God used my mom to bring others to Him (before, during and after her fight with cancer) and even 11 years later, God uses her for His glory. Big shoes to fill but what a wonderful legacy to leave our family.
11 years ago, during the last few weeks of Mom’s fight with cancer, she started to write in a journal. She only wrote a few entries but powerful ones nonetheless. They are personal thoughts but nothing that she wouldn’t have shared.
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September 20, 2000
Isaiah 41: 10, 13 (NCV)
10 So don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you.
13 I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand, and I tell you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I will help you.’
This is the most awesome experience I have with the Lord. One assurance that He is holding me in time of fear and pain. I hold onto His promise every time I have my radiation. Moving me back and forth on a hard board is very painful and of course the fear of what I will feel. He makes me strong all the way. Everytime I go for testing, this is what I’m holding on to. He holds me with His right hand and I always ask Him to cover me with His blood.
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Last Monday (a week ago), I went to a post-op appointment expecting to be cleared for normal activities, only to walk away with a diagnosis of Endometrial Adenocarcinoma Grade 1 (Endometrial Cancer, no staging yet). There are no words to describe the blur and fear that overwhelm a person as you sit and try to listen to your doctor describe what pathology has found and what it means. I managed to drive to Toots’ work to tell him about our life changing news. I vaguely remember the blur as he drove me home and walked me to our bed. The rest of the day and any phone calls Toots made that afternoon is still a blur. Listening to Toots’ talk to my family and having to talk to Ethan and the kids is all a blur.
As I lay in bed that night in fear and panic and in the midst of reoccurring sonic boom nightmares (another post for another day), I found my mom’s journal. And the one and only thing that wasn’t a blur all day (all week really) was the verse she wrote. Isaiah 41: 10, 13. It stood out even louder than the sonic boom nightmare that kept me awake all night. God telling me to not be afraid. Mom reminding me to not worry.
My mom and I are both stubborn and strong willed women, so I have a feeling she’s gonna teach me first hand what she meant by “This is the most awesome experience I have with the Lord.” even when she isn’t here and I really didn’t want to learn this way.
I am so grateful that God gave us a mother that loved Him and that prayed for us. I am so grateful that God has allowed my mom to be with me when I needed her the most, even 11 years after she’s gone.
11 years later, God is still using her….
So here we are waiting for what’s next. As I wait, I’m reminded ”So don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you.”
Am I afraid? Yes…
Am I worried? Sort of…
Would I want a different path for my family? Not sure…because after all, “This is the most awesome experience [Mom had] with the Lord”
Am I ready for what God has next? He’s holding my right hand even if I’m not…so here we go…
it’s not about me
