We met with the Oncologist this afternoon. What a sweet spirit. He examined Shelly and confirmed the surgery for Saturday. They will do a lumpectomy and explore the lymph node. They will biopsy the surrounding tissue during the surgery so they can capture as much as they can while they are in there.
He says in 2 weeks Shelly should be fully recovered from the surgery. She can take showers but no swimming or hot tubbing right away. Rats! For a minute I thought we were on vacation....just kidding!
She will meet with an internist and an anesthesiologist later in the next few days for final prep. The surgery itself takes about 2.5 hours.
I will let you know the expected time as soon as I know. I left her sitting in IV with the painful drip of the vitamin/electrolyte cocktail that takes 2 hours to get in. We are heading out to a lounge chair at 3:30pm to pretend we are on vacation. :-)
Pray for us at 5pm when we hit the hyperthermia treatment! Ciao for now.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Wednesday 9-30-09 Sanoviv
If you haven't noticed by now, every day is a quick start out of the gates. Shelly had her vitals checked at 6:45am and came back to lay down for a bit. I ran to get tea and her golden milk so she could rest till breakfast at 8am.
She is in the hyperbaric chamber as I type this. It is the device they use for divers who go to deep or ascend to quickly to get their oxygen levels in their blood back in balance. She has a two hour stint in this tube. She has her book and hopefully will get a nap. There are some potential side effects so be praying for God's hand on her, as always.
She will have an IV treatment following the chamber then a class in either "How Dental Treatments affect your health" or yoga.
At 1pm we have a food preparation class which includes our lunch. I am assuming we get to take part in making the meal.
2pm another IV treatment then a short visit with her onsite Dr. She meets with the nutritionist at 3pm and has a short break before the "Torture Chamber" (hyperthermia) at 5pm. We will miss dinner again since this treatment is 90 minutes. Shelly doesn't have much of an appetite anyway. We get her a fruit smoothie to get her rehydrated and energized but she is pretty whipped.
We plan to take advantage of the sun on the break and layout or swim a little so she can feel rested for the procedure at 5pm. Be praying. The last go around her heart was racing and her extremities got cramped.
The devotion today was all about trusting God for this moment, this day and no further. Knowing that He has all things in His hands He will provide what we need. We are trying to do just that.
I will post pictures this afternoon or evening of the hyperbaric chamber. Thought you'd enjoy seeing Shelly in each of the treatments (where approporiate) :-)
She is in the hyperbaric chamber as I type this. It is the device they use for divers who go to deep or ascend to quickly to get their oxygen levels in their blood back in balance. She has a two hour stint in this tube. She has her book and hopefully will get a nap. There are some potential side effects so be praying for God's hand on her, as always.
She will have an IV treatment following the chamber then a class in either "How Dental Treatments affect your health" or yoga.
At 1pm we have a food preparation class which includes our lunch. I am assuming we get to take part in making the meal.
2pm another IV treatment then a short visit with her onsite Dr. She meets with the nutritionist at 3pm and has a short break before the "Torture Chamber" (hyperthermia) at 5pm. We will miss dinner again since this treatment is 90 minutes. Shelly doesn't have much of an appetite anyway. We get her a fruit smoothie to get her rehydrated and energized but she is pretty whipped.
We plan to take advantage of the sun on the break and layout or swim a little so she can feel rested for the procedure at 5pm. Be praying. The last go around her heart was racing and her extremities got cramped.
The devotion today was all about trusting God for this moment, this day and no further. Knowing that He has all things in His hands He will provide what we need. We are trying to do just that.
I will post pictures this afternoon or evening of the hyperbaric chamber. Thought you'd enjoy seeing Shelly in each of the treatments (where approporiate) :-)
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday 9-29-09 Sanoviv Update
Sorry for the lack of detail in the morning update. I got connected to Skype and between my call and my own work appointments I had to keep today I found I was very brief.
