Well, it’s time for a blog update on Lori’s progress with her breast cancer.  As many of you know, Lori’s last day of chemo was August 12^th.  It was a long haul of 20 weeks starting the Adriamycin/Cytoxan and then the Taxol but now that’s done!  The chemo nurses gave her a present on her last day and hugs all around.  I noticed a few had some tears.  Lori did very well all things considered.  It did take a toll on her body with hair loss, Lymphedema of her right arm, finger/toe nail changes, body aches, photosensitivity, fatigue, mental fogginess and anemia.  But, overall she survived it quite well and was able to do lots of things this summer and didn’t let the cancer stop her.  (Yes, I pushed her some, but she pushed herself as well with a faithful walking program.)  The only cancer drug she is getting now is a Herceptin infustion every 3 weeks. This is a Monoclonal antibody that attacks the “Her2/Neu” receptor on the cancer cells.  It’s not “Chemo” per se.  It takes advantage of the receptor being on the cell and directs her immune system to kill it.  It’s generally pretty well tolerated but can cause some decreased cardiac output.  They’ve monitored Lori’s heart with an Echocardiogram and it looks good with no side effects. 

Besides walking a lot, we also went ATV camping with friends from church.  Lori got to see lots of back country parts of Montana from the back of an ATV.  We also picked a couple gallons of Huckleberries while ATVing as well.  We bought a boat this year and have enjoyed taking it out on Flathead Lake.  Lori had to be careful with sun exposure but she was right in there.  Some happy news is that our daughter Rachel delivered her first child and our first grandchild on our wedding anniversary, July 11^th.  We were concerned that we might not be able to get out and see the baby since we were in the middle of chemo.  But, we were able to leave right after treatment on a Monday and spend a week getting to know Isaac before driving back and starting again the following Monday.  

Compared to many patients that I’ve seen, Lori has done very well and we are thankful for that.  And so, the next step is radiation therapy.  The idea behind the chemo was to have those chemicals interrupt the cellular chemical reactions and kill the cancer cells.  Because they grow faster, they are relatively more affected than normal cells.  Radiation is similar.  It disrupts the cellular division process of the faster growing cancer cells. The radiation produces “free radicals” that destroy the cell membranes and prevent further growth.  

            I want to emphasize something.  Many people have had questions about further testing for Lori’s cancer to “see if there’s any left”.  When she had her PET scan after surgery, there was No Evidence of any cancer left in her body.  For all we know, the surgery may have removed all the cancer cells.  We can’t be certain though and that’s why we went through the chemo and now the radiation to treat the possibility of some remaining undetectable cancer cells in her lymph system.  The problem is that there is no way to test for those small amounts of cancer cells.  The chemo and radiation increase her chances that the cancer won’t come back.  Another PET scan or other testing at this time would very likely also be negative for cancer since she just finished treatment.  There is nothing else more aggressive to be done right now.  We will probably look at doing another scan sometime in the next year after all the treatment is over. 

            The radiation treatment, which began on 9/11, is every day M-F for 6 weeks.  The grind of having to drive to Kalispell (about half an hour from our house) is something we’re not looking forward to.  We’re told the radiation is pretty well tolerated.  She will probably get some sun burn type skin changes and some fatigue.  They plan to irradiate the “tumor bed” of the chest wall where the breast used to be, the arm pit and the clavicle area.  Other than that, it’s just getting through it all.  We are very much looking forward to being done with Cancer. Period. 

            Something else that happened in the past few weeks is that Lori really felt that she heard from God about her cancer.  We have both felt a gnawing anxiety worrying about the possibility that the cancer might come back.  As you may remember, we were shocked with the initial diagnosis and then at the extent of spread once it was fully staged.  It is a sneaky cancer and escaped detection by normal methods initially.  Now that we are getting towards the end of treatment, we wonder, “What if it sneaks back?”  During one of Lori’s morning devotions, she was reading about the man by the pool of Bethesda in John 5:6.  When Jesus asked the man, “Do you want to get well?” The man said that others cut in front of him so he couldn’t get in the pool to be healed.  Jesus didn’t focus on the pool, he simply said, “Take up your mat and walk”.  The Creator of the Universe has the prerogative to do that.   Lori had an overwhelming feeling that He was asking her the same question about her desire to be healed.  She realized at that moment that deep in her spirit, she had a longing to be well, to be done with cancer, to be restored.  She also felt an overwhelming sense that Jesus said to her, “then take up your mat and walk”. Yes, we do all the medical things (the pool) we know how to do, but The Lord is the One who really does the healing.  For the first time, she is now seeing the “light at the end of the tunnel” and having real hope that she is going to beat this disease.  As a further confirmation, the next passage Lori read was Psalm 18:2-3 which says, “The LORD is my Rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my Rock, in whom I take refuge.  He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.”  She then remembered that the place she was receiving the cancer treatment is called “The Rock” office building.  The symmetry and duality of this is beautiful.  God is there if you look for Him.  We believe in the medical treatment she is getting and we believe in Divine healing power. 

