Prayer Needed: Tomorrow morning I am going in to MDA for x-rays of my hips to see if I have fractures. Please pray for the pain to subside. Thank you.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
August 31 - My Wig
A fun entry:
Prayer Needed: Tomorrow morning I am going in to MDA for x-rays of my hips to see if I have fractures. Please pray for the pain to subside. Thank you.
Prayer Needed: Tomorrow morning I am going in to MDA for x-rays of my hips to see if I have fractures. Please pray for the pain to subside. Thank you.
Monday, August 30, 2010
August 30th - Bridal Protrait
Today I wanted to share with you this beautiful gift I received.
In the midst of planning a wedding, one of things I opted out of was a wedding portrait. But guess what!? I received the most perfect bridal portrait I could have ever wanted. My MWE community blessed me with this gift. An amazing teacher Ashley Johnson created my portrait out of found objects and wrote a poem that goes with it. So today I share with you:
In the midst of planning a wedding, one of things I opted out of was a wedding portrait. But guess what!? I received the most perfect bridal portrait I could have ever wanted. My MWE community blessed me with this gift. An amazing teacher Ashley Johnson created my portrait out of found objects and wrote a poem that goes with it. So today I share with you:
The Bridal Portrait
Something old, something new
Here's a little reminder of what we think of you . . .
A megaphone mouth for your loud infectious laugh
the Meadow Wood Cheerleader
You always rally the staff.
Your ideas are marked with questions so great,
Light bulb earrings to
represent this thought provoking trait.
Running shoes laced up tight
show your sporty way and your will to fight.
A pencil sharp nose, a writer just fine
Passing that love to kids down the line.
A cross on a necklace for faith so strong
we know without a doubt
teaching is where you belong.
Lastly a special ring that says, "I do"
Shine bright firefly, and happy wedding to you!
Something old, something new
Mrs. Hughes, we are so happy for you!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
August 29th - Wedding & Devotional
TONS of technical difficulty today. At first it only loaded half of the video and it has failed to load the past 3 attempts. But I will try, try again. :o)
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Chemo Day 4
Today was a little harder than the other days. My mind is not as quick as it has been. The word I am using to describe myself is "slow". Conversations are harder because processing words has been difficult. I can only concentrate on one thing at a time.
Tomorrow I get rid of my backpack of chemo and mesna!
I started this at 7:36 and now it is 8:08. I am going to sign off for now. I think I will try a video blog tomorrow. (unedited --- get excited!)
Love you all!
PS My students starts school tomorrow. They are going to get a card from Eric and I about new beginnings. I know that they are in good hands. :o)
Tomorrow I get rid of my backpack of chemo and mesna!
I started this at 7:36 and now it is 8:08. I am going to sign off for now. I think I will try a video blog tomorrow. (unedited --- get excited!)
Love you all!
PS My students starts school tomorrow. They are going to get a card from Eric and I about new beginnings. I know that they are in good hands. :o)
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Chemo Day 3
I have made it through 3 days of chemo ... only one left! Woohoo! I am feeling pretty good. I sleep a lot and rest a lot, but I am still eating and happy. :o) So thank you for your prayers. I know that the following days will get harder as the chemo really starts moving through out my body so please keep praying for no neurological side effects. Thank you!
Our house is coming together with the help of sooooo many people. I feel enveloped in love. Words cannot express how much you all have done for us, prayed for us, and loved us. Thank you.
Today I am going to look for a cranium prosthesis (aka a fun wig) to wear once my hair falls out. YAY!
I have lots of stories to share . . . just not enough time. I love you all!
Our house is coming together with the help of sooooo many people. I feel enveloped in love. Words cannot express how much you all have done for us, prayed for us, and loved us. Thank you.
Today I am going to look for a cranium prosthesis (aka a fun wig) to wear once my hair falls out. YAY!
I have lots of stories to share . . . just not enough time. I love you all!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Chemo Day 1
I am proud to say Chemo Day 1 is over ... well kind of (I have a chemo backpack administering medicine to me at home).
Today I was blessed with a wonderful nurse named Marco. And, yes, I replied "Polo" every time he announced that he was coming in the room. It definitely helped lighten the mood. Everything went fine today . . . smooth sailing. I really haven't experienced bad side effects -- we have fervently been praying against them. I am a little dizzy (even typing this) but it doesn't stop me. :o)
During treatment, I have my own room equipped with tv, dvd, and comfy bed. The medicine is going into my catheter easily and without pain! So praise God for no IVs!
