Miller Moments

My Baby Turns 3!

2008-11-19T07:07:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, November 16 my baby girl Kathryn turned 3 years old. I can't believe that she is already 3! The years seem to always go by much faster than I desire. For me this birthday was a little hard. It seems that once your little one goes from being 2 to 3, they go from the baby stage to the "I'm an independent little person" stage. This means that the baby years are now over for the Miller family. Which makes me sad. Most of you know that due to the radiation I had last year, my ovaries were damaged, and I am now in early menopause. I had always hoped to have another baby. Kathryn was never intentionally planned to be the baby of the family. But, the Lord has greater plans than mine. For some reason, He decided that Kathryn was to be our last biological child. Unless we adopt, she will always be the baby. I am so grateful for her. Even with her independent and stubborn personality, I absolutely adore her. I love it when she runs across the room with her arms wide spread for me to catch her in a big bear hug. I love it when she likes to tease by wiping our kisses off her face and giggling the whole time. I love it when she needs her "diddy" (a.k.a. her blanket- I have know idea where she came up with the name).

We had a combined birthday party for her in Houston with some of my neices and nephews who also recently had birthdays a few weeks ago. Then on her actual birthday we had another party for her at our home. Kathryn loves Dora right now, so most everything she got for her birthday was Dora. She also got a princess castle sleeping bag that she fell asleep in after her family birthday party that we had for her. We had all our family that lives in town and our good friends, The Gordons (who we have adopted into our family) over for a hotdog/ hamburger feast after church. Kathryn was wiped out after the long day. Happy Birthday, little baby! We love you!!

Happy 30th Birthday Susie!

2008-09-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

Me, Susie, and Jalinda at the 4th of July Parade

This is for my friend Susie! Today is her BIG 30!! Susie and I have been friends for a very long time. I first met her thru Jared's family when Jared and I were dating. Her family and Jared's family grew up with each other. We call Susie's mom and dad Aunt Susanna and Uncle Phil though there is no blood relations. When Lauren was a week old we took her to Mike and Susie's wedding reception. We enjoyed hanging out at Mike and Susie's little apt. and our little condo before they had kids and then when Cameron and Lauren and Holden were just little. We still love when we get to hang out. We especially enjoy our annual South Padre trips, Valentine Adult Dates, and 4th of July festivities together. Happy Birthday Susie! Here's to many more fun and memorable years together. Love ya, Kristin

Easter 2008

2008-07-21T16:44:00.001-07:00

First Time Skiing- January 2008

2008-07-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

In January we took to the road and drove with the kids to Castle Rock, Colorado to visit Jared's brother Winston and his wife Jacque. We had a great time! We saw lots of snow. And I concluded what I already thought, "I do not like cold weather." The kids went to ski and snow boarding school. We did some sledding and went iceskating. Here's some pictures from our trip.

Christmas 2007

2008-07-20T19:13:00.001-07:00

Backtracking

2008-07-20T19:11:00.000-07:00

I am going to go back a little bit and post pictures from some of the highlights over the past 6 months. Hopefully, I will catch up and be current one of these days.

Happy 7th Birthday Handsome Holden!

2008-07-06T00:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Holden's 7th birthday! We celebrated his birthday with a party at Pump It Up a few weeks ago. He had a family party with everyone when we were at the beach this past week. Last night we went out with the Gordons to Red Robin and sang to him there. He got Guitar Hero from Jared and I for his birthday. Here are 7 things that make me smile about Holden:

1. He has a deep, quiet voice. Sometimes you have to listen really hard to hear what he says when you ask him something.

2. He is just like his Dad! He doesn't let things bother him. He is VERY laid back (which is good when you have 3 sisters!)

3. He has the best tan and is toned like he has been working out. I love to see him on the beach because he has so much fun.

4. He has 2 tan colored birth marks on his legs that I think are so cute.

5. He loves everything about being a boy! He loves to try daring stunts on skateboards, bikes, etc. He loves surf boarding and skiing. He likes to go hunting with Jared. He likes to roller skate on his heelys and is very good at it.

