Results 6/24/14

Well, some of you may already know I got my latest petscan results Tuesday.  They came back, once again, with no active cancer!   We are so very happy and optimistically cautious at the same time.  This disease changes your whole life.....forever.  You have to live in a "new normal".

Some of the "new normal" for me isn't really new, it's just accepting that life will never go back to the old normal.  I will have petscans every 3 months until at least 5 years of clear scans, an MRI annually, tarceva every day forever (or until it quits working), can't be out in the sun much, my hair is growing in insanely curly and I actually have to cut my curly eyelashes.  My nails are brittle and break very easily.   And now, I'm having all sorts of women issues, of which I will spare you the details.  And I can't sit/drive longer than 1.5 hours without stopping to walk around  to prevent blood clots.

But, my "new normal" also consists of a good quality of life for  now.  I feel better than I have in years.  I can breathe so much better and that gift is allowing me to spend more quality time with Karley.  We've been making memories left and right.  Without the "new normal", I would still be working way too much.  I'm also able to live a semi-normal life unlike so many of my other lung cancer friends who are going through so much.  For all of this, I am blessed.  My problems are so small in the whole scheme of things so I'm just going to be grateful for what I have now in this life, however long it will be.

We never know when things can change, our whole lives can change in an instant. Make sure you're loved ones know they are loved every day!

Thank you all for your continuos prayers and please keep them coming.  They mean more than you realize.   And please pray for our dear friend, John Roberts.  I met him through Facebook in the lung cancer community.  We have the same kind.  He's not doing well and he is the most positive person I know.  We need to see his "Good Morning Friends!" every morning.   That's one of the "new-normals" I love.  So please pray for John and his wife Tina right now.    God bless you all and I'll  update again soon.

Meanwhile, I've got so much living to do...

Proverbs 13:12
Hope makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. 

Sidetracked from scanxiety

I know it's been a while since my last post.   It's been a busy few weeks.   Karley and I are currently in Washington DC until Friday.  We've been here since Monday.  Yesterday the air quality was terrible and I was having a little trouble with that for the first time, but it didn't stop us from seeing as much as possible.

I don't think Karley realized how much we would be walking.  She learned pretty quickly.  She has a karate tournament in Atlanta Saturday so I keep telling her it's exercise.....which is totally true.  

Anyways, the staff at our hotel have been amazing and we've met some interesting people.  Karley made a new friend already.  She is so not shy!   Thank you Erika and Madison for hanging with us!

Well, this is a quick update because I'm on my cell and Karley is ready for me to be off.  I have my next petscan on Monday with results Tuesday.  Thank you all for your continuous prayers and please keep them coming!  They seem to be working!   God is amazing and has already answered a pretty important prayer this week. 

Romans 12:21

"Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good"

18 months

Originally that was my expected expiration date.  That date was May 27th.  It came and went like a normal day and I totally forgot to celebrate.  I think that's a good thing though.  It means I'm not preoccupied with this disease anymore.  Of course I still talk about it with people I reconnect with or meet, but it doesn't control my everyday thoughts.

I have more energy, and this week while visiting my family and friends in Atlanta, I've managed to do a lot.  I met up with some old friends for Andy Smith's birthday.  He's the one who did the video of Karley's 8th birthday party for me when I first got sick.  Loved visiting with them!  It was an interesting night to say the least.  Even ran into a friend I haven't seen since middle school.  Long time!

Hope everyone had a safe and fun Memorial Weekend and remembered the real reason for that extra day off of work!

Tuesday we went to Six Flags with Shelley, Jacob, and Maddie Briscoe.  It was Karley's first visit and we happened to get to go with her family.  Maddie is a stage 4 neuroblastoma survivor.  We had a great time and Darren Briscoe took us to dinner afterwards.   Thank you guys!

The rest of the week we spent visiting family and friends.  It was a crazy busy week!

Please pray for my cousin Jessica.  She's currently recovering from knee surgery.  She's tough though.  I'm sure she'll be fine.

We can't wait to visit again before we head up to Washington DC.  My dad took me as a kid, so I want to take Karley.  I remember it being so much fun.  After the trip, we are planning on letting Karley compete in the Battle of Atlanta karate tournament.   Then I'll have my scans.  It's going to be an insane two weeks by June 13th so I'll be resting while I can.

Thank you all for your continuous support and prayers.  Life is flying by and every day I think less and less about this stupid cancer and more and more about our future.  God sure is great!

Although we may interpret the bible differently according to where we are in life, below is one of my favorite versus given my current state.  It probably doesn't have the same meaning for all of us....  

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."