The Sixth and Final Round

What a day to celebrate! Six rounds of chemo are complete! It's almost hard to believe that it has been 4 months since Shelly's diagnosis. She continues to amaze us all!

Shelly's fifth round of chemo came on December 11th in the middle of one of the busiest weeks of the holiday season. The following day brought Luke's school Christmas Program and then two more consecutive days of our church's Christmas Cantata. Shelly didn't miss a beat. She not only made it to all of the programs, but also was there for the rehearsals and sang in both nights of the Cantata. PLUS, had Christmas gifts all taken care of for Luke and Molly's teachers and friends. See what I mean... AMAZING!

With the following week came an intense weariness that Shelly had not yet experienced through this ordeal. And the awful cough and congestion were back. By the time the next Sunday came around Shelly was coughing so badly, she could barely get through a sentence. Her eyes were bloodshot and watery, and no amount of medication seemed to help. She finally found a few hours of relief with some Robitussen. This past Sunday (the 28th) Luke ended up in the emergency room with an extremely high fever and wheezing. They thought that it might be pneumonia, but it turned out to be viral croup. After his hospital visit, Shelly wondered if that might possibly have been what was causing her to cough so badly the previous week. She is still struggling with the cough, not quite as bad as before, but it is still very bothersome.

So, now we are caught up to today, the last day of chemo, a day of celebration! Her sister, Sherry and her sister in law, Dee were with her today, and by the looks of it, they were having just a little too much fun! I have no doubt that all of the other chemotherapy patients and the nurses were enjoying the little "party" too! Shelly sent us a text when the chemo was done, which simply said, "It's over, girls! Praise the Lord! Movin' on." She has finished the first leg of this journey, and is patiently awaiting the next. Shelly will meet with her surgeon, Dr. Bell, on February 3rd, and the surgery will be either the 16th or 18th. As of right now they are still planning on a double mastectomy. Shelly has told us that she is understandably getting a little nervous about the surgery. But in the same breath she said, "I thought that losing my hair would be the worst thing, but it wasn't so bad, so God will get me through this one too." A phrase keeps coming to mind... "Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow..."

So, to the hundreds of friends and family that are following this blog: Double, triple, and quadruple your prayers for Shelly as she heads towards this next fight in the battle against cancer. Pray that she can shake this horrible cough, pray that as we continue through this cold and flu season that she will be as well as possible, and pray earnestly about the upcoming surgery and all the emotions and fears that it may bring. Pray that our Father will continue to rain down His strength and peace upon Shelly and her family.

To God be the glory, great things He hath done... and will continue to do!

Amazing the Doctors

Just a few days after her last chemo treatment, Shelly went back to the doctor for an MRI to check her progress. A week later (last Tuesday), Shelly had an appointment with Dr. Bell, her surgeon, ...kind of a halfway-through-the-chemo check up. She called right after the visit to report wonderful news. Dr. Bell said that her progress couldn't be any more perfect and that he was very pleased with the results of the MRI.
Well, even better news came on Friday afternoon! Dr. Huntsinger, the oncologist, called Shelly to see if she had been given the results of the MRI. Shelly told her that she had met with Dr. Bell earlier that week and that he was very pleased with the results, but had not given her any more details. Dr. Huntsinger told Shelly that Dr. Bell was not the only one happy with results... but that ALL the doctors at the breast center were exited about her progress! The doctors had met for their weekly conference that Friday afternoon, as they routinely do, to discuss the many patients that are being treated for cancer. They were not only excitedly talking about Shelly's MRI, but passing around the results and pictures from the MRI, and were all amazed at her healing!
Do we have a God who is in control of everything?! Do we have a God who answers prayers?! Is anything too hard for God?!
So, Shelly asked Dr. Hunsinger how big the tumor was now. She replied, "Shelly... we can't see it any more. If anything, I would say that it is the size of a dot." A cancerous tumor that 3 months ago was nearly two inches wide, now reduced to a dot!
I answer, God IS in control, God DOES answer prayer, and NOTHING is too hard for God!
Shelly has been struggling with a cold, cough, and congestion for almost 3 weeks now. She just can't seem to shake it. Please pray that she will be able to get over this very soon, and that it will not cause any complications with her chemo this Thursday. Keep praying! God is answering!