6. He is so kind and patient with baby sister Kathryn. Sometimes not so patient with Lauren and Caroline!

7. He has the most charming dimples when he smiles. Sometimes we call him Mr. Grins. When he was a baby he smiled alot. He was the cutest baby boy. People would stop me and comment on how cute he was all the time.

Holden, you are a special part of our family. Thanks for adding your boyish charm and toughness to our group of girls. We love you! Happy Birthday!!!

Busy Summer!

2008-07-06T00:46:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy with real estate, trying to sell our other house, and having fun with the kids this summer. We have been to Sea World, the movies, playtime with friends, ballet classes, trips, etc. I want to post so much and have tons of pictures. I am playing catch up from being at the beach with all my family (6 siblings, my parents, and 15 children) last week. We had a blast! I could seriously live at the beach! I will post pictures as soon as I have time. The first person who looked at our house last week made a full price offer. Hopefully, everything will go OK and we will close on July 17th. I leave on my girls trip on Monday. So, it may be a while before I can blog or update with pictures. Just know that I am having a great summer! I can't believe that it has almost been a year since my diagnosis. Where does the time go? I am feeling great. My latest blood work last week was normal. I will go in August for a CT scan to check my abdomen and pelvic regions for any signs of recurrance. I feel so blessed to be where I am, and to be doing what I do. I love spending time with Jared and the kids. Also, I love to be with our extended family and friends. I will update soon.

Happy 5th Birthday My Sweet Caroline!

2008-06-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

Today was Caroline's 5th Birthday! I can't believe that she will be starting kindergarten in a few months. She is such a sweet and beautiful part of our family. We went to Cici's Pizza with some family and friends tonight to celebrate her special day. We will have a birthday party for her later in the week.
5 Reasons we love Caroline:
1. She has the most beautiful blue eyes that will melt your heart and make you smile. (sometimes they save her from being in big trouble!)
2. She is very sweet and patient with her baby sister Kathryn.
3. She always says please and thankyou.
4. She loves to learn. She asks the most intriguing questions.
5. She loves being with her family more than anyone or anything else. She wants to do and be whatever and wherever Holden and Lauren are.

We love you Caroline! Happy Birthday!!

Lauren's Knighting Ceremony

2008-06-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

OK. Since I was a blog slacker and didn't feel well during the Fall when Lauren was knighted, I wanted everyone to know that she was knighted this year as well. The virtue she was knighted for was "Friendship"- being a good friend and being helpful no matter what. I feel like all of my friends and family should receive a medal for this same virtue. Ya'll have been such a support during the last year. I could not have done it without the prayers and help of so many of you. Thanks for being true friends!!!

Dual Language Spanish Night

2008-06-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

Holden is in the green shirt performing a native Mexican dance. This was before Jared gave him his short haircut!

Lauren is in the blue shirt getting ready to perform a native Panamanian dance.

As most of you know, Lauren and Holden are both in the Dual Language Spanish program at their school. 90% of Holden's curriculum this year in Kindergarten was in Spanish. 70% of Lauren's 3rd grade curriculum was in Spanish. We are proud of both of them for learning a new language and culture. The school celebrated by having a special night where each dual language grade level performed a dance that was native to the particular country that they researched and studied. Holden's class represented Mexico. Lauren's class represented Panama. One of Lauren's teachers this year was actually from Panama. It was a fun night for our family!

More dance recital pictures

2008-06-05T22:02:00.001-07:00

Lauren and Caroline's Dance Recital

2008-06-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

Holden and Logan

Lauren and Makayla

Last Saturday, May 31 was Lauren's 4th dance recital and Caroline's 1st dance recital. Lauren did a jazz number called "Holiday". Caroline's was a ballet number called "Siamese Dance " from The King and I. They each were in a different recital so we spent 5 hours doing recital that day. They both performed very well and received lots of flowers for their hard work. Holden was a good sport and enjoyed having his buddy Logan to hang out with. They played video games during much of the recital. It was a fun, but busy day. Later that evening Jared and I took Kathryn and went to Caroline Hilton's wedding reception at her parents home. It was a beautiful reception. Mike and Jalinda were nice enough and watched our other kids while we were gone. We still owe them for that one!

