I've never given it much thought before a few days ago when my grandma brought it up. Now that she has given me more insight into my terrifying ordeal that happened in January 2008 I realize that I am very lucky to be here.
January of 2008 my entire family (James, Claire, Amy, Andrea, Eric, Connie, and myself) went on a cruise to the caribbean. I had started feeling kinda funny a couple days before we left, but thought nothing of it. About a day into the 5-day cruise I was absolutely miserable. I HAD to sleep every afternoon, I could barely eat anything, I was always cold, I was extremely weak, I had constant headaches. I didn't know what was wrong with me, but figured I couldn't do anything about it until I got home so I just lived with it. Things became exceptionally worse the day we left to come home. We had an 8 hour time frame from when our flight left Miami and I could barely stay awake. When we landed in Memphis for a short layover I was running a 104 degree temperature and had strange rash all over my body. As soon as we landed in Wichita James immediately drove me to the ER. They did all the normal protocol, blood tests, urine tests... that's when things changed.
The ER doctor came in looking very forlorned. He explained to me that my white blood cell count was next to nothing and with the other symptoms I had been experiencing that it was most likely leukemia. As soon as he left the room I immediately started bawling and saying "I don't want to die!" My grandma recently told me that my aunt (who is the house supervisor for Via Christi) had come to tell her what was wrong with me. My grandma said my aunt was terrified and said "Cecily, she only has 6 weeks at best. I don't think James realizes this..."
I was put on the oncology floor, and my aunt pulled some strings so I could have my own room. Numerous tests were ran, a billion blood samples were taken and some sent to Mayo Clinic... the doctors were baffled. I don't remember what made them decide to rule out leukemia. I remember one night sitting in my room and feeling like this HUGE burden was taken out of me. It wasn't until the next day when my grandma told me that all of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and great grandma had become prayer warriors throughout the night that I realized the strange illness was miraculously healed. The next thing I know the infectious disease doctor comes in and says "I really think its a virus. There is a specific virus that does mimic leukemia, and I think thats what you have." I was overJOYED! I wasn't going to die!
Looking back at this experience now makes me realize how lucky I am to be here. I very well could of had leukemia, but because of the way I was lifted up in prayers by family members that loved me dearly I am completely healthy. I will never forget the feeling I got when that "burden" was lifted from me. It was a sense of relief and peace, and I know without a doubt that God performed a miracle.
June 18, 2010
June 8, 2010
Chocolate Layer Cake
This is the second official Weight Watchers recipe I've tried, and it turned out fantastic!!
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder or instant-coffee granules (You can use decaf, but don't option out on this ingredient! It makes the cake)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fat-free buttermilk (I used sour milk instead. 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for every cup of milk. Add the lemon juice in a glass measuring cup and enough milk to make 1 cup of total liquid)
1/2 cup raspberry spreadable fruit (I used the whole jar)
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; spray 2 (8 inch square or round) pans with nonstick spray.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer on high speend, cream the granulated sugar and butter; add the egg and vanilla, beating until smooth. Gradually beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, until the batter is smooth. Divide the batter between the pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Cool completely in the pans on a rack. INsert a sharp knife around edges of each pan; remove cakes from the pans. Transfer 1 cake to a platter, flat side up.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt the spreadable fruit, 2-3 minutes. Brush 1/4 cup of the spreadable fruit on top of the cake on the platter; top with the other cake and brush with the remaining spreadable fruit. Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar.
3 points / slice
Recipe from the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder or instant-coffee granules (You can use decaf, but don't option out on this ingredient! It makes the cake)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fat-free buttermilk (I used sour milk instead. 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for every cup of milk. Add the lemon juice in a glass measuring cup and enough milk to make 1 cup of total liquid)
1/2 cup raspberry spreadable fruit (I used the whole jar)
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; spray 2 (8 inch square or round) pans with nonstick spray.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer on high speend, cream the granulated sugar and butter; add the egg and vanilla, beating until smooth. Gradually beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, until the batter is smooth. Divide the batter between the pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Cool completely in the pans on a rack. INsert a sharp knife around edges of each pan; remove cakes from the pans. Transfer 1 cake to a platter, flat side up.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt the spreadable fruit, 2-3 minutes. Brush 1/4 cup of the spreadable fruit on top of the cake on the platter; top with the other cake and brush with the remaining spreadable fruit. Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar.
3 points / slice
Recipe from the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
June 2, 2010
It must be the day
I am definitely moping.
Today, I think everything sucks. Today, I am allowing myself to be in a bad mood and just go with the flow. Claire doesn't want to play with toys. She wants to watch her library movies. Label me a bad mother, but you can't convince an almost 3 year old to do something she doesn't want to do. Believe me. I've tried.
So here I am in a bad mood. Not really a bad mood - more like a mood. I have nothing to be down about, but everything seems to be on my nerves. Like Claire running upstairs because she hears someone walking around. Or my MIL eating lunch at 2:30 when I'll be making dinner at 6. Or the library being too busy. Ugh. This day just needs to end!
On a better note my husband's birthday is tomorrow. Claire and I are going to make him a cake. Don't tell him, but it's a Weight Watchers recipe that I'm trying. Shhhhh. It's chocolate raspberry which I know he likes so can I go wrong? I reallllllllly hope it doesn't turn out to be a big flop like a previous birthday cake did.
My birthday is 10 days away. My best-friend is treating me to a night out. Her husband gave her an awesome budget to spend on me, and we're thinking dinner and a movie with the rest of the girls. I feel so beyond blessed that she wants to do something for my birthday. Really, my cup runneth over. On my actual birthday my husband said he'd take me to Bonefish Grill which I have been dying to try. It's healthy and I can still count points (maybe, as I've heard their Sangria is to die for.)
Okay, need to get dinner started. My goal is to have it put together so all I have to do is put it in the oven at 5:30 and we can be eating by 6:00. Trying a new recipe. Results pending.
Today, I think everything sucks. Today, I am allowing myself to be in a bad mood and just go with the flow. Claire doesn't want to play with toys. She wants to watch her library movies. Label me a bad mother, but you can't convince an almost 3 year old to do something she doesn't want to do. Believe me. I've tried.
So here I am in a bad mood. Not really a bad mood - more like a mood. I have nothing to be down about, but everything seems to be on my nerves. Like Claire running upstairs because she hears someone walking around. Or my MIL eating lunch at 2:30 when I'll be making dinner at 6. Or the library being too busy. Ugh. This day just needs to end!
On a better note my husband's birthday is tomorrow. Claire and I are going to make him a cake. Don't tell him, but it's a Weight Watchers recipe that I'm trying. Shhhhh. It's chocolate raspberry which I know he likes so can I go wrong? I reallllllllly hope it doesn't turn out to be a big flop like a previous birthday cake did.
My birthday is 10 days away. My best-friend is treating me to a night out. Her husband gave her an awesome budget to spend on me, and we're thinking dinner and a movie with the rest of the girls. I feel so beyond blessed that she wants to do something for my birthday. Really, my cup runneth over. On my actual birthday my husband said he'd take me to Bonefish Grill which I have been dying to try. It's healthy and I can still count points (maybe, as I've heard their Sangria is to die for.)
Okay, need to get dinner started. My goal is to have it put together so all I have to do is put it in the oven at 5:30 and we can be eating by 6:00. Trying a new recipe. Results pending.
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