thursday

Today is Thursday and mom and I are awaiting treatment. We went to do a little shopping. I am not nauseated today, thank God! I am keeping up with meds, in fact I set my alarm at 2:00 a.m. Today I can start to feel some side effects, saliva is getting a bit thicker....yuck. It seem like things are a bit more swollen. I will see the radiation oncologist tomorrow, he will assess everything. I also have some white spots in my throat he will need to look at. Mom and I are the only ones in the Wilmont House today, but soon there will be more guest. It is beautiful here today. Tomorrow I have radiation at 8:50 a.m., then we head back home.

Lisa

PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSING FLOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



SORRY I HAVEN'T WRITTEN, YOU PROBABLY ALL THINK I'VE BEEN SICK FOR DAYS, BUT NOT TRUE : FEEL GREAT. SORRY, JUST GOT BUSY WITH THE KIDDOS. THIS WEEKEND WAS GREAT. WE WERE ABLE TO GO TO THE BEACH AND I WENT TO A BRIDAL SHOWER. MY GREAT, WONDFUL FRIEND SHERYL STOPPED OVER WITH MEALS AND TOYS FOR THE GIRLS. MONDAY, ANOTHER FRIEND, KATIE CAME OVER AND WE HAD A GREAT VISIT . IT WAS A GOOD DAY AND RAY AND I LEFT ABOUT 3:00. TREATMENT WENT WELL. WE SPENT THE NIGHT AT THE WILMONT HOUSE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT THROUGH THE REST OF MY TREATMENT, BECAUSE IT IS JUST MUCH MORE CONVEINT TO THE HOSPITAL THAN THE APARTMENT. IT IS ONLY 3 MILES TO THE HOSPITAL. IT HAS FOUR BEDROOMS AND TWO BATHS, BIG KITHEN AND LIVING ROOM. THERE HAS BEEN NO OTHER GUEST THESE PAST FEW WEEKS, SO IT'S NICE TO HAVE THE HOUSE TO OURSELVES. THEY SAY IT IS RARE ONLY TO HAVE ONE GUEST. RAY LIKED IT AND IT'S COZY FOR ME. TUEDAY WAS A FULL DAY. I HAD BLOODWORK, CHEMO, SAW THE DR. AND HAD RADIATION. BLOODWORK WAS PAINLESS. CHEMO WAS MUCH BETTER THAN LAST WEEK. RAY WAS A CHAMP THROUGH IT ALL, NO TEARS. I HAD A WONDERFUL NURSE. SHE WAS SO COMPASSIONATE. SHE WAS 35 AND HAD TWO SMALL BOYS HERSELF. SHE USED A SMALLER NEEDLE THAN BEFORE AND IT WAS MUCH EASIER THAN BEFORE. THEY CHANGED MY BENADRYL TO ZERTEC AND MY HEART DID NOT RACE THIS TIME, MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE. IT TOOK ABOUT THREE HOURS. NO REACTIONS AND I FEEL GOOD TODAY. I WILL TAKE ALL MY MEDIATIONS WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. PRAISE GOD FOR ANTI NAUSEA MEDICATIONS. THEY SAY I SHOULD NOT GET VERY NAUSEATED AND IF I DO,THEY HAVE MANY MORE TO TRY. NO HAIRLOSS YET, AND MAY NOT.
AFTER CHEMO WE WENT TO SEE THE ONCOLOGIST. SHE WAS PLEASANT. SHE ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY PROBLEMS, LISTENED TO MY CHEST AND LOOKED IN MY THROAT. THEN SHE SAID, "HOW DO YOU THINK TREATMENT IS GOING" I SAID...."TO BE HONEST, I THINK IT IS ALREADY SHRINKING. SHE SAID" SO DO I. PRAISE GOD - PRAISE GOD- PRAISE GOD. I HAVE HAD ONLY 2 CHEMO TREATMENTS AND 8 RADIATION TREATMENTS AND WE ARE ALREADY SEEING RESULTS!!!!!!!!
I CRIED. I WILL PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS STORM. I KNOW I STILL HAVE A VERY BUMPY ROAD AHEAD, LOTS OF SIDE EFFECTS TO COME: SORE THROAT, DIFFICUTLY SWALLOWING, WEIGHT LOSS, DRY MOUTH, MOUTH SORES, REDNESS TO NECK AND MAYBE PEELING OF THE SKIN :( , BUT I WILL ENDURE THEM ...............GOD IS WORKING.

WE ARE HOME TONIGHT AND WILL LEAVE TOMORROW AT 4:00 AND BE BACK HOME MID MORNING ON FRIDAY.

PLEASE CONTINUE THE PRAYERS FOR CONTINUED HEALING AND SAFE TRAVEL, IT TAKES ABOUT 2 AND A HALF HOURS.

I AM SO VERY CONFIDENT IN OUR GOD.