Holden's Knighting Ceremony

2008-05-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

On Friday, May 23 Holden was knighted at his school for the core virtue "Honesty". We were so proud that he was able to be knighted. He received a very nice medal for his knighting.

Too Busy!!

2008-05-22T20:40:00.001-07:00

I will post all our happenings soon. I have been sooo busy with end of year activities and real estate. We have 10 closings I am trying to coordinate. But, I am also having lots of fun with my family doing various activites that I want to post. My chemo is getting more difficult, but still bearable. Maybe I will take a picture of what my hands look like. They are puffy, red and tingly. Only 5 weeks to go!!

We love Sea World!

2008-05-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

Barlow, Manwaring & Miller Kids

We love going to Sea World. We bought season passes in October so that we could go with our friends the Manwarings and the Barlows. We have been alot this spring also. We got to go several times when my sisters were here for Spring Break. Here are some fun pictures from our Sea World trips.

Halloween 2007

2008-05-04T21:16:00.000-07:00

Bare with me as I update many happenings from the past few months. We had a fun Halloween. I was actually starting to feel better by then so I was able to take the kids trick-or-treating. Here are some pictures of them dressed in their costumes and of them carving pumpkins with Dad.

Kathryn and Dora

2008-05-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

Kathryn loves Dora! She watches the same Dora movie every day. She wears the same Dora flip flops every day. She uses her Dora toothbrush every night. My friend Angie bought this Dora nightgown for her. It all started when Angie came over the other evening and her little girl had on a Dora nightgown. Kathryn saw it, tore off her own clothes and wanted to wear a Dora gown also. Big problem- we did not own a Dora nightgown! She cried for an hour because she wanted "Dorda". Thankfully, Angie bought this for her a few days later. Now it is one of her favs to wear. Since then I have bought her some more "Dorda" pjs to wear so that I don't have to dig a dirty gown out of the laundry for a 2 year old who insists on wearing "Dorda" every night. Thanks, Angie!

Lauren's Author Party

2008-05-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

Lauren reading Mom Getting Sick.

Mrs. Estrada, Lauren, & Mrs. Oster Lauren's very well behaved class.

You have all heard me talk about how awesome Lauren's teachers are. This year they taught her class the writing process. Part of this process included coming up with a topic that was personal to each child and having them write a short story about it. They spent many weeks on the writing process. Then they published their books with illustrations and bound them in a hard back cover. Last Monday the parents were formally invited to attend the unveiling of the stories at an Author's Party. It was held in the school library. The children were asked to dress up in dressy clothes for the event. After the parents were seated, the entire class of 33 filed in very orderly and sat down in their assigned seats. Then each child took a turn going to the podium to present their personal story. Lauren's story was titled Mom Getting Sick. It was a sweet and tender rendition of last Fall when I was diagnosed with my cancer. I sat there as she read with tears coming down my face and a heart that was so proud that she was such a brave and intuitive little girl. Once she was finished reading, her teacher commented how difficult that story was for Lauren to write and how proud she was that she was able to share her feelings. They served us a very nice brunch afterwards. It was a special event that I am grateful I was able to attend.

My two girls still at home

2008-04-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

It has been so fun to still have Caroline and Kathryn at home with me during the day. I went yesterday to sign Caroline up for Kindergarten. Where does the time go? Caroline has been busy taking Speech classes twice a week and dancing one day a week. Kathryn and I will miss her next year when she goes off to school.

