January 31, 2020 / by bofc / Make A Comment / Filed under Something Inspirational
Just a quick note to everyone who visits our Basket of Courage website. It’s been quite a while since you heard from me. Although, very active on Facebook I have not been as active on our website. I hope to change that with a monthly posting moving forward.
I am, however, humbled and appreciative of the donations that still come through the website even though it’s been awhile since the blog portion has had some new posts. With that being said the mission of Basket of Courage and the history have remained the same and to make it a little clearer we still work on the premise of “paying it forward.” When someone makes a request for a basket there is no charge for the basket. We rely on the generous donations from others in order to never miss an opportunity to send encouragement to those who are newly diagnosed, fighting again for the second or third time or spreading some cheer among the kids who are our greatest heroes.
In the beginning when funds were low, I was somewhat apprehensive and perhaps a little afraid that Basket of Courage might not be able to fulfill the “no charge” commitment. I am grateful to say after 9 years of sending encouragement and support in a basket, God has never let the well run dry.
He alone gets all the glory because this is where something very small laid on my heart one morning in prayer turned into something bigger than what I ever thought I could do. I truly thought I would send two or three baskets a year that was my plan, but God had a different plan. Through word of mouth especially from our recipients, Basket of Courage ships 50 to 60 baskets for women and 50-100 baskets for children annually.
I used the word I, but it really is we. There have been so many who have generously given whether it was a one-time donation or our continued annual donors, whether it was prayers being said for those diagnosed with cancer or for the shipping angels in my absence and especially for family and friends when extra hands are needed.
In ancient times one piece of iron could be used to sharpen another piece of iron. In the process of iron sharpening iron, both pieces change – the sharpener and the piece being sharpened. That is what I believe happens when we walk along side someone who needs encouragement or that cold cup of water. Both are changed for the better.
September 29, 2016 / by bofc / Make A Comment / Filed under Something Inspirational
It was that time again when my family came over to put together baskets for Ronald McDonald House in Maywood. This year we had two new little ones join in on the fun bagging stones and passing out fishes and frogs. They did an excellent job. Because we went to a summer schedule I had the joy of taking my granddaughter with me to deliver the baskets and take a tour of the house where we also had the opportunity to meet the new house director, Kelly Evans.
September 29, 2016 / by bofc / Make A Comment / Filed under Something Inspirational
October 22, 2013 / by bofc / Make A Comment / Filed under Something Inspirational
Hello, I want to first express my appreciation to Wanda for her wonderful work, love and faith that she gives with this ministry to breast cancer patients.
This is my story: Although this may start out somewhat disappointing, I have found a bright light in all this.
I found a lump myself this April 2013. I went to a new gynecologist who dismissed it as a cyst and said that cancer doesn’t hurt. This tumor hurt and burned. Although I scheduled a mammogram, this doctor’s lack of interest and his lack of follow up to my phone messages, cost me 5 weeks of time. I was not concerned that it was serious because of his dismissive behavior. When I went for a mammogram, I was then asked to do an ultrasound. I then got the concerning news from the radiologist – that it was most likely cancer. (I never spoke to this gynecologist again…as he obviously was not interested.)
After going to 3 hospitals for opinions, doing hundreds of hours of my own research with my husband – we also had finally chosen a surgeon. I was diagnosed with E/P negative, Her-2 equivocal breast cancer.
What I’ve learned is that you have to be your own Advocate and not be dismissed – or bullied by any hospital or doctor. Cancers and doctors are not all the same. I chose a surgeon who was not pushy, had a gentle demeanor, but an excellent reputation.
(Please note that the next lines are completely my own opinion and a patient needs to do whatever she feels comfortable to maintain her own breast health.) My surgeon had guessed this lump had been there for a number of years. I asked my radiologist why so many years of mammograms had never found this lump. She replied that mammograms are low quality imaging. What is NOT told you is that the most accurate method of checking breasts for tumors are ultrasound or thermo gram scans….and if necessary, MRI. If you are doing mammograms, you still need to check yourself.
Of things you can do yourself – that I’ve learned these past several months – is putting your faith first, positive thinking and how your diet plays a gigantic role in this.
What the doctors don’t tell you is that your diet and your lifestyle carve out your health…or lack of it. Although I exercised and took tons of supplements, I was addicted to sugar and loved the ease of eating mostly processed foods.