LISA :)






































































































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not the best day

I wish I could say I was having another great day, but I am not. I am feeling nauseated. MY FAULT. I didn't take the anti-nausea pill. I was feeling great, so I didn't . I will just take it regardless. I have already had my radiation today and I will just rest. I am feeling better now, it's 12:00, this morning was bad, but the meds are kicking in. As of now, my treatment for friday is 1:40, I will try and move it up. Today I will look at the apartment I will be staying in. It is very close to the hospital so it should be an easy commute. OH>>>>>>>>>>>>last night Kathy and I had fun, she got to torment me :) by highlighting my hair. She pulled it through a cap......just wait until you see BLONDIE!She did a good job, but I sure look different. Oh well, I may loose it all anyway....just trying to look hot!!

LISA

chemo

Today is Wed. I am home this morning and will leave again today at 3:00. It seems to be a lot of juggling and driving, but that's the sacrifice I have to make to see the girls. So far, it is going well. Yesterday was my first day of chemo. I will have to admit, it was hard. I walked off the elevator just to see a room filled, I mean filled with cancer patients. WOW......things came crashing down in my mind all over again. I was one of THEM! A nice nurse showed us around the chemo stations. There are three sections: bedside, chairside or another room with chairs and smaller. Fortunately I got a bed that day in a private room. God knew I need my privacey that day. There was a TV and I was right next to the nurses station. Again Kathy was will me and she kept strong for me. Once I was in the room the nurse came in and said they would start the IV shortly. As I stared at all the bags of drugs that were about to be dripped into me, I once again was overwhelmed. It was scarey, will I have a reaction? Will me body tolerate this treatment? Will I be sick? Believe me, I was an emotional day. The IV went ok..........I am surely not a needle fan. Get used to it Davis!!!!!!!! I was premedicated for about an hour, before I even got any chemo. The type of chemo can cause severe reactions, so they are precautious. Really the only trouble I had was when I was given Benedryl , it really made my heart race and that was uncomfortable because it also made me tired and I could not sleep with my heart racing. I will talk to the Dr. next Tuesday when I have my visit and see if they can give me something else. So, after being there for four hours...........I was ready to go! We had just a short break before we had to go to radiation. Then we were on the road home.

I am feeling pretty good today, nausea about a 3 out of 10. They gave me prescriptions for nausea and I just taking them for preventative, let's make this as easy as possible! The next three days will just be radiation, and I will be back home again Friday later afternoon.

My spirits are great. I am so hopeful. I know, I am so confident God is going to heal me. There is a peace inside me like I have never felt in my life. Imagine that I am so peaceful in such a troubling time. Amen.Praise God. Again I thank all of you for your prayer, God continues to listen. I am so so very blessed. Church family is coordinating meals, cleaning the house and getting Lexy to vaction bible school and playdates. Ray's good buddy is mowing our yard. I have no worries while I am gone, what a relief to know things are all okay and I can just concentrate on taking care of myself.

Please continue to pray for God's power to work through this radiation and Chemo. Let him use that and the Dr's to cure this terrible disease. I was just told the other day that my radiation oncologist ( Dr. Eisbruch) is the second leading radiation oncologist in the nation. Thank you God.....for bring him to me.

Lisa

2 down 33 to go

Hi everyone..............
This is great, I have found a computer right at the radiation center, so I can go on-line and update everyday. Things so far went well. Treatment only last about thirty minutes. I don't feel a thing, but about 15 minutes into it, the back of my head gets really, really sore since I can not move my head at all. I have had two treatments, now 33 to go.....yes!! While I sit there under that big machine, all I am thinking is bye-bye cancer. I can bring CD's and I plan to put my Casting Crowns on. My best buddy Kathy spent the last two days with me, time flew. I will go back Monday at 6:30 p.m. That is nice, so I can have a long weekend at home. Next week starts the real schedule.....5 days a week with Tuesday as the Chemo day. My spirits are good, I have had a great cheerleader the past couple days. I am positive and look forward to seeing the girls. Please pray for Ray, his back is giving him problems, very painful. Keep the prayers up. Pray specifically for God to use this chemo and radiation for healing.

LOVE YOU ALL.

Lisa

BLESSINGS

Today I was blessed....... Through my co-workers.......God touched me. When I came home from work tonight and showed Ray all that my co-workers gave me, we sat there and cried. Tears came like never before. I re-read the cards and focused on the words. Our friends love us THIS much...........it is unbelievable.............Day after day we are being blessed, sometimes by people we have never met. I told Ray tonight my biggest desire when I am done with all this mess, is to be able to find someone in need and give to them. I can't WAIT. The amount of tears I have cried for this terrible cancer is just as many for the number of blessings we are receiving. I have NEVER in my life been so overwhelmed by these emotions.

Thursday at 2:00 radiations begins, my life begins to change once again. I love you all. Thank you , thank you for lifting my name up to our Lord. I KNOW , I am SURE He is listening and answering .