Lauren and Holden's 1st day of school- Aug.2007

2008-04-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

Well, the school year is almost over. I can't believe it! I wanted to add some pictures of the kids on their first day of school. I am just now posting this because I was in no frame of mind when school started this year. I had been diagnosed with my cancer one week before, so things were really crazy. This has been a great school year for both Lauren and Holden. Holden's kindergarten teacher's name is Mrs. Carpenter. Lauren has two 3rd grade teachers- Mrs. Oster and Mrs. Estrada. Both Lauren and Holden are in the dual language program at school. They learn most of their curriculum thruout the day in Spanish. It is amazing to me that they can understand and read Spanish so well. Their teachers are awesome! When I was in the hospital in November, one of Lauren's teachers called the house and studied with her on the phone for her Science test. How often does that happen? Then her teachers had their class write me get well cards. I received 33 beautiful cards. Her teachers also came to our house to bring me gifts after my surgery. I feel very fortunate that my kids have such caring and amazing teachers!

Grandma Lois turns 96!

2008-04-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

Me, my sisters and one sister-in-law
at Grandma's party.

Grandma Lois on her 96th Birthday!

On April 15 my Dad's mom turned 96! We traveled to her hometown for a large family birthday party for her. She is a funny lady who told me that she loves every day of her life. She lives in an assisted living facility (much like a nice hotel). Her Dr. told her a few weeks ago that he had never seen a woman her age with such a healthy heart. My grandpa passed away 11 years ago, so she has been on her own ever since. He was the kind of man that took care of everything- shopping for groceries, the bills, the yard, vaccuuming, working, etc. Maybe that is why she has lived so long. She hasn't had the same chaos that a lot of moms today have. And chaos often means stress. I hope that I can look and feel as good as she does when I am older.

Happy 9th Birthday Lauren!!

2008-04-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

Lauren in her new birthday outfit. April 23, 2008.

Mom and Lauren and Caroline at Olive Garden.

Lauren and her friends eating at Olive Garden after having had their manicures. Aren't they cute?

Wow! I can't believe that it has been 9 years since my first baby was born. I still remember it like yesterday. It was Fiesta Friday (a big deal in San Antonio) and my doctor was arguing with another doctor about who was on call and would deliver my baby. (This after being in labor for 12 hours! Needless to say, I did not not use that doctor for my other babies.) I still don't know the name of the doctor that actually delivered her. My eyes were shut and by that point I didn't care who delivered her. Then she came out a big surprise. We had been told that we were having a baby boy. 2 baby showers later, Lauren entered the world as our surprise baby girl. Jared was totally in shock. I was just glad to finally be done with labor and have a healthy little baby. She weighed 5 lbs 12 oz. But I could have sworn that she was 9 lbs! She was beautiful (even with bruises on her head from forceps to get her out) and so tiny. She has been playing practical jokes ever since. Lauren is a beautiful and smart girl. She is a great big sister to her brother and sisters. Although sometimes she does lose her patience with them just like I do. She tries very hard. She is a good little student who has worked diligently at mastering Spanish this year. She loves to play tricks on people, cracking herself up as she does. She enjoys visiting with people, dancing, shopping, eating out, writing in her journal, and organizing her room. She is a detail person, always noticing the slightest new thing or if something has changed from before. I appreciate the special spirit that she is. She is a big help to me.

For her birthday, Lauren invited 3 other girls (9-10 year olds) and she asked Caroline to come (another example of the kind big sister that she is) to have manicures and then to eat at Olive Garden. It was a lot of fun for me also. Today she got picked up from school at noon by Mama Pam and she went to lunch and then to shop for her birthday gift. She brought home a very cute Build -A- Bear. Tonight Meme and Papa and Becca brought over her gifts and a cake and we had dinner. We are going to have a family dinner on Sunday at Mama Pam and Papa Miller's house. Jared had school tonight so we didn't do it tonight. I think she had a great 9th birthday. I love you Lauren!

I'm Back!

2008-04-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

After 6 months to the day, I finally am able to join the blogging world again. I figured that I spend so much time reading other blogs that I might as well use some of that time to update my own. Much has happened since my last entry. I have endured 2 surgeries, an ileostomy bag for 8 weeks, the holidays, and now more chemo. I feel so blessed to be where I am now.

