Praise Report from my mom...

Hello family & friends,

I met with my surgeon this morning at Walter Reed and was given my pathology report. I am cancer free.  No chemo needed.  My lymph nodes, 3 on the right and 1 node taken on the left, all came back clear/negative for cancer.  I had a peasized tumor, clear margins and stage 1 cancer.  I will be on a hormone supplement only.

I am praising the Lord as I write.  Thank you for all of your prayers, calls, emails and notes of encouragement.

I also had 2 of the 4 drain tubes removed and will have the 2 remaining removed next Monday.  I also received another "fill-up" for my tissue expanders so I feel pumped up today in more ways than one.  

I am feeling so overwhelmed with gratitude and praises for what an Awesome God we serve.

I am on the road to recovery.  I am not the same woman who went into surgery as my heart is filled with God's love and compassion, especially for those suffering with cancer.

Now, to get back to my daily walks, but at a slower pace.

Love and hugs to you all,
Anne

Note from Kat....I cried with relief when I heard this news...please let this speak to the power of God and the importance of MRI's.  Please use this as an opportunity to push your health care systems to allow MRI's for ALL high risk women so they can have such a great outcome.

Home Again

So Mom is home again and is back to usual spunky self.  We arrived home from Walter Reed at about 3 pm today.  We were all ready to come home, her more than the rest of us.  After a night full of frequent wakenings she quickly realized she would rather be home in her own bed instead of in a sterile hospital room where you get leg cuffs that squeeze your legs every minute, connected to machines that beep.  Wakened by nurses that are just as tired and clueless as the patient who is still under massive amounts of drugs.  (Just one nurse, the rest were actually great.)  

I decided to spend the night in my mom's room when we realized that the overworked/understaffed floor was going to make it difficult to even get help to the restroom.  As we all know, when you gotta go, you gotta go, and you can't wait 45 minutes for a nurse to come help, but after a major surgery, you are not safe to brave the walk to the restroom alone.  I helped her with my experience in navigating drains, bathroom trips, regular pain meds and sorting out all the various drs. instructions.  She has conveyed several times that she was thankful to have a familiar face to help her navigate through her evening.  Isn't it funny how life's roles take us full circle?

Dad returned home and got some much needed rest after having gotten up very early and waiting around all day for my mom's surgery.  My aunt Mary Rita (Dad's sister) came to the waiting room and spend most of the day engaging my dad in lively conversation to help pass the time.  He was really thankful to have her there.  I arrived to the hospital around 7 pm, after driving straight up from Blacksburg. (about 5 hours).  

It will be 7-10 days for Mom to receive her full pathology report, but all indications now are all that we could have asked for.  She is healing well.  She has very little pain and her spirits are good.  

Please continue to pray for a clear pathology and the right combination of factors that could allow her to skip chemo.  

Thank you for your prayers, she can feel them....

Anne / Mom is out of surgery

Mom came out of surgery at about 4pm and everything went smoothly. There is no visual indications of cancer in the lymph nodes. Please pray that the pathology report confirms that they are cancer-free.

She is feeling some minor discomfort from tightness in the chest, but otherwise is feeling well. (It feels like a sports bra that's way too small.)

I arrived at around 7pm to her room and she was a bit loopy from the drugs but in good spirits. I will update you more later as I get more details.

Please keep praying; she feels your prayers.

Kat

Mom's Surgery Moved to Today

Just wanted to let you all know that Mom's surgery was moved to today because it allowed the surgeon to have more time in the OR. She went under the knife sometime around 9-10 am.  I will update you all later today as I have more details.  PLEASE PRAY for clear nodes, no complications and an easy recovery.  I will let you all know more later.

I am leaving Blacksburg, VA at 1pm to travel up to be with her.  (about a 5-6 hour trip). 

blessings,

Kat

Words from Anne

"There is nothing, no circumstance, no trouble, no testing that can ever touch me until first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment, but as I refuse to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to Him and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great blessing to my own heart, no sorrow will ever disturb me, no trial will ever disarm me, no circumstance will cause me to fret, for I shall rest in the joy of what the Lord is."
- Alan Redpath