December 4 ~ Surgery

Just a reminder to all, that Shelly begins her reconstructive process tomorrow morning. She goes in to UT hospital at 6:30 in the morning, and the surgery is scheduled for 8:00. It should last about three hours. Dr. Chung will be taking skin from Shelly's back for a skin graft on her right side, and inserting spacers for future reconstruction. Shelly will stay overnight at the hospital, but she desperately wants to be released sometime on Saturday. Please pray specifically for these things: *that Shelly will only have to stay one night in the hospital *that she will only need to have 2 drain tubes instead of 3 *and that she will only have minimal pain on her back from the skin graft.
Shelly is in excellent spirits! Just one more testimony to the sustaining grace of our heavenly Father. Thank you, dear praying friends, for the support you have given. Please keep Shelly in your thoughts and before the throne tomorrow during surgery and then in the days and weeks to come.

Race For The Cure

It is so hard to believe that it has been almost 6 months since Shelly ended her radiation treatments. She has been healing well, and every time she sees one of her doctors, they give her a good report. Yesterday, October 23, I had the honor and privilege of taking part in the Susan G. Komen "Race For The Cure" with Shelly and her sister, Sherry. If you remember, Shelly and her family attended this event last year while she was in the middle of chemotherapy treatments. Last year, she was there as a warrior; this year a survivor. There were many emotional moments along the three mile walk. I can't tell you how many times I thanked God that we were participating in this event in celebration of her life rather than in memory of it. God is so good.
On December 4, Shelly will begin the reconstructive process. It will be a little more involved than she had hoped for. There will be a series of surgeries including hospital stays and drainage tubes - not quite a walk in the park - but for all of us who know her and those of you who have followed her story, we know that because of her faith, she will once again prove that "for with God, nothing is impossible!" As the time gets nearer, I will give more details, but for now, continue to thank our Heavenly Father for all He has done and will do.
Enjoy the "Race For the Cure" Slideshow!

God Wants To Hear You Sing

On Saturday, May 2, Shelly had the privilege to speak at a mother-daughter luncheon at Sherry's (her sister) church in Lenoir City. It was evident that God was standing right beside her while she spoke. Although Shelly told us she was so nervous that "you may have to give me oxygen," you couldn't tell at all. She radiated confidence and peace.

I have posted the video of Shelly's testimony, but want to explain something that she speaks of at the beginning. Weeks ago, when Shelly agreed to speak, she immediately said that she wanted our ladies ensemble to come and sing "God Wants To Hear You Sing," a song that I have written of in earlier posts. This was also the theme of the ladies luncheon.

When Shelly was first diagnosed, the cancer center had a survivor contact Shelly to encourage her. The lady's name was Peggy. A week ago, Shelly found out that Peggy is the relative of a lady at Sherry's church. Peggy was not only at the luncheon, but also spoke briefly about her personal fight with cancer. So, Shelly and Peggy were able to meet face to face! God does cares about the little things.

Once again, here are the words to the song that Shelly has claimed as God's purpose for her life.

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.

Only 2 radiation treatments to go!

Shelly's Testimony at Ladies Luncheon

Easter Sunday

This past Sunday was not only Easter Sunday, but also Shelly's birthday. She was radiant! And also very beautiful showing off her new head of hair. This was Shelly's first church service to not wear a scarf or hat, though she had been going without for the few days before Easter.

Radiation is going well. As of today, she is halfway through. 16 down, 16 to go. She is still not burning from the radiation, which is a direct answer to prayer. God is so good!

Shelly and Sherry

Shelly's Family:

Dad and Mom - Dale and Brenda Ward
Sister, Brother-in-law, and Niece - Ralph, Sherry, and Emma Burger

Husband and Children - Mitch, Luke, and Molly

As Shelly's treatments begin to approach the end, please continue to pray for her safety and strength, and continue to praise the Lord for His goodness, and for answering the fervent prayers of His children.

"And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise [her] up... pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

Radiation Begins

Shelly began her radiation treatments this week on Monday. She will have a total of 32 treatments, finishing up hopefully the first week of May. There is a chance that the radiation can burn Shelly's skin - kind of like a sunburn. Dr. Bertoli gave Shelly a cream today that can be used if she has some skin irritation, but if the burn gets bad enough, they may need to delay the radiation treatments for a few days, ultimately prolonging the duration of the treatments. Please pray that Shelly doesn't burn at all, so that she can "get this thing over with." Please also pray for Shelly's safety as she has a 40 minute drive to Knoxville each day for her radiation.

