On the Mend!

Surgery went well. My doctor said it was a text book case. That was good news. I've been taking it easy to let my body heal as quickly as possible. I'm looking forward to getting back to work and finishing up a good school year. There is only so much sitting I can do before I'm ready to get out and move around! Today I ran into Chelan and it was great to get out of the house and into some sunshine.

Next week I go back to see my oncologist and do a Herceptin treatment.

We're looking up and looking forward to a joyful summer of rest and play.

Sheri

Live from the recovery room.......

Sheri's surgery went well. We're in the recovery room in the clinic. The Doc says all went as planned. She'll be sore for a week or so, and needs to lay low. Sue, Sheri's mom, is helping us with the kids, and will be at the house with Sheri as I go to work the rest of the week. I'm looking forward to her great spaghetti! My mom got out of the Wenatchee hospital yesterday, and is back at home. I must say this whole hospital thing is getting a bit old. I'm glad they're here, I just don't want to have to visit them so darn much.

The great hair race is on! Sheri holds a slight lead (I gave her a head start), but I'm catching fast. We figure you've got to have some fun with all this. If you take it too seriously, it's overwhelming, and you'll go nuts. The next few weeks are pretty calm. Recover from surgery, Herseptin next week, and finish out the school year. Bryce and Alyssa are looking forward to summer, so are we. The little things in life mean a lot more then before. Things like sitting in chairs on the lawn just enjoying the view seem pretty cool. For us, life is about the everyday things. There's a whole lot of life that happens between the big events in life. Don't miss it. Soak it in, and enjoy it. As we've found out, things can change very fast.

Thanks again for all the support. We may never be able to full express our appreciation to all of you for prayers, meals, house cleanings, and encouraging words. We live in a great place, with great people. We are blessed.

Brett (Sheri asleep and recovering)

Thought you'd like to know......

Sheri's Aunt Patti gave our family these bracelets about five months ago to remind us to pray for Sheri's healing. It's a leather strap with a small cross with a heart in the middle of it. Bryce and Alyssa tried wearing their's, but they kept coming off. Sheri wore her's until the last day of chemo, then she lost it. I told her it was telling of things to come. I took mine off the day we got the scan results. We're going to frame it to help us remember that prayer works! We still are wearing the yellow Livestrong cancer wrist bands, we may never take them off.
This one thing (cancer) has changed our lives more them any other. God has a plan here for us in moving forward. When it's time I guess he'll let us in on it. For now we plan to recover from surgery next week, finish out school, and enjoy a great summer! We plan on lots of camping, swimming in the lake and Mill Bay pool, and long nights on our deck looking at the lake.

Sheri and I dream a lot.......out loud. We picked a name for our boat we plan to someday have (maybe) on the San Juans. La Kiyum. From the musical fiddler on the roof, it means "TO LIFE!" Yep, that'll do.

Brett

PS. Keep my Mom in your prayers. We had to check her into the hospital yesterday. She's OK, but it's been a long 16 year battle for her, and at times she's tired, but still fighting. She's an amazing lady, I'm very lucky to have two such strong women in my life.

Surgery Tuesday

We saw the doctor yesterday. It went well and he suggested this Tuesday for surgery. We said "Sure, sounds good". So we will be running down to Wenatchee to have my ovaries out this Tuesday at about 10:30. I'm planning on taking the rest of the week off to rest up. Then I hope to finish out the last two weeks of school with my class.

Wanted to let you all know the current plans. Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

Looking up!
Sheri

God Answers Prayer!!!!!

Yeah!!! Ok, Thanks to everyone who prayed and prayed! We got the scan results back today. Drum roll please!!! They couldn't find any evidence of cancer in the scans! Yeahhhh!!!!!!!!! We are so VERY thankful that God has answered our prayers. He gets all the glory on this! And thank you to EVERYONE who has been so supportive with kind words of encouragement, hugs, smiles, and countless acts of kindness in supporting us in our home life and work lives.

Where does that put us now? Well, tomorrow we go see our OBGYN doctor and discuss a date for taking out my ovaries. Then it will be about a week before they say I'm on my feet. We will continue getting Herceptin for years and years to come every three weeks in the penthouse...otherwise know as the 4th floor of the clinic. I'll also be on anti-hormone medication. That all seems very doable to me.

Brett and I are soooooo thankful...have it mentioned that yet?! Can you tell we are beyond thankful and excited? ....we are! And tonight we are taking the kids out to dinner to celebrate. My mom and dad will be joining us. Yeah!!!! Ok, I'm off to be with the kids. It's t-ball picture night at the ball field and we don't want to miss it! God bless to ya all! And thanks for looking up with us. (Wow, that's much easier when it's good news. It's a conscious choice when life is stormier.)

Thankful and Grateful!

Sheri (and Brett)

Life After Chemo

Dr. visits continue as we walk on this healing road. Tomorrow we go down for scans that should show us where we are after the chemo. We will get the results on Wednesday afternoon. Then on Thursday we go down for a chat with an OBGYN about having my ovaries out. This is important because the cancer was estrogen, progesterone and Hr2Nu positive. Taking out the ovaries takes away the bodies ability to feed the cancer with hormones.

Some are surprised that we are still going for so many appointments after chemo. The journey continues. For a long time I will be going for full scans every three months. I will also be going down for Herceptin at the clinic every three weeks for the rest of my life (unless a new drug comes out that is different). The Herceptin is important because it blocks the Hr2Nu that would feed the cancer. It also allows my body to fight the cancer with my own immune system.