            As Lori’s husband, I can sense a positive change in her as well.  There is new Hope.  And Hope in the Lord is everything.  Without Hope, you’re dead.  Even if you don’t have cancer, if you don’t have Hope, life is dreary, pointless and an endless series of temporary self gratifying activities.  Yes, we have Hope in this chemo regimen we just finished.  We have Hope in the Radiation treatments.  We have Hope that her Doctors Hulvat, Anderes and Stillie have steered us in the right direction for treatment.  We have Hope and Faith that the cancer won’t come back.   But most of all, we have Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.  In life or death, no matter what comes or when it comes, He is The Lord. Nothing changes that.        

            The birth of your first grandchild is a wonderful experience but it changes your perspective on life somewhat.  To see your offspring produce their own offspring is very gratifying and gives you a feeling of fullness and completeness.  You see little bits of yourself in your grandchild and yet you’re separated by 55 years of life, but still its awe inspiring.  But, it’s also that gentle tap on the shoulder that hey, you’re not going to always be here.  Both my parents are gone.  Lori lost her dad this spring and her mom recently had a stroke.  Life moves on.  The circle of life continues.  We’re next in line.  With that realization staring you in the face, life takes on a new importance to “make it count”.  We find ourselves with a desire to use however many years we have left to do good, gain wisdom and advance the Kingdom of God.  And hopefully, we’ll be there to help pass the torch of Faith to our grand kids that we passed to our own children. 

            As always, we continue to covet your prayers for Lori’s healing.  We thank you over and over for all your love and support.  God Bless,  John and Lori

 

PS-In late breaking news, our son Ben, just got engaged to his girlfriend, Rachel Maurer on Friday 9-20-13.  We are thrilled with this news and so happy for both of them!  They are planning a wedding in Golden, CO for the summer of 2014.  Stay tuned!

 

 

The 3rd Round

On April 29^th, Lori had her 3^rd round of chemo.  She is still on the “AC”: Adriamycin and Cytoxan.  She has had the most side effects with this round with some fatigue, slight nausea, body aches and feeling foggy, but overall still minimal symptoms.  For that, we are very grateful.  Lori has been keeping a log of her exercise.  She’s walked 70 miles since starting chemo a month ago.  The physical activity has definitely been helping.  Each morning, Lori and I have a devotion time together and pray specifically, in Jesus Name, that these drugs would find their intended target and kill any cancer cells there may be.  We also continue to be amazed by the overwhelming support and care shown to us by family and friends.  Everyday, there are cards, letters and gifts of one sort or another coming in the mail. Most of it is just little things, but they are so meaningful to us to know people are thinking about and praying for us.  It feels like we have settled into the Cancer Treatment routine now.  There are no new bits of information or surprises at this point.  We are in “hunker down” and “get through it” mode.  We are thankful for God’s goodness and how He has shown us good things, even in the midst of being treated for cancer.  Both Lori and I feel closer to God and to each other.  As someone who deals with a lot of anxious people in the ER, I am amazed at the lack of any sign of anxiety in Lori.  It is God’s Peace, for sure.  Especially in light of some recent events that I will discuss below. 

