So Friday before last, I called the Hillman Cancer Center to tell them I felt like I was getting a UTI—something I used to have a lot. They decided not to do a urinalysis yet but told me to go to Urgent Care if it got worse over the weekend. It didn’t so I didn’t go, but by Tuesday before last, (chemo day), the feeling was back so HCC did a urinalysis but it turned out negative—so they did chemo and sent away a culture.

Symptoms improved but came back on Friday, when I was supposed to call for the results of the culture. The nurse told me the results looked “pretty good.” I told her I didn’t feel pretty good and if it this kept up, I would go to Urgent Care, which I did.

We had a long wait at Urgent Care and I noticed that a Mom sitting near us with her two children had her shirt on inside out. I was going to make a joke to Donn about it but decided that wasn’t the kindest thing to do. I had no idea what her day had been like.

As often happens, I can’t remember what prompted this Mom to begin a conversation with me—or perhaps I began one with her. Regardless, she was soon telling me that her seven-year-old son had been recently diagnosed with autism.

Our daughter, Angelyn, who has a degree in Special Education, has such a heart for autistic children that I’ve developed one because of her. I was so glad I hadn’t joked about her shirt as she poured out her heart to me until one of us was called to an examining room.

And again I was reminded of how God uses my health issues to connect me with people who need a listening ear and prayer. I also enjoyed the interaction with the very patriotically dressed nurse who shared freely her love for our Country when I complimented her on her scrubs. What a blessing on the day before the fourth of July!

They knew I was there because I thought I had a UTI but when this dipstick also came back negative, I was tempted to fear this had been a wasted trip to Urgent Care, but my provider said he would send out a culture since this seemed to be an ongoing issue. He also called in a two-day prescription for a medication for bladder spasms. It didn’t help much if any.

On Monday for the first time on a chemo day, my daytime temperature was slightly elevated—98.8–which was a red flag to Megan, my very thorough nurse. I also told her about my trip to Urgent Care and the culture they’d sent in, and she went to talk to my oncologist. Thankfully, the results came back in time for her to find them in her UPMC information.

This time the culture showed bacteria and after telling me I wouldn’t have chemo today, Megan and I went over the list of antibiotics that have been shown to be effective against this bacteria, comparing them to the long list of antibiotics to which I’m sensitive. Thankfully, we were able to find one that I’ve taken before, although not in doses as high as the one my doctor prescribed.

A few days ago, I had looked at the calendar and discovered if I didn’t miss any more chemo days, I could still be done with my 12 weeks by the end of August, so for a moment, I felt discouraged that I couldn’t do that. Then I remembered that God alone knows how much chemo my body can tolerate in a given period of time and perhaps this was His way of keeping me from receiving too much. (Later, I talked to my sister, Judy, who is a nurse, and found that she’d had the same thoughts.)

Also, by being at HCC on Monday, even though I didn’t receive chemo, I got to spend time again with the sweet Christian girl, Nicole, with whom I’d conversed on my first day of chemo. We discovered she goes to the same church as Eileen, the Christian we’d talked to last week!

And I had a chance to witness to Megan, my oncology nurse, of my choice to either be afraid or to trust God on this journey—and I’d chosen to trust God. She said, “That helps so much with that sense of inner peace.” From this and other comments she made, I suspect she also knows the Prince of Peace, the only One who can give true peace no matter what our circumstances.

Heavenly Father, thank you that you know the plans you have for us, plans not for evil but for good to give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Help us to trust you even when we don’t understand. Amen.