SATURDAY From Sheryl at Home

OH WOW! How time is flying by. My last post was in January it's August already. I kind of go on the concept of no news is good news. My hope is that you'll follow that plan as well. I've been overwhelmed with kindness and good thoughts and prayers, friends stopping by and just falling into what is now normal patterns in my life. What is normal anyway?

As a family we have been having a fun relaxing summer which started with the boys going on a 2 week Christian Sport Camp on Bass Lake in California. While the boys were at camp Todd and I got to spend time together in Mammoth. We were in Mammoth with the boys after they finished their camp, right up to the 4th of July! We had Todd's family down for the week-end. Five cousins all together makes for a lot of fun, pushing limits, tattling, laughing, shouting, screaming all the while jumping from the trampoline into the pool. (Sorry, I just had to take an ice cream break; mint chocolate chip the hard shell chocolate with whipped cream on top. We will call it our little lunch break, okay?) Some where in between there a pineapple Cunard became a member of our family. Very pretty bird but what were we thinking?

All summer I have kept up with my weekly chemotherapy and weekly blood testing, Everything was status quo..until just recently. Apparently the chemo has stopped doing it's job on my cancer. The lesions on my liver have begun growing instead of shrinking and there are new spots showing up. There is growth to a lesion in my spine around T=9 that is cause for concern. I have been going through a battery of tests. I'm still undergoing tests that are more accurate then the regular testing. In new MRIs and CT scans they have found a tiny spot on my brain. It is so small that before they even call it cancer, they need to use a special MRI to confirm findings and look for any other brain abnormalities there (Now you be careful, you know how sensitive I am on those brain jokes.......now I can blame all of my forgetfulness, odd behaviors, and general suspicions to chemo brain...and it's the truth.)

I promise to keep you more informed now that I have something stirring up. I'm in for many tests this week and I will go into more detail as I have those tests along what they are for and the results. It is frustrating to have to wait for information, I have gone from a PIC line in my arm to a port in my chest wall where they can get blood with ease and where my chemotherapy is administered. It is an area with easy access for injections and drawing blood..

I am on a new for me but older chemotherapy drug, Gemcitabine Hydrochloride Solution also called Gemzar. I am much more sensitive to the side effects of this drug; weak, tired, breathing problems, chest pain, mouth sores, nausea and vomiting, pain, swelling, numbness in the hands and feet, stomach pain, constipation (oh yeah) loss of appetite, diarrhea and hair loss. Lucky me! I've got it all going on.

I will try to answer any questions you may have through blog responses. I feel this is just a bump in the road and with your prayers and support God will stand here with us as we go through the ups and downs together. Please continue to pray for me. I have prayed for all of you, if not by name than through my prayers for all the many angels that lift me in thought and payer and remind me of God's promises and His calling my name. It is all for the glorification of God, and while I don't understand it all and how it works. It is through Faith that I Trust God's promises to me and to all of us.

I love you all. We will have a lot more laughter, maybe a few tears and we are doing this together because, IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TOGETHER. I hope you've had a wonderful summer. Sheryl