Thursday

Today is Thursday and I am here with my mom this trip. Treatment was done by 8:00 a.m. today and I will have a 8:20 a.m. appointment tomorrow. I can hardly believe this is almost over. Thursday August 3 is my last treatment. One more chemo next Tuesday. I will be honest, this has gone incredibly fast. God has protected my mind, body and spirit throughout this. I am have incredible peace, and my body is hardly broken! The doctors are in awe with my symptoms.... very few. I am feeling at bit more tired, but that's okay.

I plan to keep this blog updated even after treatment as I follow up with doctors, so keep checking! Many many thanks to all of you who have daily prayed for me, my family and I can not thank you enough for all your support. This has been such an awesome life changing experience, I'm so glad so many of you could come along for the ride.

God Bless,
Lisa

Counting down

Just wanted to let all my cheerleaders know that I have one chemo and seven radiation left!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God has protected me through my treatment, the doctors are just stunned that I am doing so well. I have a tad of a sore throat , peeling skin on the neck and a sore on the side of my tongue. It is getting more difficult to eat breads or hard foods, so I will switch to soups and a softer diet.

They have sent my sides away and have found that a virus may have been the cause of this cancer. It is called HPV. Many of us carry it and there are lots of strands. Some of the strands they are now finding can cause cancer. They have found people that are positive for this virus respond much better to treatment . We don't have a lot of details right now, but we will get more answers in the near future. U of M is in contact with John Hopkins, they are working on the link between tonsil cancer and HPV. There is a possibility I may be able to receive a vaccine.

We had a delightful time at my cousins wedding. Lexy was a jem walking down the isle, but bribed with a sucker! She was just beautiful, I was so please God allowed me to spend this time with her. I never imagined at the end of five weeks of treatment I would be at a wedding! Praise be to our God.

Monday and Tuesday Penny (step-mom) came with me to Ann Arbor. It's nice for her to get away a little bit and take a load off. She enjoys reading and being able to just relax without anything pressing. She is so good to me. It was nice spending time with her and just having time to chat without the disruption of little ones. Chemo went extremely quick today. I have had the same nurse now and will have her again next week. God definately put her in my path, she always hugs me, cries with me and is so gentle and compassionate. She is so careful with the IV. She has even put me on her prayer chain at her church.

Now I find out I will follow back up at U of M in a month to see both Radiation Oncologist and Oncologist just to make sure side effects are gone. Then in three months follow up with Surgeon and Radiation Oncologist and have another scan.

Love you all,
God bless
Lisa

Lexy in wedding

Here we are at Lexy's First Wedding. I wouldnt have missed it for anything. It was a lot of travel but we had a great time. Grandma Penny watched Lauren and Ray had a big 3 day tournament so he couldnt go. Lexy did great walking down the isle when it actually counted. (Not so during the dress rehearsal.) I will write more soon. God bless each and every one of you who are following my story and praying for me and my family.

Computer issues.........

Sorry I have not written............we have had computer issues at home and at U of M due to rain storms and power outages. Things are still going well !! The doctor is impressed I am still not taking any pain meds. The most bothersome thing, is the skin on my neck. It is becoming very red and crusty.........yuck! It's like alligator skin...lovely! I am using aloe and have been given silvadine cream. It is somewhat uncomfortable...but again, only temporary.

Can you believe that I only have two weeks left................9 more treatments! This has gone incredibly fast. Penny (step-mom) spent these past few days with me. We had a lot of down time and we enjoyed some reading and a trip to the mall. This weekend Alexa is in a wedding up north, I was so afraid I wouldn't be able to see her in her first wedding...........sorry, but I am going! I feel fine! Praise the Lord!

Next week Ray will be unable to bring me on Monday and Tuesday, so Penny will come along with me again. She is strong and will be able to see me hooked up to my chemo bags. Not sure if my mom could handle it so well.

I have said it before, but this is the easy part...going through treament, the hardest part is yet to come..........the WAIT. Please pray that God will continue to give me peace through the waiting period. I will probably be seen by an ENT 4-6 weeks after treatment and then return to U of M 3 months after treatment. They say things continue to strink even after treatment is over. I will most likely have a CT-Scan and I hopeful for another PET -Scan.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, I will write again on Monday.

BLESSINGS

It is 7:30 a.m. and I just finished treatment...got me in really early this morning! I am so overwhelmed this morning. As I lay on the treatment table, I just could stop thinking of how God has blessed me. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family, church support, awesome friends. Above all, God has choosen to bless me with two unbelievable beautiful girls before all this began. He has shown me the way to an amazing hospital with the lastest technology. He has given me a husband who is ALWAYS positive and uplifting. In the midst of all this ...............I am so blessed.

Today, we will spend the day (mom , Lexy and I ) at the Holiday Inn. We should have a blast. It will be nice to have Lexy here and have some fun. I have an early appointment tomorrow, so we can go as soon as we're done. Treatment is still going well. I can feel a slight sore throat and lacking more saliva..............it's only temporary! This too shall pass!

Again, I can't thank all of you enough for all your prayers. God is answering. Please continue to pray specifically for Satan to STAY AWAY. I will not be afraid, anxious or troubled for tomorrow. Love you all.