Round 3... Halfway Through

"He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me." ~ Psalm 55:18

This is the beautiful passage of scripture that Shelly shared with us as she went in for her third round of chemotherapy on Wednesday last week.

It is hard to believe that the chemo treatments are halfway through. Only three more to go. Shelly along with her oncologist, Dr. Huntsinger, were very encouraged at her visit last week. Dr. Huntsinger told Shelly that she can barely feel the tumor any more. Praise the Lord that the chemo is doing what it is supposed to do!

Shelly was very tired the few days following the treatment, but she was still able to attend our church's fall festival on Saturday for a few hours. When I asked her on Saturday how she was, she said, "Well, I can't really taste any of my food and my energy level is really low, but I just told God, 'Here are the things I need to be able to do,' and He's just gonna have to help me do them." Her fighter spirit is not wavering.

Shelly goes in for her next treatment on November 20 at 9:45 am.

Thank you all for your prayers and your posts. Please continue to pray daily for Shelly and her family. And for those of you who read the blog, please do not hesitate to post your comments. Shelly knows that there are thousands of people praying for her, but it means SO much to see it in writing.

"...Pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

I am also posting some additional pictures from the hat party a few weeks ago. Shelly's sister, Sherry just gave me pictures that she took with her camera, and there were quite a few that I did not have. Enjoy!

Round Two... and Still Fighting Strong

"Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him." Dueteronomy 7:9

"And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee." Psalm 9:10

"O Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things; Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth." Isaiah 25:1

Praise the Lord, this past week was a good one! On Monday Shelly went to the hospital for an MRI to check the two spots on her liver that the doctor had initially discovered. The results came back on Wednesday - the spots are benign - completely harmless!

Shelly's mom and mother-in-law went with her to her second round of chemo on Thursday. They met with Dr. Huntsinger, the oncologist, before beginning the chemo, and she too had wonderful news for them! All of Shelly's lab work had come back with great results. Both her white and red blood cell counts were high and the tumor in her breast had started to soften as a result of the first round of chemotherapy. In the doctor's own words, the results were "awesome!" Praise the Lord!
Shelly again did well with the second round of chemo, but she was quite tired that evening after a very long day. She went back to the doctor on Friday morning for the shot to boost her white blood cell count. The doctor also adjusted her nausea medication in hopes of helping Shelly not feel so drugged.

Saturday was a special day. Shelly and her family went back to Knoxville, but this time for the "Race For the Cure." Shelly's sister-in-law, Dee, ran the race in honor of Shelly. While there, Shelly was interviewed, and her story ended up in the Sunday morning Knoxville News Sentinel!

Shelly was able to attend both church services on Sunday - a little tired by the evening service - but there none the less. Today Shelly reported that her energy level has been fine; still no nausea and no wooziness. Amazing! God is so good!

Many of you may know the song "God Wants To Hear You Sing:" the story of Paul and Silas singing praises to God after being beaten and imprisoned. For those of you that might not be familiar with it, I am including the lyrics in hopes that they will be a blessing to you as they have been to so many.

"Their chains were fastened tight, down at the jail that night;
Still Paul and Silas would not be dismayed.
They said, 'It's time to lift our voice, sing praises to the Lord;
Let's prove that we will trust Him, come what may.'

He loves to hear our praise on our cheerful days,
When the pleasant times outweigh the bad by far.
But when suffering comes along, and we still sing Him songs,
That is when we bless the Father's heart.

God wants to hear you sing
When the waves are crashing 'round you, when the fiery darts surround you,
When despair is all you see.
God wants to hear your voice
When the wisest man has spoken,

And says your circumstance is as hopeless as can be;
That's when God wants to hear you sing!"

She's doing just that! Shelly is singing the song that God has written just for her. And she is singing it beautifully! She is allowing God to portray Himself as "the faithful God" in her life.