If I cannot read or pronounce the ingredients on a nutrition label, I now put it back on the shelf. After looking at the dangers of the chemicals in processed foods and also now knowing that cancer cells thrive on sugar, I immediately went on a macrobiotic/ vegan diet. This cleansed me for several weeks, however, I am a person who needs meat in their diet, so I have added meat back in my diet.
We prepare all our own food now and have the advantage of knowing what’s in it. My husband and I eat only organic produce now, organic or hormone/antibiotic free chicken and sometimes grass-fed beef. I have replaced my milk with almond milk, as well. The main part of my diet is produce, healthy grain (not wheat) and some meat. I am temporarily drinking only alkaline water as well. Cancer needs an acidic body to survive. It is possible to balance the PH levels in your body to lower these acid levels through your diet and supplements.
Many say that they cannot afford organic food…can you afford not to? If you choose organics, you not only avoid the pesticides, but the food value of organic food almost triples over conventional produce. This is proven. And your immune system maximizes all this wonderful energy from your organic food. Also, it is said that pesticides can stay in the body for years…how is that beneficial to you?
I also had a high stress career, which drags down an immune system. I have a business, but have gone to the semi-retired status so I can relax. And I know that a positive mind is mandatory for recovery. Your brain/mind controls the chemical balances in your body. And if you believe you will recover, you can. We all know that the cancer treatments get you started on your recovery, but your own immune system has to do the actual healing.
I also use a naturopathic doctor for immune therapy. I believe (and you may not) in detoxing, eating mostly alkaline foods, (with lots of greens and green shakes), taking the correct supplements…to help your immune system.
Keeping positive and staying in the Faith is optimum. This is a wonderful foundation of healing. We have all had people say inappropriate things to us, when people think they are consoling you – as a newly diagnosed cancer patient. I shrug these things off and stay away from negative-thinking people. Of course, this seems selfish to avoid people like this, but getting strong in mind, spirit and body is the first order of business. I think of myself as healthy,I have lost 20 pounds and my attitude is the best it’s been in years.
Others reading this may be light years ahead of me with their recovery, but if this can help at least one person in some way, this is my wish. To sum up the above, if you have recovered from cancer, but you do not change your diet or lifestyle, I think this is when cancer can reoccur. If you make your body to not be a welcome place for cancer to return, it most likely will not. This is the goal I am working on.
I know that the ultimate surgeon/healer is the Lord God above. The peace He delivers is immeasurable. He chose “US” for this – for a reason….
Karen Marzano
October 15, 2013 / by bofc / Make A Comment / Filed under Something Inspirational
I am a cancer survivor and have been cancer free for 2 years.
I know that a lot of people go through life saying that some things could never happen to them or their family. I was one of those people. My dad passed away of lung cancer when he was 49. Once I got passed that 49th year of my life, I thought I am home free. Well of course we can’t live with our heads in the clouds and expect that bad things will not happen to us.
I found out I had breast cancer in July 2011. At first it was just something that showed up on the mammogram, I wasn’t really worried about it but needed to have a biopsy to make sure. The results of the biopsy proved to be positive for cancer.
My surgeon said it was early stage and that she recommended a lumpectomy, but wanted me to have an MRI first. I still wasn’t worried about it. After the MRI she saw something else a second spot on the report that she didn’t like, so she had me do another biopsy.
No longer are the days where you go to the doctor’s office with your loved one holding your hand to get “the news.” My “news” came while I was walking through Wal-mart doing my grocery shopping. I received a call on my cell phone from the surgeon saying that the last biopsy was malignant as well. She explained to me that they were in different parts of the breast. It was infiltrating duct carcinoma, estrogen positive, stage 1 and grade 1. She went on to explain, my initial surgery for the lumpectomy would be cancelled and we were now looking at a mastectomy. All of this while standing in the frozen food section. I heard what she was saying but it’s strange how you continue on with whatever you are doing even though you just received bad news.
I did stop in one of the aisles at Wal-Mart to call my sister who is my lifeline. She also is a breast cancer survivor, but hers was more serious than mine because she had triple negative breast cancer, stage 2, grade 3, which is a more aggressive cancer. My sister’s name is Wanda and she is the founder of Basketofcourage.org. She will be five years cancer free in December. She had to have chemo and radiation. I think with her having breast cancer that I was more prepared for what might happen. Yep, my head was no longer in the clouds. I thought if this could happen to my sister, it could happen to anyone.
