Today is a great day!

Today is a great day! Not only is it Dan's birthday (Happy Birthday Love!) but it is also one year since I was diagnosed with cancer. Last year on this date we weren't sure what we were facing but we knew we weren't facing it alone. Just as Moses encouraged Joshua and Israel as they prepared to cross the Jordan in Deuteronomy 31:7-8 we too were encouraged by the Word to be “strong and courageous…it is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” We are thankful for the encouragement of God’s Word and for strength and healing! Thank you for supporting us in prayer this past year; we couldn't have made this journey without you! It’s a blessing to be cancer free!

Love,

Kelly, Dan, Philip & Elizabeth

Lamentations 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Treatments are over and I feel great!

This update is much overdue!! I have to apologize for waiting so long to update my blog. After radiation was finished in October I was exhausted. Since then I feel like I have been playing “catch-up” trying to complete everything that was pushed to the side due to lack of energy.

Radiation ended well with no major problems and no terrible radiation burns. I’m now on the regiment of taking Tamoxifen for the next five years. Thankfully this is just a daily pill with hot flashes being the most annoying aspect of the medication.

I also have four months worth of hair that has grown back! I gave up the scarves and wig on October 31; how appropriate. It was very strange to be out in public with such little hair but it actually felt liberating. Philip was concerned that I forgot to cover my head and Elizabeth was concerned people would laugh and think I was a boy. Both kids have adjusted well and Elizabeth's only question now is when my hair will be long again. At the rate my hair is growing it will be a long time!

Thank you for your love and prayers over these past several months. Your encouraging words and cards were a source of strength and helped our entire family as we faced each new bump in the road of this journey. God was faithful in providing all of our needs during those times and continues to do so!

Our prayer for you as you prepare to celebrate Christmas is that your hearts and minds will be focused on the true gift, Jesus, who came to offer us the most precious gift of all, salvation through His shed blood on the cross.

Have a wonderful Christmas!

With much thanks and love,

Kelly, Daniel, Philip & Elizabeth

Psalm 66:8-10

Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.

Radiation and Peach Fuzz

I apologize for not providing an update for over a month. Philip started 1^st grade on August 19, I started radiation on August 20, Elizabeth started preschool on September 9 and it has been full-steam ahead since then. We even threw in a mild case of pneumonia the last week of August for Philip that provided added excitement to the beginning of the school year. We have been adjusting to full day school and homework assignments for Philip, 3 mornings a week of preschool for Elizabeth, and 5 mornings a week of radiation for me. All these activities along with Dan’s commute to Chicago make for very long exhausting days.

I’m now more than 2/3 of the way through my radiation treatments; I only have 10 more treatments to go! So far the treatments have gone well. The radiation “sun” burn appeared a week ago Tuesday but hasn’t yet given me any trouble. Due to my skin burning the doctor adjusted my treatment schedule so that today I began the five days of radiation that targets the location of the tumor instead of doing this at the end of the series of treatments. Hopefully this change will give my skin a little bit of time to heal so the burn doesn’t become severe.

My last day of radiation is scheduled for October 8 when I will also meet with the Oncologist to discuss taking Tamoxifen for the next 5 years. Thankfully the hormone therapy treatment requires swallowing a tablet and not having to drive to the hospital every day.

The last week of August my hair started to grow back. At first I thought it was going to be completely white but after a couple of weeks it started looking darker and I am happy to say that most of it is surprisingly dark. The kids call my hair “peach fuzz” and although it is still very short I am thankful that it is growing. I do have about a dozen gray hairs that held on for dear life during chemo which I eventually need to trim. What a journey this has been!

Through all this the Lord has continued to give us strength. We are thankful for all that He has provided. We are thankful for all of you and the way you have encouraged us as we have walked this path. We look forward to what the Lord has planned for us in the days ahead. To Him be the glory!

Love,

Kelly

Radiation Schedule

I will begin radiation therapy Thursday, August 20. I will have a total of 33 treatments which are scheduled through October 7.

The journey continues!