I am going to try to post pictures of all the happenings over the last few months. Please forgive me while I try to play catch up. I feel like the last few months have been on hold while I was trying to recover from so much trauma to my body. Many days, it was all I could do to perform my duties as a Mom. I am looking forward to organizing the moments of my life that I would like to capture.

Graduation Day!

2007-10-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

I finally have enough energy to feel like updating my blog. Sorry to all of you who have been worried because I haven't updated in a while. The last 4 weeks have been difficult. I have felt like I had an ongoing bout with the flu- aches, chills, fevers, low blood counts, anemia, swollen tissues, diarrhea, nausea, etc. Last Monday, October 08 was my last day of radiation. The radiation therapists (who I had become quite close to after spending every day for 6 weeks with them) signed a graduation diploma and gave it to me. I will add it to my collection of memorabilia that I am saving from my " cancer days". I also had my last IV chemo treatment (#4) last week as well. I am starting to feel better and getting some energy back- enough to get out of bed finally. The doctors said that the radiation will continue to work in my body for 4-6 weeks after treatment ends. So, it will be a gradual process of regaining my energy. I have 8 more days of taking the oral chemo drug. Then I have to wait to see how things are healing. I am again so thankful to my sister Rebecca, my parents, Jared's parents, and Jared's sister Jackie for taking things over for me the last few weeks. Rebecca has been at my house every day since the beginning doing whatever needed to be done to keep things rolling.
Let me update you on a few other happenings at our home during these past few weeks. Jared got a bad case of viral tonsillitis and had to go to the Boerne Urgent care to get a steroid shot and some meds. Our computer hard drive crashed 2 weeks ago (another reason that I have not updated my blog)and I lost everything I had saved on there. Most sadly, all my pictures that I spent hours this summer organizing into folders were lost. Word of advise- please back up your pictures if you have not already done so. Don't wait for a better time. Because there might not ever be a better time. We bought an external hard drive to back ours up 2 days before the computer crashed, but we were both too sick to do it. Hence, we lost all our pictures from the last 2 years. All Kathryn's baby pictures. And no I did not have any hard copies printed ever. I was wanting to get them all organized into folders before I printed any of them. Then life came at us like a freight train and we are still in survival mode. Last week Kathryn (she will be 2 in November) fell and broke her collar bone. The 1st trip to the emergency clinic ( and copay)said there was not a brake, just a contusion. The next night after a long day of her crying, I could tell that her collar bone was swollen. So at 10:00 at night Jared and I took her to the ER in San Antonio (another copay) and sure enough her collar bone was broken. She is doing fine. I am just trying to keep her from falling again (which is difficult to do with a busy 2-year old who thinks she is as big as her siblings). She takes tylenol with codeine at night for the pain.
Overall, life is good for us. I continually feel the blessings of the Lord upon us. Thanks to all of you for your constant concern and prayers. So many of you have contributed meals and given thoughtful gifts and words of encouragement. I meet with my surgeon on November 2 to find out when surgery will be scheduled. I 'll keep everyone posted as soon as I know. Goodbye for now.

Hair or No Hair? That is the Question.

2007-08-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

We have accomplished a lot in the last few days. This has been a week of many firsts- first day of school, first day of dance, first IV chemo treatment, first radiation treatment, etc. I know the question that everyone wants to ask but is afraid to is , "Will your hair fall out from chemo?" I have been told by all the doctors that the form of chemo that is given for rectal cancer does NOT make your hair fall out. It may cause some thinning, which in my case my hair has been thinning ever since I had my first baby. Thankfully, I have thick hair so it must grow back quickly. Hair loss from this kind of chemo is a rare side effect. Good news for me, and another blessing!

