My dancing shoes

Today I was given special blue slippers...which I promptly named my dancing shoes. There was also the fashionable baby blue nighty and robe in the traditional hospital motif. I couldn't help but model it for the nurses as I waited to use the restroom. It made them laugh and me too. Honestly, the mini surgery went well today. Everything went just like my surgeon wanted it to and for this I am so thankful. The happy juice they gave me made the window in the hospital door move a little back and forth...Brett informed me that I wouldn't be driving home at that point. The heart scan also went well. I'm glad to be getting a little closer to chemotherapy. I'm ready to stop this cancer and reverse it as best as we can.
Please keep praying and thank you for all the the support. Your prayers, words of encouragement and everything else you have all done mean so much. I know God works through the prayers of his people. Thank you to you all.

Tomorrow........port day / heart scan

Friday morning we take off for Wenatchee at 6:15am. Pray for me (Brett) as early mornings are harder for me! Lots of coffee. Sheri is having a port installed to aid chemo, it's a minor surgery. At 1:30 she has a heart test to get a base line. Saturday we go back down for a PET scan. Tuesday we meet with the Oncologist and start chemo. Here we go. We are glad to be moving on the road to healing (not scanning!). Pray specifically for Sheri's doctors, and the chemo to get to work!

Thanks for all the bloggs and e-mail, they are very uplifting. Keep them coming, she watches this thing constantly (so do I). It will become more important in the weeks and months to come. Here we go, don't look down (look UP!)

Brett (Sheri dictating)

email for non bloggers

Some of you have wanted to comment to us, but do not want everyone else to see it. We're Okay with either. Our home e-mail is: sherilamar@gmail.com We'll keep the blogs coming as new info arrives. Sheri is feeling great, we are thankful for that! We attended Grampa Jim Finley's funeral today. What a life and what a man. We both hope to follow him to 98 years young! Keep the prayers coming.

Brett

The Sun (SON) came out this morning!

What a gift! A perfect blanket of white, making the ground look fresh and new. It's a new day, which He has made for us to share. What can you do for us many ask? Pray and praise Him! Pray for healing, our doctors, for wisdom, and strength. We have a great example of Gods healing in my Mother, Sharon. God has blessed us with her for nearly 16 years since her diagnosis. Don't look down, look up to Him!

Brett

This is the day the Lord has made

This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Well, I will rejoice in the Lord, but understand that we may not always like or understand how things turn out initially. I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for my friends. I am thankful for my doctors. I am thankful for support and love. I am thankful for my children. I am thankful for my hubby...you don't know how much!

We found out that the cancer is in 6 to 7 places in my liver and in my breast and in my bones in a couple of places. We are still looking at my ribs. We don't know if it is there or if they were damaged at the time of the biopsy. A PET scan should show this soon. I will receive a port for Kemo on Friday and they will be doing an ultra sound on my heart as a base line. They need to know how the kemo may effect it at a later date.

We are trusting God to lead us through this one day at a time which will turn into one week at a time which will become one month at a time and then year at a time and I'm hoping for decades after this. Yes, that is a run on sentence that I hope lasts a LONG time!

We are not letting go of God's hand through all of this. Here we go! Yes, we've cried too........but attitude and trust are a choice God gives us.......choose wisely.

Keep praying!!!
Sheri and Brett

Brett's turn

I thought I'd add a few thoughts here. Sheri is in at Tammy Larson's getting her hair cut short. We decided it was best to beat cancer to the punch and she's donating her lovely curly hair to locks of love. Thanks to all for the great words of encouragement, it really helps!! Keep it coming. We are well aware that this is a tough road we are on, but with God and Jesus at the helm, we'll be Okay. We are trying to focus on what is at hand, not the what if's in life. There's an old story, I'm not sure where I heard it, but here it goes. At Niagara Falls a man was spotted walking across a tight rope over the falls pushing a wheelbarrow. A huge crowd gathered as he reached the other side. He spoke to the crowd and asked if they believed if he could push the wheelbarrow back across? Of course they did, they just watched him do it. Then he asked who would be willing to get in the wheelbarrow and prove they believed? No one did. Sheri and I are hopping in, let's go Jesus. Our saying to each other when it seems overwhelming is "don't look down", if you hear us say that, you're in on the secret! Don't stop praying, don't stop believing.....God is bigger then cancer....this fight we are in can be won. By God's grace we will make it to the other side! Keep the thoughts and prayers coming, the coming weeks and months will be tough. If we don't get a chance to tell you personally, thank you. Remember....Go Cougs, and don't look down!
Brett

Wow

Well, the news keeps coming. We just learned that I may have cancer in my bones and liver. We will be doing CT scans and bone scans on Monday to see which direction we need to take now. We are sitting here a little stunned but know that some how God knows what he is doing even when we don't.
Well, here we go riding the wave of life. There is much more to live. Thanks for all of your prayers.

Thankfulness

Throughout this process I've believed that God is bigger than cancer and is with us each step of the way. He never promises that life will be easy but he does say he will be with us. He has given us a peace that passes all understanding as we walk through this. He has also blessed us with so many friends and family that have been so supportive that is it's hard to comprehend. I know I'm not alone and that is a great comfort.
When I first learned I had cancer, I read a passage in Luke 8 where a woman touched Jesus coat and was healed. Although we may not be able to physically touch his coat, I believe he is just as real and am reaching out anyway. I believe he will show us what that means for us today.

I'm also thankful for wonderful doctors that are able to explain so much to us.
They are really helping us navigate the medical jungle while providing great care.

And Brett, what an Angel, he has been by my side at every moment. I could not ask for anyone more supportive or loving. I am thankful.

A little history

On Saturday, November 3rd we went to bed and I woke up in the middle of the night and felt something strange on my left breast. I discovered a lump in the middle of the night. The next morning I told Brett. I called my doctor on Monday morning, saw her on Tuesday morning and had an appointment for a mammogram and possible ultra sound on Wednesday afternoon. (I was glad the appointment was in the afternoon so I could teach at least a half day!) On Wednesday I was taken in for a mammogram and then straight to the ultra sound. When the nurse began measuring a small mass I knew that we had something to deal with here. During the ultra sound the nurse wanted the doctor to see what we were doing. He came down and said we need to do a biopsy. Amazingly they had time right then. I said sure, just let me call Brett. Brett was with the kids in the waiting room, elevator, parking lot and I think Hastings too while I did all this because we took them down for flu shots. I mean really! How long can you expect a 5 and 7 year old to wait?! Fortunately grandma dropped by and took the kids to Hastings while I finished the biopsy with the doctors.

Friday, November 9th we learned I had breast cancer. I had my first appointment set up for the next Wednesday, November 15 with the surgeon. On Thursday, the 16th, I met with my medical oncologist. Last Wednesday, November 21st, I had a second opinion from a surgeon at Overlake. He confirmed everything I've been told in Wenatchee and was very impressed with the manner in which my case has been handled. Basically for the type of surgery I need there is nothing he would do differently. I just need a basic mastectomy and probably with lymph nodes taken out . We then drove downtown Seattle for a MRI. (OK, driving in Seattle is always an event in itself! We're thankful for home!!!!!) Today I will drive all the MRI's to Wenatchee so my doctor can see them before surgery. (We have hand delivered all my records because we didn't want them to get lost or delayed in the mail, especially over Thanksgiving.)

Surgery will be on Monday, November 21st. That's where we are currently.

Have a happy day!

Rejoice!

This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!