Eric and I are submersed in your prayers. We feel them constantly. Thank you for devoting yourself to prayer. This morning Eric and I were reading a devotional from Streams in the Desert. It is a book that Leita gave to me to read as we both encounter our illnesses. The book has played an important part in starting off my days lately. Eric reads aloud the devotional and we pray together. I know that sometimes when people get married it is hard to find time to spend with God but I rejoice that because of our desperate circumstances we are humbly on our knees drawing closer to God. I am so much stronger because of this journey than I would have been otherwise. I know I am going to kick cancer's butt. I know that glory will come to my almighty God.
Eric and I have been blessed by so many people. I hope to blog about my PERFECT wedding tomorrow.
just some thoughts . . .
shine bright firefly, shine bright
Today I was blessed with a wonderful nurse named Marco. And, yes, I replied "Polo" every time he announced that he was coming in the room. It definitely helped lighten the mood. Everything went fine today . . . smooth sailing. I really haven't experienced bad side effects -- we have fervently been praying against them. I am a little dizzy (even typing this) but it doesn't stop me. :o)
During treatment, I have my own room equipped with tv, dvd, and comfy bed. The medicine is going into my catheter easily and without pain! So praise God for no IVs!
Eric and I are submersed in your prayers. We feel them constantly. Thank you for devoting yourself to prayer. This morning Eric and I were reading a devotional from Streams in the Desert. It is a book that Leita gave to me to read as we both encounter our illnesses. The book has played an important part in starting off my days lately. Eric reads aloud the devotional and we pray together. I know that sometimes when people get married it is hard to find time to spend with God but I rejoice that because of our desperate circumstances we are humbly on our knees drawing closer to God. I am so much stronger because of this journey than I would have been otherwise. I know I am going to kick cancer's butt. I know that glory will come to my almighty God.
Eric and I have been blessed by so many people. I hope to blog about my PERFECT wedding tomorrow.
just some thoughts . . .
shine bright firefly, shine bright
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Good and The Bad
Words cannot even begin to express how completely blessed Eric and I have been by all of you, my precious family and friends.
My wedding was PERFECT! Yes, PERFECT! I can't wait to blog about it. (I promise later this week!!)
But today I call on you earnestly to devote yourself to prayer. The season that I am in right now requires a miracle. Today I found out more results. My PET scan showed that the cancer has now spread to my bones -- evidenced in the hips and pelvic region. My treatment will stay the same, but now I need a miracle for healing. I truly believe Abba Father can move mountains. I trust that my God in heaven will take care of me. I know that this difficult journey has already brought tremendous glory to God. I embrace this valley as I know my creator will be glorified. I humbly ask that you would devote these next few months to diligently crying out to our God for a miracle and that I would continue to be a bright light during such a dire circumstance.
Shine bright firefly, shine bright.
My wedding was PERFECT! Yes, PERFECT! I can't wait to blog about it. (I promise later this week!!)
But today I call on you earnestly to devote yourself to prayer. The season that I am in right now requires a miracle. Today I found out more results. My PET scan showed that the cancer has now spread to my bones -- evidenced in the hips and pelvic region. My treatment will stay the same, but now I need a miracle for healing. I truly believe Abba Father can move mountains. I trust that my God in heaven will take care of me. I know that this difficult journey has already brought tremendous glory to God. I embrace this valley as I know my creator will be glorified. I humbly ask that you would devote these next few months to diligently crying out to our God for a miracle and that I would continue to be a bright light during such a dire circumstance.
Shine bright firefly, shine bright.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Somebody's Getting Married!
Eric and I decided this morning that we wanted to get married tomorrow!
Our amazing church community has pooled together and planned our wedding. It is so beautiful to see how our community loves, cares, and lifts up their brothers and sisters. Thank you ALL!
Just thought I would share some great news today!!
Our amazing church community has pooled together and planned our wedding. It is so beautiful to see how our community loves, cares, and lifts up their brothers and sisters. Thank you ALL!
Just thought I would share some great news today!!
Friday, August 13, 2010
1st Meeting with Oncologist
Written Thursday, August 12th, 2010
Where do I begin . . .
A) the point where I am encapsulated in tremendous peace, a peace that transcends all understanding
or
B) the journey that brought me to this point?
Of course, I am going to start with the journey! Chronological order, people!
Today was my first day back to school! It felt great to be surrounded by people who love children and love teaching. It was great being back with my team albeit for a short time. I thank God for my Meadow Wood community.
That joyous feeling was soon overcome by a dark, ominous cloud.
