You're Invited to a Party for Mom/Ruth!

You are invited! Please join us to celebrate the 1 Year Anniversary of Ruth's battle with cancer. Please follow the link below for more information. Please forward this along to anyone that you know that might like to be there. It's going to be fun, and there'll be food, so what more could you ask for? Oh, and Ruth will be there! What a fun time for everyone to get together, share our gratitude for your support and love, and give you the opportunity to see Ruth if it's been a while.

http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/LCVMHQTEGTOEBSETSSLX/RuthsParty

Can't wait to see you there!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

One year and a few days ago, I was diagnosed with mesothelioma and given 6 months to 1 year to live. I'm happy to report that I lived the whole year - and with the new scan results received yesterday, the oncologists feel that I have 6 to 12 more to go!! It was a mixed result on the CT scan, nothing shrank more than a couple of milimmeters, but they feel they got excellent results from the radiation. I may have some radiation pneumonitis, or some spread of the tumors intersitially into the lung, but an X-ray will determine that next month.

So - I am staying with CTCA for now because I feel pretty darn good except for being very weak, easily tired and having fits of coughing and they (CTCA) want to continue to monitor for awhile. I know I've said it before, but though I would never choose this journey, I am so grateful for all I have experienced - and I do mean ALL of it! There have been sad times, joyful times, hard times, memories made that I wouldn't have missed for the world, times my family and friends rallied around to help me out of the pits, the countless miracles and tender mercies the Lord has poured out upon us and the things we have experienced, while not always easy, I think have changed us all for the better.

I must stand as a witness before my Heavenly Father of His constant goodness, His unfailing love and support, for blessing us with miracles, and for the Savior and His atonement which makes whole all of those broken things that we cannot mend by ourselves. I hope to prove worthy of His continued blessings - He is my Rock and the One who holds my life in His capable hands. I know He has a plan for me and for each of His children, designed to maximize the joy of this life and in the world to come.

Once again, as always, thank you, my beloved family and friends, my angels here on earth, for sustaining me with your faith and prayers.

IN-BETWEEN NOTE

I spent a couple of weeks with my kids in Colorado - although I felt pretty lousy, whether from the radiation, the high altitude or whatever, it was wonderful to see rain, to go up in the canyon and throw rocks in the river and make s'mores, to read an entire book from cover to cover and to be so pampered by loving family, to read books with the little ones and just enjoy the blessing of being together with those I love.

I saw the oncologist on the 15th, he told me I looked good on paper (he's pretty funny) meaning everything looked good including very low cancer markers. The CT scan is scheduled for the 4th of August and another follow up with the oncologist where we'll get some better answers a week later. In the meantime, my body is slowly recovering from its abuse and I'm feeling stronger every day. Following the appointment with the CTCA oncologist, I will be finished with CTCA and will probably go straight to hospice - it depends on what the scan shows. I have a bit of a hard time going to hospice since I feel so much better and somehow that feels like I'm giving up the fight just waiting around to die, but since we have decided on no further treatment, they are there to help you gain the most from the time you have left. Tune in a couple of weeks from now and see how everything plays out!

Once again I thank you all for your love and support, we're coming up on one year since this all began - and thanks to your faith, prayers, and support I'm still kicking away and SO GRATEFUL for the time I have had since being diagnosed with mesothelioma. I often wonder if it would be better to go quickly (like a car accident or something) or have time like I have had - although it has been a tough year for all of us, I would not trade the time I have had with my family and friends - it has been a blessing to me!

The End of Treatment - at Long Last

We finished the radiation treatments on Wednesday -- a few days before it was scheduled to be completed, but I was feeling so awful that to me whatever benefit there was to be had in those last few treatments were not worth having to climb back out of the hole they were putting me in. I can't explain in words what it's like to wake up in the morning and know that I don't have to see a doctor, have radiation, be poked, x-rayed, infused, or any other thing involved in the treatment of cancer! I will return to the oncologist on the 15th of July just for routine follow-up and then three weeks after that will come the moment of truth (the CT scan) to see if 21 days of radiation helped our quest to kill some of the little monsters.

I never did trust in the arm of flesh, but now science has done all they can do for me and I trust in the Lord completely for whatever time He sees fit to let me stay here. I feel like I have lots to do with finishing up my journals and writing a brief history of my sojourn here, but I'm quite sure there will never be enough hugs from grandchildren, missionaries sent into the field, beautiful girls in their wedding dresses, and time spent with those who mean the most to me, so I'll be grateful for what I can cherish on this side of the veil and continue to watch over my family from the other side when that time comes.

In the meantime, its time to cherish and enjoy every single day!! Your prayers have kept me in good health for 10 months -- kept me sane with your laughter, strength and service. You are, without doubt, the most awesome friends and family anyone could ever ask for!

A Few Tidbits

I am now almost half-way through the radiation treatments and praying for the strength to endure! The radiation oncologist decided to go ahead and treat the entire cancer area not just the lymph nodes. (This can be done with the tomotherapy radiation machine which targets the bad boys while sparing good tissue.) She felt this would give me a better chance at having a longer period of time without any further treatments. My family and I and the oncologist have decided against any further chemo therapy - it will lessen my quality of life without the promise of doing any good at all. The radiation is not unpleasant at all - it just zaps all my strength and leaves me with a cough that makes eating something less than desirable because of my dumb gag reflex. (Not to worry - I'm finding enough liquid things and soft foods to get the job done!) There is some residual pain in my lung, but easily treatable with over the counter meds. While this update might have tones of whining, please be assured that my life is in the Lord's hands and I am grateful for every experience which teaches me greater patience and greater trust in Him. My greatest goal for whatever remains of my life here on earth is to stand as a witness for Him and for His goodness to me and for the miracles which are part of my life. Those miracles have happeneded and continue to happen because of the faith and prayers of my beloved family and friends. I want the world to know how thankful I am for my children - they are my rock and have given up so much of their lives over the past nine months to take me everywhere I need to go and to serve me in every way they can think of. My life is rich because of friends I have made and the posterity with which I have been blessed.