The results of the scans will tell us if we need to change the course that is presently set. I try not to get myself too set on any schedule. This way I can be ready for anything.

On the fun side of life, the kids t-ball will be coming to a close next week. It's always a joy to watch them play. Alyssa had a music concert last week. The kids were great to watch and she did a wonderful job on a piano solo. Tonight we enjoyed some family fun as we took the kids out for a swim and then out to dinner. At dinner Bryce prayed the sweetest prayer. He thanked God that mommy was done with chemo and then going to surgery and then back to the doctor and then prayed I get all better. His clarity of understanding surprised both Brett and I. His heart was caring and about as innocent as possible as he wanted his mommy all better. It almost made me cry. I love my kids!

We're looking up and praying.

Sheri

Moving Forward

Well the busy weekend is here. Thursday night we finished Sheri's final chemo, and went out to dinner at the Windmill in Wenatchee together. Friday was back to work, and Friday night we had a BBQ with my Men's group and their families. They set up a mock finish line at the front door as we came in, and cheered as Sheri crossed the line. That was fun! Saturday morning brought the Apple Blossom parade. My Mom and Dad, and Sheri and I were named Grand Marshals, so we rode down the parade in the Mustang. You've got to love a small town. Everyone cheered as we drove through town. I put a pink ribbon on the antenna for Sheri (It's the only time that car will have pink on it!). Bryce was in the Junior Court and rode in the parade as well. Alyssa wanted to stay with Sheri's folks so she could catch candy. We enjoyed the rest of the festivities, then took a 3 hour long nap. That night we went to the pageant which Bryce was in as a trumpeter....he rocked the house!

OK.....funny Bryce story. He lost a tooth a while back and is having a tough time with his "P's" sounding like "S's".........ok so now say the word Apple Blossom like that.........ya that's a problem!!! We hoped he didn't say it in front of one festival officials. I wouldn't look to good if the Grand Marshal's son said something like that.

Anyway, later that night we went out to dinner with my family, my sister and her family were in town too. Today is Mother's Day, I think we're going low key. Sheri was tired yesterday, but very glad we were able to make it through. We're not letting cancer stop us from living life.....but we do have to plan little better then before. All in all life is good! We go for Herseptin Thursday, Sheri has scans on Saturday, and we see her Doctor for results next Wednesday the 21st. Pray for great "NO CANCER!" results. Sheri's hair should start growing back in the next few weeks, so I'm going to shave my head again, and we'll race! You gotta have a little fun with this whole thing. Thanks again for the prayers, and cheers, and encouraging words. It really does mean something when people tell us they read the blog.......14,000 of you and counting! Someone anonymously left this sign for us......I think it's very appropriate. It now has a proud home right by our front door.

Brett (Sheri is still sleeping)

PS> Monday AM update: Sheri had new eyebrow hairs this morning, she's very excited!

(Que gameshow music) LIVE! From the red leather chairs, in the penthouse of the Wenatchee Valley Clinic........It's "FINAL CHEMO!!!!" (Crowd Noise)

Today's contestant is a kindergarten teacher from the small town of Manson in North Central Washington State......Sheri La Mar!! She's joined today by here faithful side kick and husband, Brett. OK, so we're excited to be crossing the chemo marathon finish line today, can you tell? I'll hand the computer over to Sheri and stop goofing off. (Brett)

Ok, I've been dancing around all day just as happy as Brett. Yeah!!! Today's the last chemo day. YEAH!!!!!! We'll be back for Herceptin, which bocks the H2Nu, every 3 weeks, but that's different. It doesn't have the dramatic side effects of chemo. So, just as we began this marathon, we will finish the race with the same verse. "This is the day the Lord has made. I will REJOICE and be glad in it." Psa. 118:24

Thank you all for the love, words of encouragement, support, prayers and continual care. We have been overwhelmed with the compassion and acts of kindness shown to us in so many ways. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You all had a part of making this journey a little easier and lighter. I can't imagine traveling it alone. Thank you for making the journey with us.

We will continue to blog and give you up-dates. Next week we will come down for Herceptin. On Saturday the 17th we will be down for scans. We get the results the following Wednesday. Then the next day we meet with an OBGYN to talk about the overectomy. That surgery will be coming up in the next few weeks.

We are continuing to look up and pray for a BIG miracle. God is in control of it all. We are thankful for His guidance and that He has been with us each step of the way. He is faithful.

Keep looking up!

Brett and Sheri

And then there was one................

The finish line is well in sight.......back to our marathon analogy.........one chemo to go! It's been nearly six months (24 chemo's) of every week to sit in the red chairs. We'll still be going down for infusions of Herseptin (a non chemo protein blocker that inhibits Sheri's cancer from growing) every three weeks, but chemo is done next Thursday. Sheri has a PET scan planned for May 17th and we meet with her doctor on the 21st. That scan will determine the path from here. All cards are on the table, including more chemo, but if the results are good, we will be taking a break for a while. So next Friday we're going to celebrate with my men's group and their wives. Their our cheering crowd at the finish line! We're choosing to celebrate the milestones as they pass, and push forward to the next one. Thank you to all who helped with food, our children, cleaning, and of course prayer. This is a lifelong battle for us, as there is no cure for Sheri's cancer according to her doctor. I don't tell you this to scare you, but to let you know cancer will never be far from our thoughts. Hopefully God will bless us with many years or cancer free living.......we ask this of Him every day. Knowing the reality of the enemy you face, only makes the miracle of being delivered from it that much greater.



Moving forward, and looking up.



Brett and Sheri