the power of prayer...

Last night was a rough one folks.  It was a loooooong one, filled with lots of pain and tears and lots more pain.  But prayer...it's powerful stuff!!!  No other explanation as to how she went from this, in the ER last night...

to this, this afternoon...

I left her this afternoon feeling much, much better than last night, just really tired.  She is very ready to come home, and is finding comfort in knowing she only has 1 more whole week of treatment left after this week!  Here are just a few pics from the sweet visitors she had over the weekend.  Thank you again for all of the prayers lifted up last night.  She is such a trooper!

Glad you 2 got to visit before the pain set in!

This high sheriff ALWAYS makes us feel like a million bucks!  Thanks for making us all laugh a little this afternoon!

Be back soon!  Hope you all have a great week!

xoxo,

C

lately...

Lately...she has had some pretty good days.  Since my last post, she has had more "good" days, than "bad" ones.  (I always use quotation marks around the "good" days, because truth be told, there are never really good days when you have cancer.  There may be "good" ones, but nothing close to the ones like she used to have before all of this awfulness.  Can't wait until she's all better and back to just being our Mom.)  She had a pretty "good" day today.  She woke not being sick, which always makes for a "good" day, and went and got her hair cut.  Nothing like a good cut and color to brighten your day!  We have had some pretty sweet company today to also help lift her spirits.  However, tonight has taken a turn, and she is in quite a lot of pain.  Tonight, specifically, I ask that you pray for the pain to subside.  Will update again tomorrow.  Thanks for all of your prayers! 

xoxo,
C

here we go again...

I talked to mom for just a minute last night and she sounded really out of breath and said that she had been sick all day.  I could tell over the phone just how bad she really felt.  You can hear it in her voice.  Monday was a sick day, but Tuesday was a pretty good day.  There is no rhyme or reason to her sickness.  Some days she wakes up feeling great, (really wish we had more of these days) and others wakes as sick as can be.  It's so hard to hear her like she was last night.  Pray for a "good" day today.  I know it's really starting to get to her now - she is tired of being sick and ready to come home.  Sorry that there are no pictures today - wish I could be there with her!  May update again tonight to let you know how her day was. 

xoxo,
C

weekend recap...

Mom had lots of family and friends up to help brighten her days and lift her spirits this weekend.  There have been lots of laughs, hugs, prayers and tears over the past few days.  She was sick on Saturday morning, but thankfully got to feeling better in the afternoon.  We are so thankful for ALL of you, even the ones that I didn't get a picture of, that made the trip up to visit this weekend.  We love you all so very much!!!

celebrating "half-way" day... 

 

 best buds

bro. dave

talking to Jesus

these sweet boys made her feel better fast!

good-byes are always hard...

but Mommas always find a way to make it better...

happy half way day!

We're halfway there folks!  Only 18 treatments left!!!!!  Hopefully the worst is behind us and it's smooth sailing ahead.  She had a pretty good day today - just tired, really tired, but that's to be expected.  

Here's a pic from her tearing off another day - my kids made it for her to help keep track of her treatments.  We have quiet time for her everyday and there's something about the innocence of a child's prayer.  It such a sweet sound to hear them whispering to God to make her all better so she can come home and play :)  And thank you for your prayers - not sure we would be making it without them!  That's all for tonight - later gators!


xoxo,
C

brand new woman...

Much, much better day today.  It's as if she is a brand new woman!  Another treatment down and the BP still lookin' good...

Thankful today for this "good" day! Your prayers and kind words have helped make me stronger...

Switching gears...The SWEET, SWEET girls over at Viv-Vah-Chey Designs have worked their magic and designed this beautiful thank you note in honor of Mom.  

If you know Mom at all, you know how much she loves to send out handwritten notes.  We are so thankful Beth and Anna for your thoughtfulness and creativity.  God has certainly blessed you two with a wonderful talent. Add them on Facebook and get your order in early for Vday!!  In the words of Beth: 

     As far as the details, we will be donating 50% of the proceeds to your sweet mom's medical bills! Anyone that is interested will need to place the order by February 5th (just in time for Valentines Day!)   They come in sets of 12 for $18.  If anyone is interested they can just email us their contact information (name, address) and how many sets they would like directly at vivvahchey@gmail.com

what a day...

Lately, when she's not busy being sick, she's been doing a lot of this...