I learned that seeing my new scar for the first time on April 8 was not one of the hardest times of my life as I had once previously thought (see an earlier blog entry). Nope, today my medical oncologist shook me to the core. She showed us 6 tumors in my lungs on my latest CT scan, 3 on each side. They were about the size of nickels. My cancer is now in Stage 4 as it has metastasized. My CT scan just 4 months earlier was clear so this means that the cancer is pretty aggressive. My unclassified soft-tissue sarcoma is very rare. They are not sure why my arm is completely clear of disease while my lungs are showing rapid metastasis. Because of these uncertainties and the very nature of sarcomas, my medical oncologist wants to proceed with the most aggressive chemotherapy treatment.
She asked us, do you want to proceed with the most aggressive treatment?
Eric asked, "Well, what does that mean?"
Her response, Sarah, you will be wearing a wig to your wedding in November. first blow While it was a shock to hear the words out loud, I was preparing myself for that.
She continued, we will start you on a combination of 2 drugs through a catheter (to your heart). You will have chemo for 4 days straight, 5 hours each day. On the first 3 days you take home more chemo drugs in a bag that feed into your catheter. Then you will rest and let your body heal for 2 weeks and we start the second cycle. Of course my immediate reaction was "how am I going to teach?" Her recommendation was that I might need to take a leave of absence. WHAT??? Now this had NEVER crossed my mind. HUGE second blow
When do we need to start? Next week.
Are you ready to start treatment? she asks. Honestly, I answer no. (I have my students, I have my wedding, I have my normal way of life. NO I am not ready to start treatment. ) She then reminds me of my rare sarcoma and that time is of the essence. My mom, my dad, and Eric are all dumbfounded as the news keeps coming. third blow
Fertility became the next discussion topic. As many know, chemo wreaks havoc on the ovaries. She reminds us of that risk. We are then informed that there isn’t enough time to harvest eggs before we need to start treatment. However, she does give us another option of inducing menopause taking Lupron (sp?) to protect my eggs. fourth blow
Then she rattles off my schedule: heart tests, Chemo training, PET scan Friday; catheter installation Tuesday; and Chemo starts Wednesday.
Four people leave the room devastated. Even our oncologist tears up.
How can all of this be happening?
But if you remember the beginning of this entry there was a part A. As I write this entry, I am hopeful and peaceful. This evening we had a church “retreat” for small group leaders. There was no doubt in my mind that Eric and I needed to be there. We were prayed over and loved on and our heavy hearts were lightened. We also feel your prayers from afar. I would not be in this restful place if it weren’t for your prayers, for your notes, for your offers of help, for your texts, for your calls. While we weren’t expecting these 4 blows today, they are the hand we have been dealt. Time will show the beauty that results and the divine purpose.
Shine bright firefly, shine bright. – In the midst of the darkness, the holy spirit with shine within me. – Shine bright firefly, shine bright.
Where do I begin . . .
A) the point where I am encapsulated in tremendous peace, a peace that transcends all understanding
or
B) the journey that brought me to this point?
Of course, I am going to start with the journey! Chronological order, people!
Today was my first day back to school! It felt great to be surrounded by people who love children and love teaching. It was great being back with my team albeit for a short time. I thank God for my Meadow Wood community.
That joyous feeling was soon overcome by a dark, ominous cloud.
I learned that seeing my new scar for the first time on April 8 was not one of the hardest times of my life as I had once previously thought (see an earlier blog entry). Nope, today my medical oncologist shook me to the core. She showed us 6 tumors in my lungs on my latest CT scan, 3 on each side. They were about the size of nickels. My cancer is now in Stage 4 as it has metastasized. My CT scan just 4 months earlier was clear so this means that the cancer is pretty aggressive. My unclassified soft-tissue sarcoma is very rare. They are not sure why my arm is completely clear of disease while my lungs are showing rapid metastasis. Because of these uncertainties and the very nature of sarcomas, my medical oncologist wants to proceed with the most aggressive chemotherapy treatment.
She asked us, do you want to proceed with the most aggressive treatment?
Eric asked, "Well, what does that mean?"
Her response, Sarah, you will be wearing a wig to your wedding in November. first blow While it was a shock to hear the words out loud, I was preparing myself for that.
She continued, we will start you on a combination of 2 drugs through a catheter (to your heart). You will have chemo for 4 days straight, 5 hours each day. On the first 3 days you take home more chemo drugs in a bag that feed into your catheter. Then you will rest and let your body heal for 2 weeks and we start the second cycle. Of course my immediate reaction was "how am I going to teach?" Her recommendation was that I might need to take a leave of absence. WHAT??? Now this had NEVER crossed my mind. HUGE second blow
When do we need to start? Next week.