            As you know, the first day of Lori’s chemo was the day her dad died back in Cleveland.  We were able to attend the funeral and while it was sad to say goodbye to her dad, it was also a good family reunion.  We were able to re-connect with aunts, uncles and cousins.  Rachel, Drew and Ben were able to fly out for the funeral as well and so it was good family time all around.  Four weeks, to the day, after Lori’s first chemo and her dad’s passing, we got a phone call while Lori was getting her chemo infusion, that her mom, Betty who is 87, had a stroke.  It affected the left side of her brain causing some speech difficulty and weakness and tingling in her right arm and leg.  Betty currently is in the hospital and will need to go through stroke rehab.  As it stands right now, she will not be able to go back home and live independently as she had been, though we are praying for improvement to the point that she can. Betty’s stroke is even more sad for us because, she and Lori’s sister Diane were supposed to come to our house on May 11^th and spend time helping Lori get through this last part of the hard chemo.  Diane may come for a shorter time, but that is still up in the air. 

            It is difficult to take a step back and review all that has been going on in our lives the past 3 months.  These are normal life events and lots of people go through them.  It’s just hard and emotionally exhausting when it hits all at once.  I guess “shell shocked” is a way you could describe part of how we feel.  On the other hand, God has promised not to take us beyond what we can handle and we have found that promise to be true.  His Grace is sufficient.  I think when we look back on 2013, we will remember that this was the year that all our carefully laid out life plans got turned upside down.  It changes your perspective on what’s important.  If there are no further surprises, we think that by January of 2014, that Lori will be done with all the chemo, radiation and final reconstructive surgery.  We are looking forward to that day when all the treatment is done and the cancer is GONE. 

            As we’ve gone through Lori’s cancer treatment, I’ve had the unique opportunity as a physician to experience being on “the other side” of the medical equation.  We are now patient and patient’s family.  I really don’t want to pull the “I’m a doctor card” and try to get special treatment. Actually, we haven’t had to, everyone has been great. We realize that it’s still not quite the same though, since most everyone knows me from the hospital and we get a few perks here and there.  For instance, I was able to give Lori a medication shot at home in our kitchen.  That saved an hour of drive time for Lori. 

But, I’ve had the chance to sit, listen and watch as we go through this process.  On chemo day, we arrive at the oncology office, are taken back to the infusion room which has about 15 lazy boy type lounge chairs for the patients to sit in.  The nurse accesses the port on her chest by pushing the angled needle through the skin, into the port and starts hydrating with saline.  She then gives the pre-medications to prevent side effects and then the big guns: Adriamycin (which looks like red Kool-aid and turns your urine red for a day) and Cytoxan.  It all takes 5-6 hours to complete.  During that time, people wander in and out.  Spouses sit next to their loved ones.  Family and friends stop by to give encouragement or little gifts. Nurses frequently swing by to check how things are going or start the next medication. There really isn’t a sense of doom and gloom.  There’s lots of chatter and laughter.  It’s a good place.  It feels very inviting, like, come on in and sit for a while and shoot the breeze.  They have soup, sandwiches, cookies and other goodies and drinks in a refrigerator.  Lori calls it the Chemo Café.  Some people are reading, others, looking at their ipads. It’s kind of like a Starbucks. Instead of getting infused with caffeine, you’re getting chemo. 

What strikes me though, as I sit and observe, is the immediate connection that occurs between the cancer patients.   They don’t need introductions or preliminary small talk.  If you’re in the chair with a needle in your chest, you are a member of the Cancer Club.  With one look in the eyes, they KNOW what they each are going through without having to say anything.  And there is an immediate bond.  Especially the breast cancer women.  Not only is it the cancer in you body, but it’s attacking part of the very essence of what it means to be a woman.  Women who go through this seem to connect on some level that other women and certainly men can’t understand. I’ve also seen the understanding of Lori’s close friends who have had breast cancer:  Linda, Jan, Corri and Holly.  I would liken it to the Motherhood bond that women seem to have.  Of course, Lori being Lori, she talks to whoever is in ear shot and is able to give a run down on their life to me on the way home (daughter of Don Wolf).  But, I’ve seen her look across the room during a lull and lock eyes with someone she hasn’t met and there is an understanding with no words passed.  At the Alert Helicopter fundraising banquet last Saturday, Lori was introduced to a lady who also had breast cancer, had also lost all her hair and was wearing a scarf (Lori had on a wig). They hugged each other within the first 10 seconds and talked intensely for the next 20 minutes and hugged again at the end like sisters.  They ARE sisters with a bond forged out of a common, unique trial that they are enduring. They know what each other is going through. 