Shelly is amazing! If she wasn't wearing a scarf, you would have no idea that she is in the middle of cancer treatments. She was able to get right back into every aspect of life, family, and church - almost days after surgery. She continues to give God the glory for her healing. Thank you for your prayers! It's so hard to believe that Shelly is nearing the end of this treatment process! God is good!

Praise the Lord for the promise of Exodus 15:26 - "I am the Lord that healeth thee!"

Two Weeks After Surgery

So, here we are... two weeks and two days after Shelly's surgery, and just as in the past five months, God continues to display His might in her life. Last Tuesday, Shelly was able to have her drains removed, and has been much more comfortable since then. While at the hospital, she was able to see Dr. Bell, and he told her that she made the right decision to have the double (versus single) mastectomy, and that the surgery could not have had a better outcome! Shelly was also given the pathology report from all the tissue removed during the surgery. The pathologist was still able to see the little dot of cancer that had once been a large tumor, but there was no evidence of cancer in the two suspicious lymph nodes, praise the Lord! All in all, they removed 35 lymph nodes under the right arm and 4 under the left. Some time during the second week of March, Shelly will meet with the radiologist, Dr. Bertoli, who will begin administering her radiation at the end of March. She will have radiation for 7 weeks, five days a week. Twice in this past week, Shelly has had to go in to have small pockets of fluid drained, but the doctors have said that this is normal; certain portions of tissue just aren't adhering as quickly as others and that all the fluid they have drained looks just fine. Shelly reports that the pain is almost gone, and her strength has returned even enough to pick up Molly and return to her 2 cleaning jobs. Even though she is somewhat "over this whole thing," her attitude is still very positive. So, yes, Shelly has made it through the hardest part of this journey, but it is far from over. Please continue to pray for mental and emotional strength and stamina. And keep praying for that hair to grow in by Easter!

Doing Great!

Just wanted to give a quick report on Shelly's progress, because I know that there are so many people out there, with her in their thoughts and prayers. Shelly is recovering beautifully! She still continues to amaze us all! Praise the Lord, the pain did not increase over the last 2 days, like Shelly expected to be a possibility. She is still sore, but the pain is lessening a bit. She was even able to go out today with Mitch to take the children bowling. Now, I don't think Shelly was out rolling 10 pound balls, but I wouldn't have put it past her! Her drains are starting to run a little bit clearer, so please continue to pray that they will clear up all the way so that they can be removed very soon! Today, Valentine's Day, is also Mitch and Shelly's 12th Anniversary. So, if anyone would like to drop them a little note, wishing them a Happy Anniversary, please feel free to do so. Thank you again for your prayers! God is answering!

I am now writing Monday morning to let everyone know that Shelly was in church last night! She looks absolutely wonderful!!! Our God is an awesome God! Thank you all for praying!

Now, Monday night... Shelly told us today that she gets her drains removed at 10:00 tomorrow morning! Praise the Lord!

She's Home!

Shelly was able to come home from the hospital around 1:00 on Wednesday, even though the doctors said that the earliest would be around 6 or 7 o'clock. She just keeps defying the odds! Every time I speak with her on the phone, she sounds so alert and cheerful - not at all like you would expect someone to sound after going through the major surgery that Shelly did. But we are seeing more and more that Shelly is anything but ordinary. She is an extraordinary woman who is continually trusting in the Lord and allowing Him to use her for His glory. God has answered our prayer about the nausea as well! The doctors and nurses seemed so concerned about the that, and basically she had none at all! Once again, God.

As of last night, Shelly said that her pain was not intense, just a soreness. And most of the soreness coming from the 3 drains. She was sent home with some exercises for working the muscles, and she has been doing those. In her own words, "I feel fine. The bottom half of me could run a marathon!"

Two ladies from church brought a meal to Mitch and Shelly last night, and they reported that Shelly greeted them at the door when they got to her house!

She cannot drive for a couple of weeks but she did ride along this morning to take Luke to school.

As far as how to pray for Shelly right now, we need to ask God to continue to let her pain be minimal today and tomorrow. She has been told that the pain would most likely be worse these two days... but you know... God. Please pray with me that in only a few days time she can have the drains removed. As soon as the fluids run clear they can be taken out, and Lord willing, that will ease some of the discomfort. When it comes to the emotional part of this ordeal, Shelly is displaying a strength that only God can give. There are no words to describe the awesome power of our God and the mighty work that He has been doing and continues to do!

