To GOD be the glory !!!!

I apologize it has been so long since I last wrote. Hope your holidays were as wonderful as mine. Looking forward to the New Year.

Just before my last chem0, I had a PET scan. They say it is the most sensative test they have to test cancer activity. The following day before chemo, much to everyones amazement, the results came back negative to any cancer activity and that I had no sign of cancer !!! PRAISE GOD!!!

Psalm 66

Pslam 115:1
Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and thankfulness.

I am overwhelmed with thanksgiving. Thankful to God for answered prayer. Thankful for everyone, and their are so many of you, who lifted me up in prayer. I can't thank you enough. It has given me so much comfort, encouragement and peace. I am also thankful for all the tangable ways we have recieved help. Our whole family has felt God's love through you!

They want me to continue with a couple more chemo treatments just to make sure there is nothing missed. That will take me through the end of January. The team of doctors will be meeting to discuss what they recommend. Where we go from here.

I am sad to say just before Christmas I lost my 100 year old grandmother. I wasn't able to make it to her funeral, but was so thankful I was able to attend her birthday party in November! I will treasure many fond memories!

The holidays were very relaxing. We spent several days over Christmas in Minnesota with family. We hadn't done that in a very long time. Hockey continues to be a constant in our lives. Ashley helps coach and Michelle and Amy are playing. Ashley has been good about taking them to most of the out of town games. We are thankful for her. It has been a good season.

Thank you for your continued prayer support. May the LORD bless you in the New Year as much as you have blessed me.

With love and deep appreaciation,

Mary Jeanne

Psalm 66

1 Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
2 Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious!
3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!"
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing praise to your name." Selah
5 Come and see what God has done,
how awesome his works in man's behalf!
6 He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the waters on foot -
come, let us rejoice in him.
7 He rules forever by his power,
his eyes watch the nations -
let not the rebellious rise up against him. Selah
8 Praise our God, O peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
9 he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.
10 For you, O God, tested us;
you refined us like silver.
11 You brought us into prison
and laid burdens on our backs.
12 You let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.
13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
and fulfill my vows to you -
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
and an offering of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats. Selah
16 Come and listen, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
19 but God has surely listened
and heard my voice in prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!

PET scan / 4th Chemo

At noon today my mom has another PET scan at Sanford in Sioux Falls. The first PET scan was done in October and revealed cancer first on the lymph nodes, then spread to her spine, left ilium, and liver. Since then she has had 3 chemo therapy treatments along with herceptin, and things have been looking really good at her check ups. She will go in for her 4th treatment on Friday.

Please pray for healing and a favorable report from the PET scan.

Ashley

The latest...

I can't believe it has already been a month since our last post! Time sure does fly, and a lot has happened since.

Michelle and Amy both started hockey in November. They both play primarily defense, this being Michelle's first year in this position. She was a little nervous about playing a new position, but she's a natural and they are both doing really well. Michelle's on the varsity team and they are currently 2(wins)-0(losses) in league play and 6-1 overall. This last weekend I traveled with her and the team to Edina, MN for a tournament. The girls played really well and ended up getting 2nd in the tourney after getting beat in the championship game by a canadian team they had beat the night before. My aunt Pat, uncle Rich, cousin Mariah, Mariah's husband Evan, and Mariah's niece Mala were able to make it to a few of the games and hang out during the weekend. It was wonderful to spend some quality time with them; Mariah and I always wish we lived closer.

This last Friday was mom's 3rd chemo (of 8). She said it went really well: blood work was great and liver and kidneys are normal. We expect today and tomorrow to be the toughest on her. She feels mostly tired all of the time. Today she slept all day, and in a few days her immune system should be at a point where she is able to function a little closer to normal.

The Thursday before her next chemo (Dec 18), my mom will go in for another PET scan. The PET scan will take a scan of her body and indicate if any cancer exists, where it is, and/or if it has spread or shrunk. Her first PET scan indicated cancer on her liver and on her c2 vertebrae and left illium, so we are praying for favorable results at this next scan :)

Thanks again for all the cards, meals, and most of all, prayers!

Ashley

Praises !!!

I'm not sure where to begin. This has been such a journey already and I feel the Lord has been carrying me through this. I feel a lot of peace ! I am positive it is because of all of you and all the prayer support and words of encourgement !!! I feel that each one of you is a messenger from God reminding me of how much he loves me and cares for me. It has been a little overwhelming and is very humbling and yet honoring. Thank you for allowing God to use you in such a mighty way on my behalf !