Are you ready to start treatment? she asks. Honestly, I answer no. (I have my students, I have my wedding, I have my normal way of life. NO I am not ready to start treatment. ) She then reminds me of my rare sarcoma and that time is of the essence. My mom, my dad, and Eric are all dumbfounded as the news keeps coming. third blow
Fertility became the next discussion topic. As many know, chemo wreaks havoc on the ovaries. She reminds us of that risk. We are then informed that there isn’t enough time to harvest eggs before we need to start treatment. However, she does give us another option of inducing menopause taking Lupron (sp?) to protect my eggs. fourth blow
Then she rattles off my schedule: heart tests, Chemo training, PET scan Friday; catheter installation Tuesday; and Chemo starts Wednesday.
Four people leave the room devastated. Even our oncologist tears up.
How can all of this be happening?
But if you remember the beginning of this entry there was a part A. As I write this entry, I am hopeful and peaceful. This evening we had a church “retreat” for small group leaders. There was no doubt in my mind that Eric and I needed to be there. We were prayed over and loved on and our heavy hearts were lightened. We also feel your prayers from afar. I would not be in this restful place if it weren’t for your prayers, for your notes, for your offers of help, for your texts, for your calls. While we weren’t expecting these 4 blows today, they are the hand we have been dealt. Time will show the beauty that results and the divine purpose.
Shine bright firefly, shine bright. – In the midst of the darkness, the holy spirit with shine within me. – Shine bright firefly, shine bright.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Oncologist - Thursday at 1:30 PM
My oncologist had a cancellation so I will be able to see her tomorrow at 1:30 PM. Eric and my parents will be at this appointment. My appointment tomorrow is great news so that I can keep moving forward in this process. Unfortunately, it happens to be when I am supposed to be presenting our curriculum program to my faculty. The good news is that we present as a team . . . so hopefully everything will be just fine. Another great thing is that my faculty piloted this program so it is old hat.
Again, thanks so much for your words, prayers, thoughts and love. I know that I am not alone.
p.s. I woke up today at 2 am hoping it was all a dream. Apparently it is not.
Again, thanks so much for your words, prayers, thoughts and love. I know that I am not alone.
p.s. I woke up today at 2 am hoping it was all a dream. Apparently it is not.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
CT Scan Results, Next Step a PET Scan
Today was a difficult day.
"Sarah, I have bad news."
Hearing those words from anyone at MD Anderson is heart-wrenching. Today, Dr. Lin called me and informed in that my CT Scan showed small spots on my lungs. This of course is a change from my CT Scan just 4 months ago. While Eric and I knew that this indeed was a possiblity, I had convinced myself that everything would be just fine. I found myself in disbelief. I have very few details -- my mind could not think of any questions.
What I do know:
*I am scheduled for a head to toe PET Scan on Friday at 2:30
*I am going to be meeting with an oncologist next week to discuss results and treatment
*Dr. Lin says I will most likely have chemo
When I was first diagnoised I heard God say to me, "Sarah, you are going to be fine because I have you in my arms, but it is not going to be as easy as you think." I didn't share this with many people because everything was looking really good and I thought I was being overally dramatic. Now I understand. It is beautiful to see how God has constantly provided for me (and Eric) and I know that He will do so through this experience.
Although, I do find myself wondering -- Why me? Honestly, I feel like I have already gone through a lot in my life and I just don't understand this trial. Please pray for me especially with the beginning of the school year. I was so excited to start this year healthy and strong. I WILL start the year strong and I WILL love my children with all of my heart but please pray for strength and health. I want to be able to give them my ALL every day. On another note, I am getting married in November. My marriage is quickly approaching with so many unknowns. While we never know what the future holds, it is definitely easy to let my mind wander down the path of "what if's . . ." Please pray that I will conquer cancer and enter my marriage strong. Please pray for Eric and strength and guidance during this time.
Love you all. Thank you for reading. Wish I could bring better news today.
"Sarah, I have bad news."
Hearing those words from anyone at MD Anderson is heart-wrenching. Today, Dr. Lin called me and informed in that my CT Scan showed small spots on my lungs. This of course is a change from my CT Scan just 4 months ago. While Eric and I knew that this indeed was a possiblity, I had convinced myself that everything would be just fine. I found myself in disbelief. I have very few details -- my mind could not think of any questions.
