Happy belated New Year! Sorry I have missed the exact day. December proved to be a difficult month for the Mitchell extended household. As I write this entry my husband and I are recovering from the nasty flu that is enveloping the country. However, this has not the most difficult part of December. Early in the month my daughter Brittany, who is valiantly fighting breast cancer, learned she would be needing to change chemo treatments because the one that had been working so well had stopped doing so. She needed to change course and quickly, which is what the doctors did. Unfortunately, with the treatment came harsh side effects, or so we thought, and by December 22nd she was admitted to the hospital with severe dehydration. It was a scary time to say the least. No one knew what was going on with Brittany but, with the help of her oncology doctors and her strong sister, Amanda, and the love of her husband, children and friends and family, Brittany overcame the awful symptoms of what she was going through and made it home on Christmas Eve, fragile but home with an army waiting to nurse her back to health.
We were able to have our Mitchell Gang Christmas, not the way we always had, but we were together, nonetheless, and totally enjoying each other's company. Brittany rested most of the day but was able to see her two young sons open their Christmas presents Christmas morning, something she was heartbroken to miss. The crazy activity carried on while Brittany rested in the guest room upstairs and. at times, she was able to join us when she felt well enough. Our family was grateful, as always, to God for His blessings and especially for Brittany's recovery, fragile as it was. It took her another five to seven days of convalescence to recover to a point of being able to function alone, but she is on the mend.
Within those 5 to 7 days I, and then Tom, came down with the flu. Upon suffering from this flu that completely wipes you out with fever, chills, cough, you name it, Tom and I started to wonder if Brittany was not only suffering from the side effects of chemo but also from this flu. In her immune-compromised state it makes sense she would suffer more severely than the general public. We will never know because she was not tested for the flu, but we are pretty firm in our belief. We will see as Brittany continues with her chemo treatments. So far, she has been doing pretty well.
So enough of the bad news, I do happily say goodbye to 2025 for obvious reasons, but I would not be giving you the whole picture if I did not tell you the good things that happened in 2025, as well. We saw an outpouring of support for our youngest child in her crisis beyond any human understanding. She has received prayer and all kinds of support from all over the country. Her family, friends and even strangers have filled the many needs of keeping her family going at every turn while Brittany has been fighting cancer. The outpouring of kindness has been overwhelming.
We have also seen our family become even closer than ever. We have cried together, prayed together, asked "Why?" together and also laughed together. We have grown in our faith and are stronger for it. God has been good, as always, and has reminded us that He is by our side.
So, with a grateful and hopeful heart I move into the New Year humbling asking for miracles and good news to come for Brittany and others as they go on their own hard journeys this year. I am also hoping to be able to live my life with an uplifting attitude even in the harshest of times.
Happy New Year!!! Blessings to You and Yours!!!
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