Gifts

What a weekend.  I'm not even sure where to begin, but will post a ton of pictures at the end so you can see how much we did.

I want to thank God for giving me the energy and strength to be able to do so much.  I also want to thank my family and friends who made it out to our Free to Breathe 5k.  It was so much fun!

We arrived in Atlanta Thursday night. Karley brought her friend Bella , so the three of us flew in on standby.  It was Bella's first airplane ride and trip to Atlanta.  She laughed so hard she cried.

I decided to take them to the World of Coke Friday.  I knew our friend and lung cancer advocate ,Chris Draft, lived near there so invited him to lunch with us.  While eating, he was approached by the coach for the Dream, Atlanta's WNBA team.  She asked if we would like to attend the game Friday night at Phillips Arena.  We decided to do it and Karley, Bella, and I went to the World of Coke after lunch.

The girls loved it and Bella tried every coke product in the world.  Then we went to a park where they both decided to spin around in some spin chairs until one fell off into the bushes and another got sick to her stomach (I warned them).  Thank goodness we already had plans with Chris for later and he lived across the street from the park.   We got there and bandaged one and let them rest.  Thank you Chris!  Then we helped him with his ALS Ice Bucket Challenge....which was hilarious!

Afterwards, we went to the Dream game.  They won.  The girls were more into meeting the cheerleaders and mascot, but they had fun.  Lots of pictures below.  Thanks again Chris!  Handling two only children all day was rough.  Couldn't have done it alone.

We got home late and had to be up at 6 am for the Atlanta Free to Breathe.  So many friends and family came out to show their support.   Thank you all!!!  I made a public speech (which has always made me nervous).  My friend Shermaine came out, even though she is having a tough time right now.  She desperately needs your prayers.  She's fighting the beast too and has two young boys she wants to see grow up.  So all prayer warriors, please pray for her.

Although our team didn't place, it felt amazing to cross the finish line with my girl this year.  She did such a good job and was ahead of me until the very end where she waited on me.  I love this girl more than I could ever put into words.

We met some great caregivers and warriors out there and it makes me want to do more, fight harder for those who can't right now.

We got home tonight and I'm exhausted, but wanted to get this out, because without all of you and our almighty God, I wouldn't be writing right now.  Please keep us in your continuous prayers.   This fight is not over.  I'm blessed that God has given me so much time already.

Romans 6:23 

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Honestly

Happy Thursday everyone!  We just got back from Atlanta yesterday.  Karley and I were doing a media interview for the Atlanta Free to Breathe Event coming up August 16th.  We had the interview on NBC with the only other committee member besides me that has lung cancer.

I last saw her in April.  She was so vibrant then.  Now, I'm worried.  She's such a sweet person with such a positive attitude but this disease is a beast.  It's relentless no matter what your attitude is...  Karley left the interview tearing up, afraid that I would get so sick....  I couldn't respond much except to say that I would do my best not too.   It broke my heart into a million pieces.

Recently I was told that "I can change my outcome with my mind.   Just believe I don't have cancer".   Well, I say to that, "I believe I can fly".  What will happen if I try to do that?  Us cancer patients are busting our butts trying to survive.  The last thing we need is someone telling us how to "survive" cancer.  Don't you think we've done the research?  I'm sorry but it's really getting to me lately.  Everyone is trying to help and have an opinion, but some things are just part of God's plan and beyond our control.  

I just had to rant for tonight.  Sorry for that.  Some days are good, some are not.  Please understand that we are fighting for our lives and don't need to feel like it is our own fault that we have this disease and that we can control it if we want too.

Ephesians 2:8
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - "

Clueless...but not anymore

Happy Sunday all!  I hope everyone is having a fabulous day thus far.   We just got back from Atlanta again on Wednesday.  We've been on the go all summer and it's been fun.  Yesterday and today have been lazy days for me though.  I've been going so much I think it may have caught up with me.  It's been amazing laying around though...

Today I watched that movie Clueless.  I realized it's been almost 20 years since it was released.  I used to love that movie when I was like 15....and I watched the whole thing again today.  I love watching movies that take me back to a simpler time when I had my whole life ahead of me.  Things were so different back then, anything was possible.  And there wasn't freakin cancer anywhere on my radar of course.  I didn't appreciate how great my health really was.

Then I began thinking, I was Clueless, not like the movie of course, but the title.  I thought my whole life would be different.  I had no idea all of this was coming.  Who does?  When we are younger, we have this sense of invincibility that can be so dangerous.  I pray, and believe, that I will be here for Karley when she hits that age.   I look back at the stupid things I did and am so grateful I had two parents that cared so much.  But me, I was totally Clueless.  If only we could see the future...I'm not sure I really would have done much differently except have a closer relationship to God and appreciate the little things more.  Time goes by so fast...

On another note, but somewhat related, I'm on the Atlanta Free to Breathe 5K committee this year, and if you don't have plans and are in the Atlanta area August 16th, we would love for you to come out and join us for this run/walk fundraising event.  Our team this year is called "Team Karley" and you can register or donate here:  Free to Breathe Atlanta

I've included our group photos from last year.  You don't have to run....some of our friends did and even placed in the race, but I'll probably be walking.  Free To Breathe is dedicated to doubling lung cancer survival by the year 2022 and 80% of your fundraising efforts go directly to research.  That's amazing!  So, if you can't come out, you can still help by donating to our Team.

In the meantime, thank you for your continuous prayers and support for my family and me.  They mean so much.  This is a never-ending battle and I'm so blessed to have our Father and all of you on my side.  God bless you!

Romans 8:31
"What shall we say in response to this?  If God is for us, who can be against us?"

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."