Today was a good day. I had my 2nd chemo and things went really well . The doctor and nurses seemed to be almost shocked at how well I was doing. All my blood work was great and my liver and kidneys a functioning well. They said not everyone does this well and I should keep doing everything I've been doing. Praise God!! I've really changed my diet (mainly fruits and vegetables, juicing, some fish and eggs and lots of vitamins). I am also trying to get on the treadmill everyday. But most of all I feel it is from all the prayer support. I pray God will continue to guide the doctors with my treatment. I also pray that my heart will stay strong as the drug Herceptin can be hard on it, and I will need to be on it long term to keep this form of cancer under control . It was also a great day because I got a chance to spent some great quanity and quality time with Scott !!!

I thank God everyday for giving me such a wonderful supportive family. They have really stepped in to help me ,and keep me accountable. Ashley is really good at making juice! They are also good at keeping me laughing and not taking things to serious! We (did I say we I meant they) really had fun on haircut day. I am now sporting my new G.I. Jane look and really getting quite used to it , after the initial shock. It sure makes getting ready easier. I always said it wasn't fair that Scott could just run his fingers though his hair and be ready to go. I guess you have to be careful what you wish for. I am reminded that God is good all the time , and all the time God is good! I pray that the God who created the heaven and the earth will bless you and give you peace.

With sincere gratitude and love,
Mary Jeanne

We've been busy :)

I'm writing this as my mom is preparing for her 2nd chemo treatment scheduled for around noon tomorrow. Mom had her first chemo treatment on Oct 17th, and we really didn't know what to expect for that first cycle. They gave us an idea of when her immune system would be at its lowest and when she probably wouldn't be feeling well, estimating she'd be at that point exactly when my cousin/5th sister was getting married in Minnesota the following weekend. My mom wanted to be there so badly, but knew it wasn't very likely she'd make it. My sister Jennifer and I traveled up a few days early for wedding party activities - like getting mani's and pedi's ;) - and to help out on last minute details.




We had fun, but it wasn't the same without mom. Mom felt her worst with intense aches the Tuesday and Wednesday before the wedding, so was praying that she'd be well enough to make it for at least the ceremony. Thursday and Friday she was feeling better and better, so she and my dad decided they'd start driving to the wedding Saturday morning but not tell anyone in case they had to turn around mid trip. They showed up at the church about a half hour before the wedding and mom got to see (& hug & cry with) Mariah! (Mariah had a breast cancer angel for mom attached to her bouquet. You can sort of see it in the second picture.)



Eventhough they took off right after the ceremony, Mom was so glad she was able to be at the wedding. What a blessing that her sickest days were sooner than expected so she was able to go!

She's felt better and better every day, and last weekend traveled to Morris to celebrate her grandmother's 100th birthday and Jennifer's 27th (both on the 1st).

Also, this last weekend mom started losing her hair, so we decided to have fun with it. On Sunday afternoon we all took turns giving mom really cute haircuts ;) and finished by shaving her head. She loses her hair a little more every day, but said that she sometimes forgets her head is shaved until she looks in the mirror. Amy's a little 'weirded out' by it, but my dad said she still looks like a girl :)

We have realized how important it is to focus on positive stories and successes and not allow space for doubt to invade the peace that has surrounded us all. We've also been blessed in so many ways these last few weeks. Everyone's prayer support has been huge, as well as people who have provided meals 3 times a week (a special thanks and appreciation from me - a.k.a daughter in charge of planning/making meals for mom and the family), and the letters of encouragement. She still gets cards in the mail every day - this is so encouraging and feeling your support means more to her than you know!


~Ashley

Wig Shopping

Tuesday morning Heather, Mom, and I made a trip to Sioux Falls to pick out a wig at the Sanford Breast Health Institute's Boutique 'Bloom'. It's a cute boutique, everthing with a breast cancer theme, and a little salon. She tried on a handful of wigs.. some crazy ones just for fun - she wouldn't let me post those pics ;). We all had some good laughs, especially Heather and I! She ended up getting a wig that looks just like her 'hairdo' now! My dad was actually really confused because he couldn't tell the difference.
- Ashley

Amy's Birthday

Amy's birthday went great! On friday night her and five friends headed to the middle school dance, were picked up by a limo (only Amy knew about it) and wisked off to Dairy Queen and a ride around town.

When waiting for the girls to come out of the dance, the limo driver asked me how he'd know which girls they were.. I told him they'd probably be the group of the 7th grade girls screaming and running towards him.

Then, on Sunday we celebrated her birthday with family. She shares her birthday with her 9 year old cousin in Brookings, so we always look forward to celebrating together. Mom really felt great for the events, so that was a blessing :)

- Ashley