Throughout this experience, I am newly amazed at the Human Spirit and our ability and desire to reach beyond ourselves to help or encourage each other.  You don’t see this kind of behavior anywhere else in the natural world.  It is something that defines what it means to be Human:  The aspiration and capacity to unconditionally care about someone else. Cancer is bad.  But I have seen it bring out the best in people during Lori’s treatment.   And I am glad to get a chance to see what happens on a human level that I don’t normally get to see as I dispense medical advice and treatment and then move on to other patients.

Lori’s last AC treatment is on May 13^th and then it’s on to Taxol (on May 27^th) once a week for 12 weeks.  Thanks again for all your prayers and support and we’ll try to keep the blog updated.    Love,  Lori and John

 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.”  Proverbs 3:5-6

 

Lori through the years

 

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Easter Picture

 

Lori's first Chemo and other news

            April Fool’s day was a big day for us.  It was Lori’s first day of Chemotherapy for her breast cancer.  We met with Dr. Anderes, the oncologist, at 10:30 am and reviewed the treatment plans and then went to the infusion room where all the other cancer patients were getting their Chemo. Our friend Tracey, who is a breast cancer survivor, stopped by for a few minutes to give Lori moral support and bring her a goodie bag of things to help with the side effects and some books. Our daughter Rachel was home for Easter weekend along with her husband Drew and our two sons, Ben and Mike. Mike’s girlfriend, Mary, and Ben’s girlfriend Rachel Maurer came as well.  Rachel helped set up this blog site too.  Thanks RaMau!!  Rachel our daughter stayed over on Monday to go to the chemo appointment and it was wonderful to have her around.  Last Thursday, March 28^th, Lori had a “port” surgically placed to allow infusion of the chemo directly into her central circulation.  This involves placing an ultrasound guided needle into the Internal Jugular vein in the neck and threading a catheter over the needle and into the vein and putting the tip of the catheter just above the heart. The needle is then removed. Next, they tunnel the other end of the catheter under the skin, over the collar bone and attach it to a small metal container about 2 inches in diameter with a rubber membrane on top.  After placing the container, the skin was sutured shut.  This allows them to poke a needle through the skin and membrane into the container and not have to fish around for IV’s in the arm.  Also, the chemo drugs are very toxic and could chemically burn peripheral veins.  A port is the best way to administer chemo. 

            Anyway, the chemo infusion began around 11 am and started with a lot of “pre-medication” to battle the side effects of the chemo.  She was given Ativan, Emend (a strong, long lasting anti-nausea drug), Dexamethasone (strong steroid) and Benadryl.  She then was given Adriamycin and Cytoxan.  She slept for much of the day from the sedating effects of the pre-meds.  The good news is that she tolerated the chemo very well.  It is now 4 days after the infusion and she still hasn’t had any discernible side effects besides some mild fatigue.  She went on a 3 mile walk with Rachel after the chemo was done!!  Because the chemo is toxic to the bone marrow, most cancer patients get a shot of Neulasta the day after chemo.  This drug stimulates the bone marrow to produce white blood cells and significantly reduces the risk of infection.  It can cause bone pain though and Lori has been taking Claritin, Ibuprofen and Aleve and hasn’t experienced any bone pain at all.  So, all in all, the first round of chemo went very well.  She will repeat this routine 3 more times, every two weeks.  As the nurse said, “You’re one quarter of the way done with the AC drugs”.  She will start Taxol next. 

            April Fool’s Day this year was also a milestone for us because that night, Lori’s Dad, Don Wolf, passed away.  Don had been in a nursing home for 5 years with Alzheimer’s disease.  Over the last few years, he was on hospice care, so his passing was not totally unexpected.  They thought he might go, off and on for the past week.  The night he died, Lori’s sister Diane was in the room with him and was able to hold the phone to his ear while Lori was able to tell him how much she loved him and will look forward to seeing him in heaven. Diane, Lori and Rachel then sang the Doxology twice and ended with his favorite hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy”.  During that hymn, he stopped breathing and was gone.  He died very peacefully listening to “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty,…”.   When he started looking bad last week, it appeared that his passing and funeral, etc. might coincide with the start of Lori’s chemo.  We were very anxious and eager to get started with Lori’s treatment and had to agonize about the possibility of not being able to attend Don’s funeral. Lori’s family was very supportive though and told her that she needed to take care of herself and they totally understood if she wasn’t able to come.  Even so, there were lots of tears with that thought.  But, God is good.  Don held off passing till April Fool’s day which in itself was ironic.  You’d have to know Don to get it.  He was quite the jokester and a source of lots of family laughs and groans.  This allowed Lori to get her first chemo and funeral plans are for this Sunday and Monday.  So, Lori and I will be able to go to the funeral this weekend without any interruption in Lori’s chemo schedule.  In addition, Rachel, Drew and Ben will be able to fly to Cleveland for the funeral as well.