My oncologist ordered a test OncoType Dx a breast cancer essay to determine the percentage of recurrence and if I would need to take chemotherapy and or radiation. The range for recurrence on this particular test is 1-100. Mine was 19 % a low risk factor. The good news I would not have to take chemo or radiation. I will for the next five years take a drug called Armidex for post-menopausal women which takes the estrogen out of my body and lowers my chance of getting cancer in my other breast or recurrence.
As I remember I had my surgery and was up and ready to go home the next morning. I was actually feeling great. The cancer was gone. I had no fear and did not worry about any of it. I had prayed and left it in God’s hand. I kept thinking of Psalm 121:1-2 – “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.”
I also remember my sister taping verses around her house and I thought what a great idea, so I taped a verse on my kitchen cabinet, which I read often and gave me peace during this journey. Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
October 10, 2013 / by bofc / Make A Comment / Filed under Something Inspirational
Here’s just a little about the experience I’ve had this past year and half withcancer. During this, I was able to do the Bible Study by James MacDonald called, Always True. I’d like to share a few things that encouraged me and share a few of the REMINDER’s I was given during breast cancer.
I.The first reminder is, God is ALWAYS with ME, I don’t need to FEAR Isaiah41:10 “Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I[am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Well, I am a person who could worry over everything, I also have a mind that doesn’t stop thinking and I like to be prepared, know all the facts. I can think about the “What if’s” for any circumstance! Illustrations: My family use to go hiking/camping in the Dominican Republic once a year. It was a remote area way up in the mountains, no showers, no toilets. Man and nature. That is not my cup of tea so I would stay home and watch the house!:-) But when they would prepare for this trip I would say, do you have this or that because “WHAT IF” this or that happens. After awhile, I was forbidden to help with the packing process!:-))
When I was 12, my dad at age 32 was diagnosed with Lymphoma and given a year to live. I would worry about the day he would die. God had to teach me that I didn’t need to worry about things until they happened, He taught me His grace would be sufficient when the time came, and God gave him an extra 9 years to live!
I was afraid to move to a 3rd world country and having to “rough it”!:-) I like an air conditioner and a port a potty in my pop up camper. God showed me it wasn’t so bad and I could handle it and even come to love it there!!Moving to the UK I was afraid of living and surviving in cold weather, again He showed me I could do this! Face my fears!!
I was afraid of having surgery, since I’d never had it. Greg would say you’re more worried about having surgery than you are of having cancer!With my family history of cancer, I always dreaded getting it. I believe it’s another one of those times, God was saying we’re going to meet this fear head on and I have lots of treasures, opportunities and lessons for you and when you’re on the other side of this trial, you’ll be able to look back and say I was able to face my fear and God got me through once again!
I was diagnosed on January 6, 2012 with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma grade 3(fast growing) stage 2 B, ER/PR positive Breast Cancer. Ladies, DO YOURSELF BREAST EXAMS! I had an almost 2 inch tumor and my Mammogram came back normal, the tumor never showed up on the Mammogram!!
A few days before my surgery, one of our supporting churches showered me with pink gifts that I could wear to surgery. I had a pink top, with pink slippers, with a pink Fascinator and a pink purse, and not to forget my pink manicure and pedicure!
So many people had called, sent cards, emails and were praying. It was overwhelming as well as humbling to say the least knowing that literally,people all over the world are praying for you in preparation for a bilateral mastectomy.January 26, 2012 was the day of my surgery and it was like Christmas morning! Greg said I was “sick”!:-) I got dressed in all my pink attire, had my list of verses on fear and I was ready to go! I later told my surgeon, I don’t know if you could have a “perfect day of surgery” but mine was.When we arrived at the hospital, there were 3 different Pastors and their wives to pray with us, and that was just before. In the waiting room (which I obviously didn’t know about) with Greg and my kids were 2 Pastors, 2 Missionaries, a Deacon and his wife as well as some college students who were friends of my kids.NOTE: I must say sometimes when on the mission field you sometimes wonder if people really care or even think about you. But through all of this, I was able to realize they really DO!!
The first thing they had to do before my surgery was to give me two nuclear injections. From what I had been told it was terrible, very painful, and worse than the surgery itself! I know people were praying and I didn’t feel any pain. For me, it was not painful at all!After the injections I was wheeled to the holding area outside of the surgery room, a Nurse from our church in Springfield was working that day,came by and checked on me.My Gynecologist, who also goes to our church in Springfield said she’d probably not see me before my surgery but would check on me during surgery and let my family know how I was doing. That day, her operating room was delayed and she spent most of the time with me in the holding area and was there when my surgeon came to talk with me as well.One of the other nurses in the holding area had a daughter married to aWelsh man and had visited Wales, she too was a Christian.In the OR, the anesthesiologist had been on mission’s trips to Haiti and was trying to find ways of going out of the DR to Haiti. Conversation was short,but another Christian in the room.So this is why I say I had a perfect day of surgery!
