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.