Lisa

HALF WAY THERE

I have reached the half way point! Praise God! He is working wonders in this. My tumor is GONE. Lymph nodes are going down (that we can see). My radiation oncologist said I am doing very well. He usually sees patients on pain meds by now, I haven't even taken a tylenol. God is so GOOD. I know I will have some side effects, I will not go through treatment without pain, but God will be with me. I am starting to get a red neck. I feel a bit more drained tonight. I had chemo today and it's wiping me just a bit. I have very little taste buds, so eating is just not fun anymore. I would say I can taste about 10-20% of the food :(......it's only temporary. I am still loosing some hair at the base of my neck, but have not lost anywhere else. I asked the nurse at chemo today if I haven't lost my hair yet, will I ?. She says you usually loose it in the first couple of cycles and she usually sees people loose it with Taxol ( one of my chemos). God is being gracious to me and wants me to be a blonde throughout this! I have lost 5 pounds total so far, which is good. I can loose up to 12% before they talk feeding tube. I am trying to drink meal replacements in between meals to add and bulk up while I can still swallow good.
I am so filled with peace. I am so comforted knowing God is holding my hand through this. I have had an opportunity to witness to a lady who has cancer, living at the Wilmot house. This is her third bout. She is only 45 and this time she says she is so scared. I felt like Satan was attacking me, seeing this woman. I had a rough day after listening to her story and hearing her fears. I felt him attacking me saying, "see what's to come, look at her suffer." I was able to share with her all that I was hanging onto over these past few months. God is not of fear and God does not want us to be anxious for anything. I told her God has a PERFECT plan for her and to continue to pray for God's wonderful peace. I got a wonderful book called "Praying through Cancer" from a great friend at work, and I got it for her too. I hope I can show her God's love, please everyone pray for her as well.
Tomorrow (Wed) I decided to bring Alexa with me. I figure I am doing well enough and know the next few weeks can be rough. My mom will go with us and we will stay in a hotel with a pool. I have a late appointment on Wed and early Thursday and Friday. She should do fine, since treatment only lasts about 30 mins, mom can handle her. It will make this week fly, having her there.
On Saturday, Ray's work invited us to a dinner they were having and honored us with a check from the benefit they put on for me. I was able to stand in front of 150 people and thank them for their substancial monetary gift without crying ( lots if prayers before!). We will not have to worry about debt throughout this. It was amazing what people gave, even though some of them hardly knew Ray and he has only been there such a short time. God is looking after us. What a blessing.
Thank you again for all your support. Continue to pray for safe travel and that God allows this radiation to kill all the cells in my neck.

LISA

things going well

Today is Thursday, I am here with my dad this week. We had a great 4th of July. Lexy and Lauren loved the fireworks!! Treatment is going well. Wed and Thurs appointments were quick without delays or hang-ups in the treatment room. I saw the radiation oncologist yesterday. He was pleased with the way things are going. He doesn't see the tumor on my tonsil and can barely feel the lymph node in my neck. I asked about the hair loss and if it will come back....yes it will. Good thing my hair is already short!

I am still so confident God is working in all of this. I know it is His hands that are working through this radiation. I am so confident we desires me to be a mother for a long long time.
Today dad and I will get breakfast and maybe catch a movie later this afternoon. I am blessed to have a 8:20 a.m. appointment Friday.

LISA

My song

I want you all to read the words to "Praise you in this Storm", by Casting Crowns. I even have Ray singing it all the way to Ann Arbor.

I was sure by now/ That you would have reached down/

and wiped our tears away/ Stepped in and saved the day/

But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

And as the tunder rolls/ I bearly hear you whisper through

the rain/ "I'm with you"/ And as you mercy falls/ I raise

my hands and praise the God who gives /

and takes away/

I'll praise You in this storm/ And I will lift my hands/

For you are who You are/ No matter where I am /

Every tear I've cried/ You hold in your hand/

You never left my side/ And though my heart

is torn / I will praise You in this storm

I remember when / I stumbled in the wind/

You heard my cry/ You raised me up again/

My strength is almost gone/ How I can I carry on/

If I can't find you

I lift my eyes unto the hills/ Where does my help

come from?/ My help from from the Lord/

The Maker of Heaven and Earth

Our Anniversary

Well,
Today Ray and I celebrated seven years of marriage.................having chemo! Bet you can't beat that one!!! We had as good as day as possible with the circumstances. We laid in the bed at chemo and watched golf. We stopped at Apple Bee's for that special dinner. Chemo went well and radiation went fast. I will not have chemo on July 4th. I will go back Wednesday with my dad.

We will take the girls to the Grand Haven fire works. I am feeling good. I will set my alarm and take all the pills on a schedule. My mouth is starting to get white sore in them....expected and the hair at the base of my neck is starting to fall out............expected. It was pretty horrific as I pulled 10-15 strands out. I am loosing it where the radiation is hitting it. Praise God, as of now I am not loosing any on top or the sides. Guess we'll have to see. I may or may not, or it just may thin. I have Vicodin for pain if needed and a mouth wash to rinse my mouth.

The girls are doing great. Lauren is a bit fussy and is cutting teeth. Lexy has been a bit naughty. I think it is a combo between not enough sleep, being away from mommy and being three. Tonight we watched our wedding video. We haven't done that since the first anniversary. Lexy loved it. It was a special night, however the tears were flowing! Tears of happiness, because our w edding was so beautiful, not over done, just absolutely perfect. It was a bit difficult to see all the happiness that once was seven years ago, and where we are today. Furthermore, I couldn't help but to wonder if I will be there to see my girls get married. YES.......YES.......YES..... I will. Cancer will not win. I will have a headache tonight and puffy eyes from all the crying ...........great!

God is good through all of this. I tell you, I do have a peace that I never knew I could feel. I will trust God through this. He is already showing me that treatment is working. Please pray this week specifically for Ray to open his heart to God and see the peace that He can give him as well . Also, pray for my body to tolerate this treatment, that the pain won't be what the doctor said, that the sores won't be that bad, and that swallowing will be easier than imagined. Also pray for protection of my families health through these next weeks. God is healing Ray's back . It is slightly sore.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers. Love you all.

Love,
Lisa