Amy is starting a Cancer Support Group tonight. While she is excited to help people walk through their cancer experience, she is a little nervous!
I will keep you informed on how things go.
Tom
It’s all good! October 16, 2008
Wow, we have posted in a long time. But the purpose of this blog was to help communicate Amy’s journey through cancer and cancer is over and out. Praise God!
Amy had a Dr. appt. a few weeks ago and all is well. In January she goes in for follow up scans, rountine stuff. She is doing good, but is still very tired and gets exhausted easy.
Just wanted to say hey to all.
Tom
No More Doctor Appts. Til October!!!!!!!! July 16, 2008
Tom here,
Amy’s last doctor appt. proved to be the best one yet. No more visits til October. Yippee!
All the scans look good and Amy is starting to feel better. Although she still has a few side effects from the Chemo. The one that is driving her crazy is the pain in her joints. Dr. Sjak-Shie said that this is normal, but Amy says normal hurts like heck!
The follow up will be in October for blood work and such, then in December she will have a set of CT-Scans. This process should repeat again in another 6 months, then if all is well in 1 year. Dr. Sjak-Shie said that recurrence is most likely to happen within the first 3 years if it happens at all. But just as during the treatments, we are living life and moving on. Dr. Sjak-Shie gave us some great advice in the beginning. She told us “having cancer is a lot like being pregnant, either you are or your not. So if the cancer shows up again we will treat it”.
So that’s how we are moving on. Thanks for all of your support. This picture is from the Relay for Life Survivor Lap. 
Good News July 2, 2008
Tom here!
Last Thursday Amy had a PET Scan and the results are in! Drum roll please!
All is well and no sign of cancer! Praise God, Praise God, Praise God!
It’s been about a 6 month process and life is starting to get back to “pre-cancer”.
We will post again in a week or so after Amy’s next Dr. appt. We are just so thankful to hear good news and to know that the chemo did it jobs, we did ours and God never stopped doing His!
Thanks for being in our lives!
Follow Up June 19, 2008
Tom Here!
Super Summer was a great week for us. Some much needed time of rest and reflection. One of our female students wrote a paper about Amy and I that won us a free weekend to Branson this October. Awesome! The paper was “why my youth pastor is the best”. Well the opening sentence was about me and then the balance of the paper was about Amy and how she has been an inspiration during her treatments. This student went on to say something that I totally agree with. “If she hadn’t lost her hair you wouldn’t have known she had cancer” Amy’s attitude has been great during this entire time, God has really been good to us! Amy and I are a team when it comes to ministry. She relates well to the girls and our home provides a model of what “family” should be.
This past Monday Amy had a CT Scan and we met with Dr. Sjak-Shie yesterday to review everything. All is well and Dr. Sjak-Shie is trilled with the results. Our next step is a PET Scan next Thursday. This scan will give a more detailed view of everything and confirm what the CT Scan showed, that the cancer is gone!
Special note to Amy’s high school class! Thanks so much for the program, shirt and gift. All of you have been a special encouragement to her during this time. Thanks!
The Best Step June 6, 2008
Tom here!
This morning I was sitting on our porch about 6:30am and began to reflect on the past few months. What a ride! It has been almost 4 months since we entered into the world of cancer. 4 months doesn’t seem like a long time, but these 4 have been long and draining.
As I mentioned I began to reflect this morning on the things that God has allowed me to learn these last 4 months. I thought of Dr. James Casset, Amy’s surgeon. While Amy was still in the hospital recovering from the surgery that removed the mass, I asked Dr. Casset what was the next step. He couldn’t tell me because he didn’t know. The test results were not in, but I wanted answers. He assured me that the ball would not be dropped!
I was exposed that day to a principle from the Bible–wait on God. Isaiah 40:31 is a verse of Scripture that helped me to recognize why we should wait or hope in God.
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31
For the longest time I looked at this verse and desired to soar on wings like eagles. I even have a beautiful picture in my office with a eagle and this verse. But over the past months I have needed my strength renewed time and time again. Not to soar, but just to walk and not be faint.