Surgery is Done!

Shelly made it through the surgery beautifully today! Praise the Lord, and thank you all for your prayers. They took her back right around 11:00 am, and she wasn't done until about 4:20. When Dr. Lewis finally was able to come and talk to Mitch and the rest of the family, he told them that Shelly had done well during the surgery, and that he was confident about her recovery. He also told them that he was "quite surprised" to see scar tissue forming around the place where the tumor used to be. This means that the chemo had done it's job, gotten rid of the tumor, and now her body was healing itself. I thank God for knowledgeable doctors and the advancements of today's medicine, but I also do not underestimate the power of the prayers of God's children! Praise the Lord for answered prayer! Dr. Lewis said that Shelly would be in recovery until after 7:00, but she proved them wrong again, being wheeled to her hospital room at 6:22 with a "thumbs up" and a half smile.

I was able to talk to Shelly briefly at about 9:30 this evening. Her voice sounded a bit raspy, but no doubt it was Shelly. "Oh, I'm feelin' pretty good... I didn't like those bands they had on my legs. They were botherin' me, so we took 'em off... They've got me sittin' up in a chair... I think these drains are gonna bug me..." She sounded completely confident and in control.

No nausea yet, praise the Lord, and she said that her pain level was at a 3-4. Mostly a dull pain coming from under her arm.

So, a very long day is coming to a close, and God will receive the glory once again. I will write tomorrow with more information, and hopefully we'll know then when she will get to come home.

Thank you again for your prayers! To God be the glory!

Tribute to Shelly

Shelly's Benefit Auction

Perfect Peace

"Thou wilt keep [her] in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because [she] trusteth in Thee."

Perfect peace is the only way to describe the look on Shelly's face as she told us goodnight after church last night.  It is obvious that her mind is stayed on her God and she trusts in Him.  As I write, less than 24 hours from now, Shelly will be going to the hospital for her surgery. 

She met with her surgeon last week on Wednesday (February 4) to get information and instructions concerning the surgery.  The surgery is now coming a week sooner than expected and Shelly will have a different surgeon than was planned.  This brought a little bit of concern, but as Shelly gave all this to the Lord, He calmed her fears concerning this matter as well.  She met with Dr. Lewis (the new surgeon) who is a partner of Dr. Bell's, and told us that she felt totally comfortable with him.  Shelly's mastectomies will begin at 10:15 Tuesday morning.  She has to be at the hospital at 8:15.  The surgery will last 4 hours, and she will need to stay at the hospital for 24 hours.  Dr. Lewis told Shelly that her pain would be minimal following the surgery because most of the nerves would be removed as well.  The majority of the pain will come from under her arm where they will remove the lymph nodes.  She will have three drains that will not be removed for 1 -3 weeks.  Dr. Lewis also told Shelly that one of the hardest parts will be recovering from the anesthesia, because she will be under for so long.

Please pray specifically for every aspect of the surgery.  I will write again tomorrow and Wednesday to keep everyone posted on how she is doing.

Back in December, Todd Thompson, Mitch and Shelly's Sunday School teacher, good friend, realtor, and auctioneer began to work on putting together a benefit auction to raise money for Shelly's medical bills, which are growing rapidly.  The benefit was held last Friday, February 6, and $16, 340 was raised!!  Local businesses donated goods, services, art, and vacation trips, and our church, Victory Baptist, catered for the event.  I have posted pictures as a slideshow from the auction.  God truly blessed the evening, and everything was honoring to Him and to Shelly.

People ask often, "How is Shelly?"  I can only shake my head in amazement and answer, "You wouldn't believe how great she is!"  That is not to say that there are no fears, no moments of weakness, but they are few, because of the peace of God ruling and reigning in her heart.

When life's burdens get so heavy and it seems I'm all alone,

I cast my care on Jesus, and come boldly to His throne.

For I know whatever befall me my Lord is in control.

And as my mind is stayed on Him perfect peace He gives my soul.

He is the Lord of Lords, and when He speaks,

Wind and waves obey.

When Jesus whispers, "Peace, be still,"

Then darkness turns to day.

And as I'm trusting in my Savior's Word

Doubts and fears all cease.

And beneath the shelter of His wings

I'm at rest in perfect peace.

Something to smile about: I just got off the phone with Shelly, and she told me that her hair is starting to grow back!  She's hoping that she'll have enough by Easter, so that she won't have to wear a hat to church.  I think God can answer that prayer... will you pray too?