            As I said, April Fool’s was a big day for us and we won’t soon forget it.  Lori continues to amaze me with her ability to handle all that is happening.  She is showing a strength I have never seen in her and she would say it is from God.  She is driving around Kalispell with her friend Jan and going to a class to learn how to wear wigs and scarves for when she loses her hair.  I still am not ready for that.  Lori inherited thick, beautiful hair from her dad.  Thanks again for all your love and support.  If you add your email address where indicated on this page, I believe you will get updates automatically when they are posted if you would like. We Love you all,  John and Lori 

PS: My dad’s favorite verse was, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  Romans 8:28

March 19 Update

Dear Family and Friends,

These email updates have sort of turned into a blog post on what’s been going on with Lori’s breast cancer.  I’ve even thought that maybe it would be better to find a website where I could post these updates so it would be easier to follow.  If anyone knows how to do this, I’d love to hear from you.  I’ve never done it before.  We are so appreciative of everyone’s thoughts, prayers and support.  It truly has made this process easier.  Lori has healed very well from the mastectomy and is essentially back to normal activity.  She is handling the whole process amazingly well and even injecting some humor.  I think humor is a Wolf family trait and it gives me confidence that she is going to do well.  We are also happy to report that our daughter Rachel is pregnant and we found last weekend that she is going to have a BOY!!  We will be first time grandparents this July and are very excited about it.  
         
I’m sure most of you have heard that Lori’s PET scan we mentioned in the last email was NEGATIVE!!  Hallelujah!  This means that with the best detection methods available, that there is no evidence of Lori’s breast cancer spreading beyond the breast and her arm pit lymph nodes.  We are VERY thankful to God for this result and it was wonderful to finally get some good news during this trial.  I will share with you some of my thoughts during this particular milestone. 

As I mentioned before, almost every step along the way before the PET scan had been bad news and was unexpected.  The nipple change was very suspicious on breast MRI.  The biopsy was positive for cancer.  She would have to have a mastectomy.  The Sentinel lymph node was positive.  There were 7 out of 22 lymph nodes positive.  Instead of only stage 1 or 2, like everyone thought, she turned out to be stage 3a Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer.  During each of these steps we had high hopes that there would be a good result and there was not.  

And so now comes the PET scan.  It is a big jump to go from “locally advanced” Stage 3a breast cancer to Stage 4 which means distant metastasis. Stage 4 means breast cancer cells growing elsewhere in the body and is more serious.  I have been literally wrestling with God through this.  Tossing and turning in bed, waking at 3am.   I can not tell you how much it tears me up to have to see my wife endure this disease.  And with each bad report I have found myself asking God, “Really??  Is this what it’s going to be?”  The key thing I realized and perhaps was meant to learn is that I am not in control, and that Lori and I needed to Trust God completely.  I’m not used to this.  Especially in the medical arena.  I’m a physician.  I’m used to being in control and telling others what to do.  

The Bible story that came to me was the Abraham/Isaac moment when God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. He had to get to a place where, with the knife raised above his son, he completely trusted God and was ready to follow through with the sacrifice.  It was at that very moment that God provided a way out with a Ram caught in the thicket as a substitution sacrifice.  Of course, that substitution for us was Jesus.  Abraham was a believer in God and it was “credited to him as righteousness.”  

Like Abraham, Lori and I were ready for a bad PET scan report and stage 4 disease.  We truly were.  We were ready to follow through with whatever sacrifices needed to be made.  We prayed with earnestness like never before that God’s will be done and we would have to trust Him completely with what was to happen.  We were ready, even if it was Stage 4.  I believe God wanted to bring Lori and me to this place of total dependence.  We now KNOW what that feels like.  I’m not sure we did before.  This got me to thinking about a few more steps down the line that might have happened.  What if it was Stage 4?  What if the prognosis turns bad?  What if cancer takes my wife from me?  Can I say that I truly trust God through each of these steps?  Do I trust Him with what’s next even if I die?  I’m sorry to be so blunt, but you can not avoid these questions when cancer is in your house.  

