A good month

Well, I haven't posted in a while because there hasn't really been anything new to post about. I think overall it was a good month. We had a nice Thanksgiving and a wonderful Christmas. Mom was able to be at all the family functions and even enjoyed a little Christmas shopping. :)
She has been very very tired, and is still having digestion issues. She is also experiencing some intense pain in her lower back. We are still waiting to see what might be causing that pain.

Throughout these last few crazy months, she managed to make my sister and I two amazing lap quilts. These are gifts we will forever cherish. It was a wonderful surprise and tears were shed by all!
Next week the preliminary tests will begin for the clinical trial in Denver. Please be praying for these new treatments to be helpful, and that the side affects wouldn't be too intense.
Thank you for your continued prayers and support.
Katie

The next step

After about two months of chemo, we found out today that there are new cancer spots in her body and the old ones are still there. She now has a spot on her liver, and three in the area her pancreas used to be. There is also a spot on her lungs, but they don't know for sure if it is cancerous or not. Mom's oncologist recommended she quit her current chemo treatments and strive for the best quality of life. There are a few options left, including Cyberknife, and some clinical trials at the University of Colorado. We will be looking into those in the weeks to come. For now though, we are hoping to have a nice Thanksgiving without any of the nasty side effects she has been experiencing from her chemo treatments. This is not the news we were ready for, we had really hoped that the chemo would have shrunk or stabilized the cancer.
We do know, that God is in control, and He already has His plans laid out for us. He is good, so good.
I am thankful this year for my mom and her amazing strength. We are all tired and overwhelmed, but her faith is unwavering. I could not ask for more from her.
Please be praying for my family as we soak in this new information and make the decisions we will soon be facing. Pray for strength, and wisdom.
Thank you all for all of you prayers and support. It means so much.
Katie

Weekend Away

We spent this last weekend in a beautiful condo in Breckenridge. My sister's in laws gave us all a weekend away. It was a good time of relaxing and enjoying each other. It was nice to leave all of the distractions of our lives behind for a few days. We shopped a little and saw the amazing sites around us. For the most part though we just played games and relaxed. It was really nice.
Mom did pretty well, although she hasn't been feeling great. Please continue to pray for her as she endures the chemo treatments and its side affects.

Katie

Trusting

It has been a tough week.
I struggle with what to say exactly on this blog. It doesn't seem like something for a blog, but it is the fastest way to reach the most people. However, it is hard to make my fingers type. My heart hurts.

We found out last week that Mom's cancer has returned. It is in the area her pancreas used to be, and they are watching a spot in her lung. It is inoperable. She will begin Chemo treatments next Monday. We are praying she can tolerate the treatments, and that they shrink or stabilize the cancer. Pancreatic cancer is fast moving, and typically very aggressive. We were all shocked, and devastated. It is a very hard thing to hear.
Life is precious, and so very fragile.

However,we rejoice in the fact that this is not it for those who trust in Jesus as their Savior. The best is yet to come. Our Heavenly Father has prepared a much better place for us! God is so good.

Please be praying for her, and for Dad. Pray for peace, for relief from the pain, and that these chemo treatments would help. Pray for rest, comfort, and enjoying our times together.

Thank you for your prayers and support. She will be checking this blog, so if you want to leave a comment for her please do.

Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

Thank you Lord for such amazing parents!

I will be posting more frequenly now with updates on her progress.

Katie

Happy Anniversary

The last month was a little rough. Mom has battled infection and fever and even been in and out of the ER a few times. It seems things are looking up, and the medication she is on is working. She is a trooper and I am so glad to see she her finally feeling better.
Tomorrow morning they leave bright and really really early for their 30th Anniversary celebration with an Alaskan Cruise. I can't think of two more deserving people to have such a wonderful trip! They are very excited! Please be praying for moms health during the trip. They will be gone for about one week on the cruise,and then visiting family in Alaska for another week. We are praying for some R&R and that she is feeling well enough to enjoy this once in a lifetime trip!


Katie

Finished!

Hooray!! Mom's final chemo treatment was this Wednesday! She is done!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't put enough exclamation points after that! She is done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are so thankful for this process to be over. God is Good!!
She is feeling weak, and still a little sick. She should start feeling better in a few weeks.
Thank you for all of your continued prayers and support. They were always felt. Please keep praying for her over the next months. She will continue to have scans done to be sure everything is okay.
We are off to enjoy our summer now, and thankful for our many blessings!
I will continue to keep you updated on her progress.

Katie

Only TWO left!

That's right! Mom only has two more chemo treatments left to go! June 11th is the last one! We are very ready to be done.. so is she!! Things have been going pretty well. A few minor complications last week put her back on antibiotics and hydration everyday, but she is feeling okay. She is tired a lot, and eating is still a challenge but overall doing well. Keep praying for her these last two weeks, and continually that the cancer will stay away!! She will be tested every few months for the next 2 years (or so) to be sure the cancer is clear. Pray for strength and courage. She is so grateful for all of your support and prayers. God is good, all the time!
Katie

Day by day

Things at home have been going really well. Mom is home and feeling tired, but good. She is totally off of antibiotics, and so far so good. She has even started back into an exercise class to regain some strength, and she is back singing in church! She is glad to be home! No word yet on when they will put the new port in, hopefully we will find that out this week.
Thank you all for your continued support and prayers. God is certainly watching over her!