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great Is Thy Faithfulness."

Race For The Cure Slideshow

Picture of Beauty and Grace

This past week was very bittersweet. Tuesday morning, Mitch called and said that Shelly had started to lose her hair, and that it had been difficult for her. In Shelly's own words, "There is just no way to prepare yourself for this." We knew that it was going to happen, but just knowing did not make it any easier to deal with. We shed some more tears together, but by the time I got to see her that afternoon, she was completely composed and looking VERY "hip" in her black and white paisley bandana. She was at church Wednesday night, all smiles - a picture of strength. She continues to amaze us. We try to assure her that it's OK to be upset and it's OK to even get a little mad, but she just replies, "There's nothing to be sad about. God is taking care of me!" As she has from day one, she continues to be a blessing to each life she touches.



Finally, on Thursday evening she had Mitch shave off the rest of her hair. She told us on Friday morning, "Well, girls, it's all gone." (Still smiling.) "We let Luke and Molly watch Mitch cut my hair, and they thought it was so funny!" Another answered prayer... Shelly was so worried that it would bother the kids, but they are taking it all in stride. Praise God!



We had an incredible turnout for the Hat Party on Friday night. It was a blast! Shelly received many beautiful hats and scarves, and the entire evening she was portrait of beauty and grace. (Did I mention how cute she looks in a scarf?) All the ladies made hats out of tissue paper, and a few were brave enough to model them. At the end of the evening when Shelly stood up to say thanks to everyone, there were tears all across the room... but these tears were bittersweet. Somewhat bitter... tears of grief over what is lost and what is to come, but mostly sweet, because of the sustaining grace of our Heavenly Father. Once again Shelly stood and said, "I know that I am supposed to be sad because I have cancer, but I just can't be, because God is with me and He is not going to leave me."



"For He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The lord is my helper, and I will not fear!"



Thank you, everyone, for praying. Don't stop. Round 2 begins this week. Pray that Shelly will once again have no nausea, and that she will not catch a virus while her white blood cell count is low. Your prayers are being answered. Continue to take them before the throne!

Hat Party Slideshow

Hat Party

When we set up the registry, we did not know that it would require a username and password to be able to see Shelly's wish list. Sorry about that! I am sending another link that should take you directly to her registry.

http://www.headcovers.com/Show/39055/

Also, there are 4 scarves that have already been purchased, but for some reason they have not been removed from her wish list. I am listing the item numbers and descriptions so that Shelly will not receive too many doubles.
SV 10628 Woodblock Printed Head Scarf / Color: Blue Bouquet
SV 593 Classic Paisley Bandana / Color: Stonewash Paisley
SV 11683 Embroidered Tie Dye Head Scarf / Color: Denim
SV 593 Classic Paisley Bandana / Color: Charcoal Paisley

There is not too much "new news." Shelly was able to attend both church services yesterday, and was even able to come to choir practice last night! She looked beautiful! ...Even with her short haircut that she wasn't too sure about. : ) The medication that she is taking for the nausea seems to be helping, (no sickness yet, Praise the Lord!) but it also is making her feel tired and a little "knocked out." Today is the last day that she is supposed to take the medication for the nausea, so keep praying that she continues to feel well.
I was reminded of a beautiful passage of Scripture yesterday when a special group in our church sang a song entitled "Walking In The Flame." I have always loved these verses, but I love them even more right now.
Isaiah 43: 1-5 "But now thus saith the Lord that created thee... Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior... Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee... Fear not: for I am with thee."

Round One

We have joined together today for the beginning of an epic battle.

In the black corner stands Cancer. He is a powerful disease who's reach is world wide. His skills are limited as he can only attack the body, but not the soul.

In the pink corner stands Shelly. She has proven already to be a strong fighter. Shelly stands five feet, five inches and weighs in at... just the right weight. Her reach is limited.

This should be quite a fight...

But wait... It seems she doesn't stand alone! Also in her corner is an army of prayer warriors, and the most powerful fighter of all -God Almighty! His size, power, and reach are unlimited!! He has never been defeated, and He never will!!!