Something that God blessed us with while we were waiting to hear the PET scan report is that our dear friends Read and Susie Vaughan “just happened” to be in the waiting room at the same time we were getting a routine scan.  They have been following the updates and knew Lori’s situation.  When we got the report of the negative scan, we all were in tears (Lori not so much because she was still loopy from the Ativan she was given to help her hold still during the scan.)  We did a big group hug and prayed together in thanks for a good report. It was so wonderful to be able to share this with fellow believers and give God the glory together. 

So, onward to the next phase.  We met with Dr. Anderes the Oncologist on Thursday 3/14 and discussed treatment options.  It is possible that the mastectomy and arm pit lymph node removal has gotten rid of the cancer.  That certainly is our hope and prayer.  But, there is significant risk that some cancer cells may have traveled elsewhere in Lori’s body but are too small to be detected.  Because of this risk, her best chance of survival is to have chemotherapy, radiation therapy and anti-estrogen therapy.  There is a window of opportunity to hit these cancer cells hard and give Lori the best chance of going into remission.  It’s much easier to kill cancer cells at the microscopic stage than when they are larger, visible tumors.  Therefore we have chosen an aggressive regimen.  We are going to use the “AC, then T” protocol with Radiation therapy to follow and then Tamoxifen and possibly Herceptin.  The A is Adriamycin and the C is Cytoxan.  These will be administered every two weeks for 4 cycles for a total of 8 weeks.  Then she will receive Taxol weekly for 12 more weeks for a total chemo time of 20 weeks.  This is scheduled to begin the first week of April and so it will last till the end of August.  This will be the most difficult time for Lori.  She’s expected to lose all her hair. (I am having a particularly hard time with this.  I love her beautiful, thick hair.) She will also be battling nausea, vomiting, extreme fatigue, and possibly mouth sores and bone pain.  She will be heavily pre-medicated to try to minimize these side effects.  Please keep her in your prayers during this time.  We don’t know about the timing and duration of the Radiation yet but will keep you posted. 

As I said, it is so wonderful to have so many people taking this journey with us.  Our friend Mindi bought a bag of pink bracelets that say, “No One Fights Alone” and passed them out to whoever wanted to stand in solidarity with us.  We do not feel alone.  God is with us and He will save.  We know there’s a Ram in the thicket for us somewhere.  You all are with us and we are so thankful.    God Bless,   John and Lori

PS: Another meaningful verse for Lori as she goes into this next phase of treating the cancer:  

…Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:9

February 26 Update

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, gifts, meals,  flowers, cards, letters, emails and texts. We are truly feeling overwhelmed by the love and support of you all.  It really has made a difference.  As you know, Lori had a mastectomy last week on 2/18.  She has recovered from that surgery well with no complications. She took two Rx pain pills at home and the rest of the time took Advil and Tylenol. She is a light weight when it comes to narcotics.  Today the surgeon removed her drains and everything looks good.  Well, not good, she’s still very black and blue but getting better.   

As we texted after the surgery, we were sad that the Sentinel lymph node was positive for cancer.  We have since learned from the final pathology report that she was positive for 7 out of 22 lymph nodes sampled.  This was some additional bad news.  Less than 4 nodes are prognostically better.  It means she is Stage 3A, otherwise known as locally advanced breast cancer.  The next step in staging is to get a PET scan which involves injecting radio-labeled glucose molecules into the blood stream and scanning the entire body.  Cancer cells use glucose faster than normal cells and so “light up” with the radio-labeled glucose.  If she has other areas of her body that “light up” on the scan, it means the cancer cells have spread or metastasized beyond the breast and she would be Stage 4, the last stage.  We are fervently praying and are asking all of you to continue to hold us up in prayer that the PET scan would be negative. 