TRANSITION: I KNEW God was with me, and I didn’t have to FEAR! He gave me a PEACE AND CALM that only HE can do!
II.The second reminder is God is always in Control, I don’t need to DOUBT: Proverbs 3:5&6, “ Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”I did the Bible study by Linda Dillow, “Lord Calm my Anxious Heart”. In it there’s a Portuguese story about a man and his misfortunes and blessings. All the people around him, let him know what things were his misfortunes and what things were his blessings.His response was always…All I know is this… and he would state the facts that he knew. At the end he summed up all that had happened to him by stating, “That which God chooses is better than what I choose.”
Sunday in church after my first chemo treatment we sang, “Blessed Be Your Name” by Matt Redman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnWKehsOXu8
I began to think of how blessed I have been, I’ve not had much taken from me,I’ve had discouragement, the death of my father and father in law, but so many blessings. Other than Dengue fever I’ve never really been sick or hospitalized (other than births) I physically had not had anything taken away.**Even though this is nothing in comparison to Job, I felt as though I was stripped of everything that made me feel like a Woman. I felt the Lord had taken away the parts of me that were so personal and I knew the chemo would take my hair away. I asked the Lord to help me that no matter what He gives or what He takes away, to Bless HIS Name!
After my first chemo treatment I realized I truly am weak, and ( there were some days I wasn’t sure if I had the strength to have faith, to call on the Lord, to pray, read His word or to do anything. As Moses had to have his hands lifted, so did I. I too realized I was going to need the faith of OTHERS to help me get through this.
After some mind games with Satan,that Sunday message was on Phil 4:9-13. Things I needed to think on. I knew my mind was extra weak during this and I needed to be surrounded by good preaching, music and God’s word.TRANSITION: Through all of this, I would pray and reminded myself that God knows where I am, He’s in Control and that He’s got a purpose for all of this.
III.The third reminder is God is ALWAYS GOOD, I don’t need to DESPAIR Psalms27:13 “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” NASB
Going to the oncologist office for my first visit Feb 21, 2012 was another emotional day with heavy breathing and sighing for both of us.The day of my first treatment (March 28, 2012) was a little overwhelming and solemn but we made it through. About the 2nd-3rd day I was in the kitchen cooking and not feeling well, and Greg asked what was wrong, I began to cry and told him I didn’t know if I was up to going through Chemo, if I would have the strength to make it through. I didn’t know if I could handle loosing my hair and anything else that would come up.The day of my Second Chemo treatment, Greg dropped me off at the front door, when I got to the office I went straight to the bathroom and I began to cry. I don’t know why, if it was just the thought of treatment #2 and here we go again.
After Greg arrived, he said he didn’t like being there. I told him to go to the bathroom and cry, it would make him feel better. 
After I finished my 8 weeks of one chemo treatment, I began 12 weeks of another. I would always begin to feel good the closer I was to my next treatment. On our way to one of my treatments a supporting pastor called and asked how I was doing. I told him I felt like an MMA fighter, I was feeling good and going in for another round, knowing I was going to be knocked down!!:-)
When I felt and looked the worse, I would always remind myself, in a year from now, things will be different.In spite of all the unknowns, low spots and difficulties, I have been so blessed, and had so much to be thankful for.
God has been so GOOD to me. I’ve seen His Perfect Timing in all of this!I was in Springfield with a home to stay in and wonderful medical doctors.I’m blessed that I wasn’t a single mom or a mom with young kids goingthrough Chemo/breast cancer,I have a wonderful supportive husband, kids, family and friends.I know someone, somewhere is worse off than me-I’m blessed to have had only had breast cancer and not something worse.
CONCLUSION: Two other verses that encouraged me during this time were:
Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and [that] spreadeth outher roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leafshall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shallcease from yielding fruit.”
Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.I have been blessed to be reminded again and to SEE that my God is ALWAYS WITH ME, my God is ALWAYS IN CONTROL, and my God is ALWAYS GOOD!!
October 2, 2012 / by bofc / Make A Comment / Filed under Something Inspirational
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There is some exciting news not only for triple negative breast cancer but other cancers as well.
http://www.examiner.com/article/eradication-of-triple-negative-breast-cancer-included-moon-shots-program
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