As I look back to that conversation with Dr. Casset, I am so grateful to him for the answer he gave. He told me the truth, he didn’t know. That answer was just one of many answers to questions that I posed to Doctors, friends and medical websites, but it was the answer that pushed me to chase after the One who knows the next step. Dr. Casset, thank you for doing your job–you’re a great surgeon–and thanks for giving me the truth that afternoon. God, thank you for providing and renewing our strength during this time of our lives.
Next week Amy and I have the opportunity to take 32 students to Super Summer at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, MO. We are looking forward to spending time with each other, our students, adult leaders and God, do more reflecting and growing.
Once again, thank you for all of the support and encouragement. Amy and I are much stronger people because of this season of life! Don’t get me wrong, we still have a long way to go, but we’re going!
Last one, is done! May 28, 2008
Tom Here!
Amy finished her 6th and hopefully final Chemo treatment today. Things went well and she even did a cart-wheel at the request of her nurse.
The kids decorated the front porch to congratulate Amy. Here’s a picture.
Thanks to all…
Learning Time May 22, 2008
Hi, Tom here
Wednesday closed out the visit from Amy’s parents. It was a good visit! A long trip for them, but a good visit. When I first saw Gary and Donna, my mind went back to Amy’s surgery and hospital stay. How Donna stated with Amy so I could be with our kids. That was the first time seeing them since then and it kind of got to me. Of course being the tough guy, I didn’t let it show. But they are very special people and have been a great source of encouragement during this time.
I have learned a lot of things during this journey, but one sticks out today. It’s very hard for us as humans to really know what someone else is going through. Often people say that they know what you’re going through, but in reality unless they have been there, they don’t have a clue. Dealing with all this I can really only know what it’s like to be married to the patient. I have no clue what it’s like to be her, my kids, our mother’s or her dad. Equally they have no clue what it’s like to be me. But the one thing I know is we all love her the same and want the best for her. So, you might be asking yourself the question, what did Tom learn?
I have learned that each one of us travels our own journey and that journey has an impact on so many lives. And each person travels at a different speed, some may walk, some may ride and others just might ball up and hide. We all have a story to tell and a journey to walk, so when I see somebody reacting different than I, I should not balk. But I will know and trust that God knows their way and continue on my journey living day, by day.
God Bless you all!
5 Down, 1 To Go! 5-14-08 May 14, 2008
Tom Here!
Amy has completed the 5th Chemo treatment and has her sights set on May 28th, the 6th and final one! As I type she is resting in bed, she is very exhausted! Dr. Sjak-Shie is very pleased with her blood work and overall health.
Thanks so much for the comments, thoughts and prayers. Things are going well and we thank God for Amy’s health.
Getting Ready for #5 5-12 May 12, 2008
Tom here!
Amy is getting ready for her 5th treatment on Wednesday. She has been doing great and continues to have a great attitude. We had a big day on Saturday. Katie performed in her last choir concert at East Central College. My mom was able to come down and watch and we all went to Pizza Hut for some greasy pizza afterwards. We also were blessed with Chelsey Wadlow, a student in our student ministry. Amy and Chelso have become pretty close and it was a good day as she spent time with our family. Chelso calls or texts after each treatment to check on Amy and that means a lot to her.
The kids are doing great! We have worked hard to keep their lives as normal as possible. Ian has started baseball and Katie and I have taken on two yards to mow. Schools about out and the kids are getting excited. If all goes well they will spend a week with Grandma Betty in June when Amy and I go to Super Summer with our students. (The if all goes well concerns Amy’s health)
One last thing! We are getting visitors this weekend! Gary and Donna Murphy, Amy’s parents, are coming to the big O-town for a few days. They have been a great source of encouragement during this time. Katie and Ian are excited!
I will post again Wednesday evening at let you all know how the treatment went. Thanks for all of the support, notes, cards, and prayers.