I must admit when I went in to the chemo lab on Tuesday, I was not prepared emotionally for what I saw. There were about 40 reclining chairs in a large room with people hooked up to IV poles everywhere. I was one of the only people in the room that had any hair. Most everyone in the room was older. Some looked as though they had already died- laying down, drinking through sippy cups, no hair, eyes closed. It was very disheartening for me to see. My nurse was very nice. She introduced me to some other very nice patients who were there for chemo treatments as well. I was hooked to an IV that injected a clear substance into my vein for about 90 minutes. The ironic thing is that everyone's IV bag looked the same- clear like liquid. However, each bag contained extremely different variations of toxins. I am a lucky one. I was one of the few that received my chemo through a normal IV in the arm. Most everyone else had a port that was in their chest that the chemo was admitted through. Because one of the chemo drugs that is given for rectal cancer was developed into a pill form about 7 years ago, I am able to orally take one of my chemo treatments. I take 5 pills a day. Others must be given their daily dose through IVs, therefore must have ports put in to avoid being poked on a daily basis. Also, I have really good veins which is a blessing. I will go for my next IV dose on September 11.

The radiation is the scary thing for me. I probably have a hole in my stomach from all the worrying that I have done over the past couple of weeks. I am sure that many of you want to know what does radiation entail. The actual treatment itself is not so bad. It doesn't hurt. After several days of being drawn on with sharpie markers to get the measurements in place, being x-rayed, and being tattooed, I was finally ready for the real thing. Radiation is the BIG GUNS as one doctor said. It is the thing that will knock the cancer out faster. I was very nervous to have the first treatment done. First you lay on a bed on your back with your pants lowered enough to expose your upper hips and pelvic area (mainly so that they can see the 3 tattoos they have put on your body in order to align you correctly). Then they put the block between your feet and strap your feet to the bed so that you stay in the same position through out the treatment. Then you lay very still while the machine rotates under your body to give the radiation on the underside. Then it rotates around to the left and does another loud beep to expose radiation to that side. Then it rotates around to give the radiation on the right side. The entire process lasts only 10-15 minutes. The side effects are the scary thing. It can cause diarrhea, bladder infections and skin burns. In addition to making you very tired. For me the worst effect of radiation is the fact that my ovaries will be damaged, which will send me into early menopause. Another thing to contend with! I really wanted another baby, so this is an emotional issue that I am having to come to grips with. My doctors did not think it would be in my best interest to delay treatment another week in order to do an experimental surgery to move the ovaries out of the radiation field. They felt that it was essential to start radiation immediately. I feel very blessed to have 4 beautiful children already. Though it is difficult emotionally, I agree with the doctors that I want to do whatever they feel is best for my quick and full recovery.

I also met with my colorectal surgeon yesterday. He said that I would probably have surgery in December. It will require a 5 day stay in the hospital. Then another surgery 2 months later for a 3 day stay. At least we are making progress.

Over all, I am doing well. School started this week, as well as dance classes for the girls. That is going good, though it makes for a more exhausting schedule as any Mom can agree with. I feel VERY tired ( a tired that I have never felt before), which is extremely frustrating for me because I want to do so many things that I don't have the energy to do. My sister Rachel is here and has helped a ton around my house this week. I am so fortunate to have such a wonderfully close family. Everyone is really stepping in to help. My sister Rebecca has been here every day since my diagnosis helping out in one way or another. Jared's sister Jackie has picked up kids for me and had them over to her house. My Mom and Dad help with all the laundry and picking up kids. Jared's Mom has done grocery shopping for me, as well as helped with the kids any way that she can. I can't think of anything that hasn't been done for me. I am still humbled by all the gifts, cards, phone calls, emails, flowers, food, etc. that I continue to receive. Please remember that I do appreciate all the messages of encouragement and hope, even though I may not be able to respond to each of you as quickly as I would like. My time is very limited between doctors visits, treatments, and kids' stuff. Thanks again for all the prayers. I know that the Lord is with me every day. On another post I would like to share some of the sweet scriptures and quotes that I have been given to me that have been of comfort and strength. Thanks to my friends that put that basket together. What a creative way to provide comfort!

I love you all. Each of your desires to help and provide encouragement and comfort inspires me. It makes me want to be that kind of person. May you each be blessed for your goodness and faith.