As bad as this all sounds, there is still real hope in the treatment that is available.   Even Stage 4 breast cancer can be very treatable.  If she is stage 4, it has to be very early.  She has absolutely no symptoms to suggest any spread elsewhere.  She will have to endure aggressive chemotherapy and radiation therapy probably starting the beginning of April.  Hitting the cancer HARD initially will give her the best chance of knocking it into remission.  Unfortunately, she will probably lose her hair and have other side effects to deal with.  After that, she will take Tamoxifen which takes advantage of the Estrogen and Progesterone receptors on the cancer cells and this will starve them of the hormones they need to grow.  Lori’s surgeon said today that she really believes Lori will live to be 110 years old and die of something else. 

Honestly, never in our wildest dreams did we think, 2 month ago, that we’d be where we are right now.  That’s how quickly our lives have changed.  Almost every step along the way has been a series of disappointments. No one who has been involved in Lori’s case ever thought that it would be this advanced. But, that is the nature of Lobular Breast Cancer.  It grows undetected longer than Ductal breast cancer.  And yet, we still see God in this.  He is doing something in each of our lives and the lives of those around us.  One thing for sure is that we are being forced to Trust Him like never before. We are ready for Stage 4 if that is God’s Will.   And if you think about it, how many of us are really in control of our lives anyway?  None of us has a “right” to a trouble free life. The Bible says in Matthew 5:45 that God sends the sun and the rain on the just and the unjust alike.  We have had plenty of Sun in our lives.  Right now, it’s Raining.  We continue to believe that Good will come out of this. Lori and I both know in the depths our being that this life is not all that there is.  We Love you all and are so thankful for your continued concern and prayers.  
God Bless,  John and Lori

Lori’s Bible verse promise:  “Do not be afraid, stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today….The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”  Exodus 14:13,14

PS: Some have been asking me how I'm getting through this journey.  Your prayers.   God's Word.  Love being poured out from family and friends.   My taking time alone with God: talking to Him; God speaking to me. John and I have been praying and doing devotions together every morning and night.  We're using a few books by Sarah Young that you may like to check out:  "Jesus Calling"  and at night, "Jesus Today". (You can get them through Amazon - we picked them up at our local Costco!) The devotions are based entirely on scripture. We read  from "Jesus Calling"  this morning : February 27 ---"KEEP YOUR EYES ON ME!  Waves of adversity are washing over you, and you feel tempted to give up.  As your circumstances consume more and more of your attention, you are losing sight of Me.  Yet "I am with you always, holding you by your right hand." I am fully aware of your situation, "and I will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear."  Your gravest danger is worrying about tomorrow.  If you try to carry tomorrow's burdens today, you will stagger under the load and eventually fall flat.  You must discipline yourself to live within the boundaries of today.  It is in the present moment that I walk close to you, helping you carry your burdens.  Keep your focus on My Presence in the present."  Psalm 73:23    I   Corinthians 10:13

January 28 Update

Dear Family and Friends,

We have some news regarding Lori’s health and it is not good. Last month, we noticed there was a slight nipple retraction of her right breast. John ordered a mammogram and ultrasound a few days later and the result was normal. She saw the breast surgeon and no lumps were felt. However, because of the retraction, a breast MRI was ordered and it showed a suspicious mass. A subsequent needle biopsy was confirmed on Jan. 25th that she has Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer. We are shocked and saddened by this diagnosis. The best word to describe how we feel is that it’s “surreal”. It seems like this is happening to someone else, not us. We have had lots of tears and prayers together and have been lifted up by the few individuals that know. We know God has a plan in all of this, even if it’s hard to see right now. We are writing to you now, in faith, to ask for your support and prayers for what is coming.

The first request is that something was seen on her liver that looks like a benign cyst or hemangioma. We’ve been reassured that it does NOT look suspicious, but she is having a liver MRI on Wednesday to be sure. Please pray that it’s benign and that the cancer hasn’t spread beyond the breast.

We met with Dr. Hulvat the breast surgeon today and after discussion of various options, her treatment plan is going to initially be a skin sparing Mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. If her lymph nodes are negative at the time of surgery and there is no evidence of spread, she shouldn’t need to have chemotherapy or radiation therapy. PLEASE pray that the nodes are negative and that the cancer has not spread. After that, she will go on Tamoxifen which will block further growth of any potential cancer cells that were missed.

We know that God has this situation under control and believe that He answers prayers. God has blessed us greatly and have really never found ourselves in a position to ask for help. We are asking you now to pray for us over the next few weeks. We need help and are trusting our friends and family to lift us up. We will keep you updated as best we can.

To God be the Glory,
John and Lori