We had to call in the troops, and thankfully, this nurse was able to give her some special attention...

Been taking allllllllllll these meds, hoping to feel better...

A low heart rate and blood pressure got me a free stay in the clinic this afternoon...

But thankfully, after hours with an IV, the BP was finally on the rise...

Ready to g-o, GO!

Dad gave her this little "happy" this past week...

And we both have had enjoyed reading it.  Besides it having the GREATEST story ever told, it is also filled with wonderful stories and prayers from other breast cancer survivors.  Thought this one was perfect for tonight.  

Dear Lord, this cancer has taken me by surprise.  I feel anxious, out of control, and woefully unprepared because I didn't see it coming.  Yet I also know You are not surprised or anxious, and You are very much in control.  Help me put on Your armor each day:  the belt of Your truth, the shield of Your righteousness, the shoes of Your peace, the helmet of Your salvation, and the sword of Your spirit.  The I will be ready to battle this unwelcome intruder.  And most of all, I will not be afraid because it really is Your battle.  I trust You to fight in and through me so that I am not defeated by this unseen enemy.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, that I don't need to be in control to battle cancer-I just need to be controlled by You.  Amen.

a little better...

Hey Ya'll!  woooo hooooo for this today...

Mom still hasn't felt well at all today.  A tiny bit better than yesterday, but still not a "good" day either.  Really nauseated and very tired.  She has spent most of the day sleeping.  Some say pictures are worth a thousand words...I will let the next few do the talking.  We love you all.  Be back soon!

not the best day...

Even though she makes cancer look really good, she definitely wasn't feeling very glamorous today. Like not very glamorous at all. Mom has been sick all day. She has been in bed all day long, except for about 30 minutes that were spent lying on the couch. It has definitely got the best of her today, but we are thankful that tomorrow is a new day, with a brand new start. Hopefully, a start that doesn't involve nausea and sickness. I want to be as real as I can be with all of you, sharing the "good" days and the "ugly" days. It's tough. Real tough. But we know that she can do it, and it makes it easier with all of your prayers and kindness and love. Speaking of love, she had some sweet visitors this weekend.

 thankful you got here on a semi-good day :)

 heard lots of giggling, tears, and prayers while you 2 were here

 and you brought the best goodies!

be back tomorrow.  love you all!

xoxo,

c

Not Your Average Saturday Morning...

Can you guess how we spent the day?  Mom likes to spend her weekends relaxing, shopping, or spending time with family and friends...definitely NOT at UAB.  However, we are thankful for a "good" day today.  Much, much better than the last 2 days this week.  She's spent the afternoon resting on the couch, visiting with good company.  We are so thankful for this "good" day.  Be back tomorrow.

xoxo,
c

O. Ver. Whelmed.

First of all, WAR EAGLE!!!!  Watching the game and the big win last night, made Mom feel so, so, soooo much better! We are very thankful that she felt like watching the tigers play last night and was able to help cheer them on to victory!

Every Tuesday after her treatment, she gets to meet with Dr. Keene, her doctor that is over her radiation treatment.  Everything is going good from what she can tell on the outside, so far.  Mom hasn't had any signs of burning yet from the radiation, so for that, we are very grateful.  Dr. Keene told Mom today that the tumor in her chest wall is about the size of a golf ball, just to give you a little visual.  We are hoping, praying, and believing that the radiation she is receiving now will shrink that tumor, or better yet, DESTROY it! She hasn't been sick in quite some time, but is feeling more tired and fatigued with each treatment.  We are thankful that her body is responding to the treatment and medication so well.  She got a free pass from radiation on Monday because of all the snow in Birmingham.  That made her day!

We are very grateful and overwhelmed at all of the support that everyone showed this past weekend at the BBQ.  Below are some pics that Jenn snapped since we weren't able to be there.  We are so appreciative of all the support and hard work.  We love each and every one of you.  Probably won't be back until this weekend with another update, unless something happens in between now and then.  Her days are usually pretty routine now that the medication is subsiding her pain...wake up...treatment...back to the apartment to rest for the rest of the day/night.  Thank you all so much for everything, especially the prayers that are being sent up!

xoxo,

c

good food, good times...