"Let's... get... ready... to... RUMBLE!!!"

~"If God be for us, who can be against us?"~

Shelly did beautifully today! There was no allergic reaction to any of the medication, and the only pain was when the nurse inserted the needle into the port. The nurse assured Shelly that it would not hurt in the future - the area was just still tender from the procedure yesterday. Around 9:20 she was given the Benedryl and the anti-nausea medicine though the port. About 20 minutes later they started the first of three chemotherapies. The first was dark red and given through two syringes (into the IV tube) by a nurse. The next two "bags" of chemo took an hour each to complete. Round 1 was over by about ten till twelve. Shelly was a bit woosy when it was all over, but felt a little better after getting something to eat.

All of the nurses were so very kind, and they helped to create a very pleasant atmosphere in the midst of an unpleasant situation. They told Shelly many times that the doctors there do NOT want her to be sick with the chemo. They reminded her to check in if she was feeling sick and they would adjust her medication to try to combat the nausea. A nice elderly volunteer came around to all the patients there, and delivered ice cream treats. He didn't offer any to Shelly's "support team," and we were quite offended! : ) We decided that next time we would take turns sitting in the empty chemo chairs, and see if we might be able to get some ice cream, too!

Please be constant in prayer. Pray that Shelly will have zero nausea or sickness. The weakness and tiredness should hit sometime next week. Pray for her strength.

On October 3, the ladies in Shelly's church are throwing her a "Hat Party," to give her hats and scarves that she might not otherwise splurge on for herself. I am sending a link to the website where we have set up a a "gift registry" for Shelly so that she can pick her favorite hats and scarves to wear when she loses her hair. I post this because I know that there are many of you out there wishing that there was something you could do for Shelly. Maybe this is something that you would like to be a part of. http://www.headcovers.com/headwear/

Thank you for all of your prayers. Keep posting your comments! They are so encouraging!

Ready To Rock!

Just a reminder to everyone: Shelly starts her chemotherapy tomorrow morning at 8:00. Please be in prayer that she responds well to the medication and that there will be no kind of allergic reaction to anything that they give her. I (Becca) am going to be able to go with Shelly tomorrow, along with two other close friends, Pam & Janie. Pray that we are the encouragement to Shelly that she needs us to be. Pray for her strength. I will post tomorrow to let everyone know how the first day goes.

Shelly has said for the past couple of weeks, (in anticipation of starting the treatments) that she is "ready to rock." So here we go... Let's Rock! : )

"The Lord liveth; and blessed be MY ROCK, and let the God of my salvation be exalted."

Preliminary Visit With the Oncologist

Shelly's visit with the oncologist today was just routine. She and Mitch went to a "class" on chemotherapy, and the doctor went over what might happen the next 18 weeks, the risk factors involved, and so on. They have already started her on medication to help prevent nausea when the chemo starts. She is scheduled to go in for the first treatment Thursday morning at 8:00. She will first have an echocardiogram, then start the chemo. It will last for 3 hours, and Friday morning she will go back for a shot to boost her white blood cell count. The doctor informed her that she may not get real tired until next week, and that she will most likely begin to lose her hair in 10 days. She will have 6 chemo treatments over the next 18 weeks. She may also develop sores in her mouth as is common with chemotherapy treatments. She will be given a mouthwash that will hopefully help with that as well.

Shelly's spirit is still SO great. She is very nervous in anticipation, but she is ready to get it started and get it over with. Please specifically pray for her strength as she begins this treatment; pray that the nausea medication will work - that she will not be sick; and please pray that she will not catch any type of cold or virus while her immune system is so low. Pray for her friends, her family, and her church family, that God will give us wisdom to be and to do all that we should. God is good and his grace is still sufficient!

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, THEN AM I STRONG."