I got tattooed!!

2007-08-23T20:59:00.001-07:00

OK. So today I went to the radiation therapist to have my simulation done to prepare me for my radiation treatments. First, I got to drink 40 oz. of barium sulfate (berrie smoothie flavor-yum!!) which gives you terrible diarrhea. Nice! Then I got to go put on a gown and be strapped to a table with a block between my feet so that my body could stay in alignment. Then marks were drawn on my body in 3 different places with a sharpie marker. Next, I was scanned thru a large machine that sent images to the radiation oncologist so that he can figure the appropriate measurements for putting the radiation plan in place. I will spare you the embarrassing details of it all. After being scanned, the technician then put three drops of ink on my skin and poked me with a needle to make the tiny tattoos. They are seriously so small that I wonder if they will actually be able to see them each time when I go in for treatment. My treatments will begin next week. 5 times per week for 5-6 weeks.

The highlight of my day was getting to attend Kindergarten orientation and Meet the Teacher Night with my 2 oldest kids. I can't believe school is starting.

3 full days of oral chemo treatments and everything is A-OK!! Keep those prayers going!

Jumping in

2007-08-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

I just took my first oral dosage of chemotherapy. I had to take 3 pills. I will take 2 more this evening. It took all morning for me to get the courage to swallow them. I feel fine, which makes it scary to think about putting medicine in my body that will make me feel tired and sometimes yucky. But, as one Dr. said,"Everytime you feel yucky while doing chemo, think how yucky the cancer cells feel that you are killing." My IV form of chemo starts next week. I meet with the radiation Dr. tomorrow to find out when those treatments will start. I am ready to tackle this.

Good News!!

2007-08-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

After 1 colonoscopy, 2 MRIs, 1 CT scan, 1 PET-CT scan, 3 physical exams, 2 rectal exams, and 10 LONG days, I finally received some good news today. The oncologist called and said that the results of the PET-CT scan show that my cancer has not spread afterall. The cancer is limited to the rectal area. The other spots are benign tumors!! I will start the oral dosage of chemo tomorrow. I have my appt. with a radiation oncologist on Wednesday to get radiation started.

I know without a doubt that the Lord extended His hand in this. It is because of all the love and faith of everyone that I know ( and all of your friends and family as well)! All the prayers, the fasts, the faith of so many people calling out to the Lord on my behalf. People of all faiths- Baptist, Catholic, Mormon, Church of Christ, Methodist (even the Vietnamese nail technicians) said they would pray for me. There have even been some who said that they didn't know how to pray but that they said a prayer in my behalf. I will never doubt again rather I am a well liked person ( or maybe it is just my family that everyone likes)! I am overwhelmed by the emails, phone calls, flowers, meals, cookies, gifts, cards,etc. that I receive on a daily basis. It will take me a long time to get all my "thankyou" notes out. Please know that I can never express my gratitude for the kindness and genuine concern that I have been shown.

I still have alot of chemo and radiation treatment to go, then a surgical procedure. But the Dr. said that last week I was TREATABLE, now with the results showing that the cancer has not spread, I am CUREABLE!!

I will keep everyone posted as to how the chemo and radiation treatments are going. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. Pray that I can have minimal side effects, and that the treatment will be effective. Pray that I will have the strength and energy I need to take care of my children so they can see that I am still actively involved in their busy little lives. Pray that we can afford all these expensive treatments. And give thanks each day for the day that you have, for the people around you that you love, and for the knowledge we each share that there is a Heavenly Father who knows and understands us better than we think. We are so blessed to have a Father that we can pray to about our concerns, fears, worries, problems, questions.

Good bye for now. I will send an update soon.

My first attempt to join the blogging world!

2007-08-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

This is my first time to create a blog. I thought this would be a good way to keep a journal. Especially, so that I can remember all of the experiences that I will have over the next months trying to treat the cancer that I have. This will be good therapy for me to write my thoughts and share my feelings. Here it goes!