Mom's brother, Glenn, is having a bar-b-que this weekend in her honor.  We all are amazed daily by the genoristy and such willingness to help that people continue to show our family daily.  "Thank You" seems so small and inadequate.  I'm sure Uncle Glenn, Pop, and Jabe will be in charge of things, so you know it will be yummy!  And there's nothing better on a cold day than Nana's campstew!  If you are hungry and in the neighborhood tomorrow, feel free to stop by.  Or even call, I'm sure they will bring it to you! 

Quick update on Mom....She's about the same.  Nothing new to report really, she's just been extremely tired these last couple of days.  I hear she has lots of visitors coming up this week, which she's really excited about.  We love you all and be careful making the trip!  She is certainly blessed with such wonderful, supportive friends! 

Back to the Bar-B-Q...in the words of Aunt Martha:
     He is planning to have the hog ready by 6. We are going to have barbeque, camp stew, rice, and bread.  There will also be pound cake for dessert. People can come by and get a plate or fix one and eat with us. We are going to put some tables in the garage and put the food there. We will have a container for donations. All donations will go to Peggy.  Contact me with any questions:  334-685-3151.

Ever thankful for the prayers and encouragement...be back soon!

xoxo,
c

raising awareness...

My sweet cousin Julia has desinged a t-shirt for Mom and has started selling them.  We are so excited and GRATEFUL for all of her hard work.  We love you so much!!! 

Quick update on Mom:  Yesterday and today's treatments both went well.  However, she has been very tired lately.  We are so thankful that she is tolerating the treatments and medication well and hasn't been sick in a few days.

Be back again later for another update.  We are all overwhelmed with gratitude for all the kindness everyone has shown mom, as well as the rest of us.  We serve an awesome God, and we know that He has her in His hands!

Back to the T-Shirts...in the words of Julia Riley:
      The logo in the bottom left hand corner will be on the front left hand side of the shirt and the other will be on the back. All the colors are just like the picture and the shirt will be gray.
Shirts are $15.00......2X and larger are $2.00 more per X and these shirts also come in youth sizes as well.  Feel free to call me 334-791-9392 or email me jewels1_03@yahoo.com or facebook me with questions or to place your order.  ***ALL the proceeds are going to Peggy to help with medical bills, staying in Birmingham, food, gas, etc.***

good news, bad news...

I always like to end on a happy note, so here goes....I will be quick like a band-aid...

Bad news:  met with Dr. Bland yesterday and found out Mom's cancer is in stage 3b...with stage 4 being the worse.  Nothing you can do to prepare you for a day like that!  Right now, her only treatment is radiation along with the chemo pill that she takes.  At the end of May/beginning of June she will have another scan to see if the treatment she is receiving now has worked in shrinking the size of her tumor.  Waiting stinks!  We pray hard, consistently, and faithfully that the radiation will work and her pain will be gone by then.  Until then, we wait...and pray...and enjoy the good and bad days.

Now, on to the better stuff...

Good news:  cancer is contained in her chest wall, not over her entire body (know I've already mentioned that before, but we are still praising Him for this and thought it was worthy of the "good news" category), she hasn't been sick in 2, yes TWO whole days!, she has had more energy and hasn't slept during the day near as much over the past 2 days, no signs of burning yet from the treatment, and although scared, knows that she can beat this!!!!

Also, Nana knows just how to make a girl feel better.....homemade soup is medicine for the soul! 

Be back soon! Thankful, as always, for the prayers and encouragement!  Tomorrow's post will be something you won't want to miss!

xoxo,

C

behind the scenes...

Our week is off to a good start!  Mom was sick again this morning, but after meeting with 1 of her doctors today, we found out that her sickness is more than likely being caused by some of the medication she is taking. We also found out early this morning that we could go over and talk to her cancer surgeon, Dr. Bland.  So we did, and felt like VIP's as we made our way up to the UAB's Chief of Surgery's office.  We didn't receive the best of news, but do know that Jesus is the ultimate physician and will heal her in His time.  Keep those prayers going up that the radiation she is receiving is doing its job in shrinking her tumor.  For now, that is the BEST thing we can do!  I went back with Mom as she received her treatment today and wanted to give you all a glimpse into the "fun" she gets to have everyday.  Will post again tomorrow!

xoxo,

C

***You may have to turn OFF your pop-up blocker to watch the slide show below.  Also, scroll your mouse over each picture to see a quick caption. ****

****Also, thank you Chris and Monica Carroll for the visit and for stocking the fridge/freezer! We love your family very much and now have the season's best vegetables thanks to you!****