What I do know:
*I am scheduled for a head to toe PET Scan on Friday at 2:30
*I am going to be meeting with an oncologist next week to discuss results and treatment
*Dr. Lin says I will most likely have chemo
When I was first diagnoised I heard God say to me, "Sarah, you are going to be fine because I have you in my arms, but it is not going to be as easy as you think." I didn't share this with many people because everything was looking really good and I thought I was being overally dramatic. Now I understand. It is beautiful to see how God has constantly provided for me (and Eric) and I know that He will do so through this experience.
Although, I do find myself wondering -- Why me? Honestly, I feel like I have already gone through a lot in my life and I just don't understand this trial. Please pray for me especially with the beginning of the school year. I was so excited to start this year healthy and strong. I WILL start the year strong and I WILL love my children with all of my heart but please pray for strength and health. I want to be able to give them my ALL every day. On another note, I am getting married in November. My marriage is quickly approaching with so many unknowns. While we never know what the future holds, it is definitely easy to let my mind wander down the path of "what if's . . ." Please pray that I will conquer cancer and enter my marriage strong. Please pray for Eric and strength and guidance during this time.
Love you all. Thank you for reading. Wish I could bring better news today.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Results from Follow Up
I just finished up my appointments today. My plastic surgeon, Dr. Adelman, is pleased with the healing but NOT pleased with me wearing sleeve-less shirts. Yes, I had the divine luck of running past Dr. Adelman on Allen Parkway this past Saturday. I knew the man with the Yale shirt looked very familiar. I questioned, "Could this be Dr. Adelman taking a morning jog??" Since he was out of his element, I was not sure. I just ran and smiled.
Well, today, he said, "Were you running on Saturday?" My response, "Yes, I KNEW it was you!!" He replied, "Well, I didn't recognize you in the sleeve-less shirt you were NOT supposed to be wearing." "Dr. Adelman, I told you I wore sleeve-less shirts. I told you. I wear 60 spf sunscreen everyday." Anyway, long story short, I left feeling like I wasn't really taking care of my scar. But oh well, it's Houston and it's HOT!!!
My follow up with Dr. Lin was brief. He is a man of few words with a direct point. I really respect him. My chest x-rays were clear and my MRI looked pretty good. Since I just had surgery on my arm, the imaging looked intense but normal for post surgery. However, Dr. Lin stated that he noticed a interesting shadow on the MRI that appeared under my arm/lung. Since my chest x-ray was clear, he doesn't think it has to do with the lungs. He however wants to be certain, so I will have a CT scan on Friday. (I hate CT scans)
Oh well. So I will keep carrying on. :o) Thanks for reading.
Well, today, he said, "Were you running on Saturday?" My response, "Yes, I KNEW it was you!!" He replied, "Well, I didn't recognize you in the sleeve-less shirt you were NOT supposed to be wearing." "Dr. Adelman, I told you I wore sleeve-less shirts. I told you. I wear 60 spf sunscreen everyday." Anyway, long story short, I left feeling like I wasn't really taking care of my scar. But oh well, it's Houston and it's HOT!!!
My follow up with Dr. Lin was brief. He is a man of few words with a direct point. I really respect him. My chest x-rays were clear and my MRI looked pretty good. Since I just had surgery on my arm, the imaging looked intense but normal for post surgery. However, Dr. Lin stated that he noticed a interesting shadow on the MRI that appeared under my arm/lung. Since my chest x-ray was clear, he doesn't think it has to do with the lungs. He however wants to be certain, so I will have a CT scan on Friday. (I hate CT scans)
Oh well. So I will keep carrying on. :o) Thanks for reading.
First 3 Month Follow Up
Today, I will have my first 3 month follow up from my April surgery. I sent Friday at MD Anderson getting an MRI, chest x-rays, and x-rays of the right humorous. In July Dr. Adelmen revised my incision eliminating the extra pointed skin. I have to say it is a little weird not having a mini cone on my arm :o). But yes, I think I can handle it! My good friend Courtney is giving up her afternoon to be with me for my follow up appointments. She is wonderful.
Eric is about to complete a 26 hour drive to Salt Lake City. He is on a business trip touring the west with Garrett Finney, mastermind of Cricket Trailer. http://crickettrailer.com/. Tomorrow there is a huge trade show for outdoor enthusiasts. Hopefully they will get some orders for the cricket! Now off to MD Anderson.
Eric is about to complete a 26 hour drive to Salt Lake City. He is on a business trip touring the west with Garrett Finney, mastermind of Cricket Trailer. http://crickettrailer.com/. Tomorrow there is a huge trade show for outdoor enthusiasts. Hopefully they will get some orders for the cricket! Now off to MD Anderson.
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