(I was asked to write my breast cancer story for our local paper as a part of Breast Cancer Awareness month. The following is just a little piece of 2016 in the Harms house. It’s a bit longer than my typical blog posts, but I am publishing it as it was printed in the paper.) The hardest part is telling your kids. Watching your child navigate heartache is painful. But when you are the one who causes the heartache, it is almost unbearable. We sat in front of the fireplace, Corey and I. It was January 21. Two days after…
When you pass through the waters I will be with you. Isaiah 43:2 The image of water stirs up a lot of things in me. The power. The tranquility. The danger. The beauty. Cancer was my water. Fear-inspiring, yet fused with the beautiful. So hard, yet covered by a peace I cannot explain. The water was rough, but Jesus was constant. One night long ago on the stormy Sea of Galilee, Peter jumped out of a boat and began walking to Jesus. He sees a man walking toward him on the water and says “Lord if it’s you, tell me to come…
Photo by Katie Swanson Sweet saturating sunshine Remind me always of how Jesus enveloped us in light even when days were dark.
It’s possible. And here’s how to do it. First, drive 3 hours to the Minneapolis IKEA with a friend. Realize when you get there that the futon you came for is out of stock. Enjoy your day anyway and come home with a few items of lesser importance. Cost of Trip Lunch – $12 Gas – FREE (Your friend won’t let you pay for gas because she’s pretty great.) Then, four days later, drive 3 ½ hours with your hubby (who is awesome) to the Kansas City IKEA where the futon is in stock. Buy said futon. Eat way too…
I used several breast cancer specific supplies as I recovered from my bilateral mastectomy earlier this year. Some were useful- like the above mastectomy pillows. Some were not- like the two post-mastectomy camis that someone convinced my husband I needed for $70 a piece. And they gave him their sales pitch when he was in the hospital waiting room during my surgery. Oh My Word! Leave the poor men alone while their wives are in having their breasts removed! I’m still a little perturbed by that. My mom and two of her friends have started making mastectomy pillows to give away FREE to women who…