Love,

Kelly

Finished With Chemo and Heading Into Radiation

I finished chemo on 7/22; what a relief to have that behind me! The only lingering symptoms of the chemotherapy are hot flashes and fatigue. This past Monday I met with the radiation oncologist and had a CAT scan that is used to located the treatment fields. I will go back on this coming Monday, 8/17, for a “dress rehearsal” appointment at which time I will schedule my radiation appointments for the next six weeks, five days a week. The plan right now is to wait until after the 19th to start the treatments since that is the first day of school.

It is hard to believe that five months have flown by since my diagnosis! We are praising the Lord for the strength He has provided our family during this time and thanking Him for you and your prayers.

Love,

Kelly

3 Down and 1 to Go!

My 3rd chemo treatment, almost three weeks ago, went well and without an allergic reaction. The nurse I had that day looked at my veins and immediately asked an IV nurse to set me up with the IV; even the IV nurse had difficulty sticking me and had to resort to placing it in the underside of my arm (I think I prefer the top of the hand…). The major problems that I have been experiencing from the chemo are heartburn and fatigue. Medicine somewhat takes the edge off the heartburn but it seems like everything I eat and drink causes it. Thankfully eight days after chemo I start to feel better and by day 9 I’m able to eat and drink again without any trouble.

I've had two good weeks now in preparation for this last treatment. What a relief to know that this Wednesday the 22nd is the last one! Like the title of the blog, this whole experience with all the good, the bad and the ugly aspects, hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. The Lord continues to sustain us as a family and we continue to trust Him with the future as we start to prepare for radiation treatments in the upcoming weeks.

My hair loss experience has been interesting. After having my hair buzzed I haven’t lost any more hair; it is actually growing. The kids are very excited to see that my hair is getting longer; although it still looks like a buzz cut, just longer hairs sticking straight up. I have also become aware of my ancestral gray hair genes…I have a feeling that when my hair grows back completely I will be more gray than I was before I lost it. Like my doctor stated, "sometimes hair comes in straight, curly, darker, lighter/whiter or whatever color you want." Not sure what it will end up looking like but I may end up choosing "whatever color you want."

As our cancer journey continues we look forward to closing the door on chemotherapy and moving forward. We aren't sure what the Lord has in store for us down the road but we are thankful that He has a plan, He is in control, that He loves us and He will continue to make us stronger in our faith as we put our complete trust in Him.

We are thankful for all of you, our family, friends and people whom we have never met who have supported us with their prayers and their love during this time. You have been a wonderful source of encouragement and we are thankful for you!

Love,

Kelly

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4

Going, going, almost gone!

The past couple of weeks have been eventful around here. Two weeks ago my hair starting falling out. What a crazy phenomenon! After six days of my hair coming out in clumps I went and had my remaining hair shaved off. As much as I dreaded having my head shaved it was such a relief to have it done. It was actually more disturbing and a huge pain having my hair coming out in clumps then having it shaved. Never in my life would I have thought that I’d have cancer but even more so that I would lose my hair and have it shaved off. It is strange to pass a mirror and not recognize myself but overall it hasn’t been as bad as I thought it would be.

The kids have adjusted fairly well to me not having all my hair. The day I had my head shaved I was fitted for a wig. They were both curious about the wig but more so about my “bald spot.” Once they saw me without the wig they wanted me to put it back on. Since then they have gotten better about me going without my head covered. Elizabeth prefers that I cover my head because it makes her sad but overall the kids have accepted it and understand that the loss of my hair is a result of the chemo working which is a good thing.

Last week I had my second chemo treatment. Before starting the chemo they increased the steroid and gave me Benadryl to prevent another allergic reaction. The session started with the nurse blowing out my vein (“oops! I just blew a vein, I’m having a bad day”) and I did have a slight reaction to the chemo again but it was mild and lasted for a short time. This time around I have been more tired but I haven’t had the bone achiness and headaches. I am half way through my treatments and feeling much better today.

God is good and continues to strengthen us as a family! Thank you supporting us through your prayers and love during this time!

Kelly