Katie

Another trip to the hospital!

After another short stint in the hospital, Mom is home again and doing pretty well. They removed her port this time hoping to find it was the infection site. It wasn't. We are not sure where the infection is, or how to treat it, but at this point the antibiotics are keeping her healthy and she is home. After the infection is totally cleared from her body, she will have to go back in and have surgery to put in a new port. (The port is how she gets her chemo drugs and all her fluids.) We are tired, but haven't lost faith that she is in God's hands and we do not need to be worrying about anything. We keep praying for His provision, and timing in all things. We trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding!
Keep praying for her endurance!

Katie

An unexpected turn

Well....
Saturday afternoon Mom came down with a serious fever and chills. We took her to the hospital and they admitted her. Not exactly what we were planning. They started her on some heavy duty antibiotics and hydration. She was doing well, but the doctors couldn't figure out what was causing the fever. It is an infection of some kind-maybe in her port, or maybe internally. Anyhow, they were going to send her home tomorrow (Wednesday), but she spiked a fever and chills again this afternoon. Now she has the doctors really stumped. So, it doesn't appear she will be going home tomorrow. All her doctors are going to work together to figure out whats going on. Please be praying for her during this time in the hospital. As you can imagine, it isn't where she wants to be. She is thankful however, there is a place she can go and be treated for whatever this is. God provides for us all.
Pray that the doctors will figure this out, and a speedy recovery will follow. Also pray for strength for mom.
Katie

Radation Complete!

Friday was the last day of Radiation! Praise God! Mom did so great these last five weeks, and it is finally over! The radiation office gave her a cake and had a mini send off for her! We are all so proud of her for making it through this rough process!
She will continue with Chemo once a week through the first week in June. Things are going well so far! Keep praying!
Katie

Taking it's toll

This week has been a little rough. Mom hasn't been feeling great. She is really tired, and sick to her stomach most of the time. It seems Radiation has begun to take it's toll on her body. She is nearly finished with the Radiation treatments and counting down the days! Please continue to pray for her strength and wisdom for the doctors as they treat her. She still has a long road of Chemo treatments ahead of her.
Thank you for your continued prayer!
Katie

Things are going well

Radiation has been going pretty well. She is on day 7, and had only minor side effects so far. She is doing chemo at the same time and the combo package seems to make her tired and a little sick, but nothing too drastic. She has really been a trooper!

Please keep praying that these treatments would do what they are supposed to, and that she would be cancer free at the end of the treatment cycle in June. We are so thankful for God's grace and peace throughout this entire process.

We will keep you updated! Thanks for your prayers!

Katie

So far, so good!

Today was the first radiation treatment. It has only been a couple of hours but so far she is feeling tired, but pretty good. The doctors said if she was to have side effects of nausea, it would be within a few hours. So... one down and, well quite a few left to go!
We are just so thankful that things are going as well as they are!
God is faithful!
Keep praying for her strength. Radiation will be every week day for the next 5 weeks, along with Chemo once a week.

Katie

Curve Ball

Today Mom went in for a "just in case" CT scan because she had been having some severe back pain. Well God is good, and because of that pain in her back, she was seen right away. The CT showed a blood clot in her lung. They think the two problems may be unrelated, the pain might be a muscle spasm, and the clot a separate issue.
They have put her on some (in her words) "heavy duty clot busters", and a blood thinner for the next few months. They are going to watch her closely, and the medicine should dissolve the clot.
Praise God she is okay!
Keep on praying for her as her Radiation treatments will begin soon.

Katie

Update

Just a quick update:
Last Wednesday's treatment went very well. Thursday she was a bundle of energy ready to conquer the world and then Friday she came down and wasn't quite so energetic. :) There hasn't been any really bad effects yet though! Praise God!
Tomorrow is the next treatment. Keep her in your prayers.
She is doing great!
Katie

One down!

The first chemo treatment is over! It was long, (about 4hrs) but uneventful- and that's the way we like them! They gave her medicine before the chemo drugs in case of any allergic reactions, and that knocked her out! Other than that she feels great today.
Thanks for all your prayers, keep praying! She will have her next treatment next Wednesday the 9th.

Katie

First Chemo Treatment

Happy New Year!
Things have been going very well the last few weeks. She is feeling good and has recovered from the surgery well. Tomorrow morning will be the first Chemo treatment. It is going to be about 4 hours for this first time. Eventually it will only be about an hour. Mom has taken a few educational classes to learn what she can before going in, but it is all a new learning experience. It will be about a 5 month process, so by May we hope to be done.

Please keep praying for healing, and strength and that she would be cancer free after these treatments. Chemo is tough stuff, and they next few weeks will be difficult. We are trusting in the fact that God is sovereign and all knowing and definitely in control. She can do all things through Christ who strengthens her!! I know she is ready for this next battle, and the road to recovery. She is a fighter!
I will let you all know how tomorrow goes.
Keep praying!

Katie