"...Of Good Report"

The news has come in. The doctor finally called at ten till five this afternoon. And it was..."a good report." When Shelly went in on Thursday for the bone scan, a CAT Scan, and a chest x-ray, the results were supposed to have come back by Friday afternoon. Friday came and went with no news; Saturday as well. These results would show if the cancer had spread anywhere else in her body, so waiting for this kind of news was almost unbearable. Finally, the doctor called and praise the Lord, the report is that the cancer has not spread! The scans showed 2 swollen lymph nodes in her chest and 2 spots on her liver that may potentially be cysts of some kind, but the doctor assured her that he was not worried about either of these results. The news came to us during choir practice at church tonight. Let's just say that it was hard for the choir to practice anything after the wonderful news! When Shelly walked in to rehearsal there was much rejoicing, many hugs and a few more tears... tears of joy tonight. After seemingly every new result bringing bad news, it was just so wonderful to have something to rejoice over! She still goes to meet with the oncologist tomorrow at 1:00. Wednesday, she will have the port put in, and Thursday she starts her chemo. These were her words tonight... "I'm so happy!" (grin and shrug) "If you can be happy with cancer - then I am!" Shelly's parents, Dale and Brenda Ward, told us tonight that God had given them Phillippians 4:8, "whatsoever things are of good report... think on these things," and for the last few days they have been pleading with God for that "good report." What an answer to prayer this evening! God is so good!

In our morning service today, as a choir we sang an amazing song called "Be Strong in the Lord." I close tonight's post with the last stanza and chorus of this song and claim its wonderful truth.

"Be strong in the Lord, and be of good courage;

Your mighty Commander will vanquish the foe.

Fear not the battle for the victory is always His;

He will protect you wherever you go."

Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord,

And be of good courage for He is your guide.

Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord,

And rejoice for the victory is yours!"

The Last Four Weeks

Almost a month ago, Shelly discovered a lump in her right breast and immediately made an appointment to have it checked. The first doctor's visit was encouraging. She was told that the lump was just a cyst, and that in a few months it should disappear on its own. As a precaution though, she was told to have a mammogram and an ultrasound. She went to have these 2 procedures on August 26. At this appointment Shelly was told that the lump was suspicious and that it needed to be biopsied. The biopsy was scheduled for Tuesday, September 2 at the University of Tennessee Breast Center, and the results came on Wednesday, the third of September. The lump was cancer and it was aggressive. On September 5, Shelly went back to UT for an MRI. She was told that this type of cancer is called Invasive Ductal and it is a common form of breast cancer. The surgeon and radiologist met on that Friday afternoon to discuss the treatment options. This past Tuesday, September 9, Mitch and Shelly met with the surgeon, Dr. Bell to discuss the right course of action. They were told that the cancer had not spread to the other breast but was in the lymph nodes. They have decided on 3-4 months of chemotherapy - she will only have to go once every 3-4 weeks, but for most likely 2 hours of chemo per session. The doctors have told her that the chemo should not make her sick, just very tired for a few days afterwards. She will lose her hair, but that was expected. After the chemo, she will go through surgery - most likely a double mastectomy. Then 7 weeks of radiation and then reconstructive surgery. Today, Thursday the 11th, she went for a bone scan to see if the cancer has spread anywhere else. She will receive the results sometime tomorrow. On Monday, the 15th, Shelly will meet with the oncologist who will be administering the chemotherapy, and on Wednesday, the 17th, they will put in her port for the chemo.

OK, that was the cut and dry of it. Now, I want to testify to the grace of God that has been sustaining Shelly and her family. Of course there have been many, many tears and even a few questions, but Shelly has been a beautiful picture of the peace of God that passes all understanding. She is claiming the promise of Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the thoughts (plans) that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." The day that Shelly received her results, she told me, "If God brought this into my life to strengthen just one person's faith in Him, then that's fine with me." Yes, she is scared of what the next six to nine months will hold, but God has given grace for every day, and He will continue to do so until this fight is over.

Please pray daily for Mitch, Shelly, Luke, and Molly, their immediate and extended families, and their church family and friends. Check the blog often and post your comments and your assurances of prayers. Send a link for this blog to anyone you know that will pray daily. You may live in Sevier County, you may not even live in Tennessee, but every time that Shelly sees "I'm praying for you!" she will know that she is not alone in this fight.