Lisa

Waiting for Thursday

Thursday is almost here.........I can't wait! I am not scared at all of what the next three months will bring, rather I am excited to see God healing me. He desires to heal me. He doesn't want any of His children sick. God can use doctors, radiation and chemo to heal. Thank you God that you are awesome that way. Continue to pray for the treatment to wipe out all the cancer cells. I had the most awesome blessing today. At work, co workers showered me with books, blankets, pillows, snacks, gas cards, cards , and monetary gifts that dropped my jaw. I cried, hugged and cried again. How completely blessed I am .....God has surrounded me with such a team. Thank you God.

Can't wait until Thursday

Thursday can't get here soon enough. I am so ready to get this journey going. It has a little more than a month since diagnosis. Might be the longest month in history. The waiting is hard. Waiting to see this dr, waiting for that result, waiting to start treatment. WOW. My days are busy tending to the girls. I sometimes just try to let my mind forget what is going on, but then a thought will hit me. When I become scared and fearful..........I battle that fear with this : "trust, trust in the Lord, lean not on your own understanding". I think there is a song with this verse as the title.

Here's a list of prayer request:

1. Pray specifically for this chemo and radiation to kill all of the cancer cells.

2. Pray for my physical strength to endure the treatment.

3. Pray that my family has a easy transition through all this, that it is much more adaptable than we imagined.

4. Pray that God continues to fill me with peace and comfort and the devil stays far away from my thoughts.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND PRAYERS THROUGH THIS ALL. CANCER WILL NOT WIN.

Another wonderful day

Hi everyone,

Please keep the prayers coming for strength and peace, God is listening!!!! I feel such a calmness in this storm! I hope I can write this same thing over and over and over again. I want you all to know "my song" throughout this ordeal is by Casting Crowns..."Praise you in this storm". If you haven't heard it ...you MUST.

Things are all coming together. I am so ready to start treatment, in a weird way I am excited. What?????????? Yeah, I am ready to get this stuff out of me and radiation, chemo and God are my weapons. I wish I could say I was going to a wonderful paradise island for three weeks, NOT.

My arrangements for are as follows: Monday morning Ray and I will drive to U of M, spend the night and come back Tuesday after treatment. I will then go back Wedneday and stay until Friday then come home after treatment. I will have Radiation every day and Chemo on Tuesdays. This schedule is all dependant on how I feel. It may come down to meeting half way on Wednesdays to see the girls for the evening. My girlfriend Kathy will be taking me the first two weeks of treatment since Ray can't get off work and Dad and Penny will be on vacation. Otherwise, Ray will take me Mon and Tues and it will rotate between Mom, Penny and Dad taking me back on Wednesday- Friday.

We have housing options. I will stay at the Wilmont House the first week. It is a house specificially for patients having radiation treatments that live out of town. After the first week we have an apartment we can rent on campus. A lot l cheaper than a hotel.

If any of you moms out there have or know of someone who has a GRACO infant base carrier, I am looking for one. I have the infant car seat, just need a base to put in my parent's car. Let me know- just need to borrow it.

I love each and everyone of you that are reading this blog, thank you especially to some very special angels this past week, Kris at work, Tricia from church ,Laura from work, hubby Ray Ray, my girlfriend Tanya who calls from Seattle just to hear my voice. You have all given me so much strength.

Love,
Lisa

Update

Today has been a good day, maybe the first day I did not cry. I woke up this morning saying, " No cancer, no devil, you cannot have me." I do not want to be consumed by fear and "what-if's" It is wasted energy. Right now I want people to pray for healing through the doctor's wisdom, through the radiation and through the chemo.

My hardest times are when I am alone with the girls. Today I said "NO, cancer.............You WILL NOT rob me of being a mother. So, I will be a bit more tired, maybe I won't feel any different since I am a mother of a 7 month old and a three year old already!!!!! I can and will continue to be a mommy to my girls with the help of family.

I so ready to get started.............I am so ready to start winning this battle............sorry saten, I am a tough player. Get ready.

Thanks for all your prayers and support. Our current needs are a bed for a family member to stay at our house. Let me know if anyone has one available, twin ,double or queen.

Lisa

On Thursday, June 1, 2006, I went back to U of M to see an Oncologist, Radiation Oncologist and had a CT simulation. The CT simulation will "map" out a treatment plan for where the radiation fields will be . By using IMRT (a type of radiation treatment) my radiation will be more precise, saving salivary glands and healthy tissue. I was with a staff members at U of M from 12:15-5:30. It was a busy day. I will start radiation on June 15, 2006 and chemo on the 20th. There is a possibility for housing at U of M that is specific for radiation patients. We are looking into housing possibilities now. I would like to come home on Wednesdays and for sure the weekends to see my girls.

My spirits are pretty good, I just know I have to go through this, without a choice. I am so ready to just get started and ready to be healed. I do have a lot of peace. God has worked wonders these last few weeks. I talk to Him constantly.

Please continue to pray for healing through this treatment and my physical strength throughout this treatment.

LISA