Back to the hyperthermia treatment yesterday afternoon - as I said, it was tough. Shelly didn't sleep well and woke up with start of a migraine and no appetite. We had smoothies for breakfast which was helpful. (They are REALLY good.) When we saw her onsite physician before lunch Shelly told him about the onset of the migraine and he prescribed a medication with no side effects that would keep it from escalating.
The IV situation - Shell is currently in an IV treatment right now where they are cleaning her blood. It is called extracorporeal ozone treatment. It requires 2 IV sites (one to draw the blood and one to put it back in). It sounds a little gross but it doesn't look bad. She will have several of these to process the full 5 liters in her body. In a few minutes she will be heading to her lymphatic massage which was rescheduled till later today.
They IV nurses finally said she needs a catheter/port inserted in her chest for all these IVs rather than sticking her every time. She does not have good veins for IVs. The catheter is not their first choice for any patient because of the increased risk of infection since it puts a line directly into the superior vena cava. (at least that is where they put mine when I had one.) We are glad to have this as an alternative.
I found out more about Ukrain, the natural chemo supplement from Germany. It is a non-toxic herb which does not attack the normal cells. Read more about it here. http://www.truthquest2.com/nontoxicchemotherapy.htm
In the morning Shelly is radiant. Her skin is glowing and she looks well rested (whether she got a good nights sleep or not). In the afternoon you can see the wear. She is tired but slugging through all they ask without complaining.
We are losing weight...which is a pleasant side effect of the vegetarian diet and exercise.
For those of you who are family I believe she is going to get online tonight for a Skype call. Plan on around 8:30pm.
Hugs to all!
Back to the hyperthermia treatment yesterday afternoon - as I said, it was tough. Shelly didn't sleep well and woke up with start of a migraine and no appetite. We had smoothies for breakfast which was helpful. (They are REALLY good.) When we saw her onsite physician before lunch Shelly told him about the onset of the migraine and he prescribed a medication with no side effects that would keep it from escalating.
The IV situation - Shell is currently in an IV treatment right now where they are cleaning her blood. It is called extracorporeal ozone treatment. It requires 2 IV sites (one to draw the blood and one to put it back in). It sounds a little gross but it doesn't look bad. She will have several of these to process the full 5 liters in her body. In a few minutes she will be heading to her lymphatic massage which was rescheduled till later today.
They IV nurses finally said she needs a catheter/port inserted in her chest for all these IVs rather than sticking her every time. She does not have good veins for IVs. The catheter is not their first choice for any patient because of the increased risk of infection since it puts a line directly into the superior vena cava. (at least that is where they put mine when I had one.) We are glad to have this as an alternative.
I found out more about Ukrain, the natural chemo supplement from Germany. It is a non-toxic herb which does not attack the normal cells. Read more about it here. http://www.truthquest2.com/nontoxicchemotherapy.htm
In the morning Shelly is radiant. Her skin is glowing and she looks well rested (whether she got a good nights sleep or not). In the afternoon you can see the wear. She is tired but slugging through all they ask without complaining.
We are losing weight...which is a pleasant side effect of the vegetarian diet and exercise.
For those of you who are family I believe she is going to get online tonight for a Skype call. Plan on around 8:30pm.
Hugs to all!
Tuesday 9-29-09 Sanoviv
What a beautiful morning here! The birds are chirping, the ocean gently rolling...as I type this update am looking out between palms and have my eye peeled for more dolphin pods playing.
At this point in the day Shelly has already been to a dental appointment to learn about her xrays, exams, and suggested treatments and is now in a Psychology session. This afternoon is going to be another whirlwind.
Today's devotion - again right on the mark
"I am with you and all around you, encircling you in golden rays of Light." I always behold you Face to face. Not one of your thoughts escapes my notice. Because I am infinite, I am able to love you as you and I were the only ones in the universe."
Psalm 34:4-7 "I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him."
Psalm 139:13-16 "Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day."
We believe in an amazing God, the Creator of the Universe who loves His children and gives good things. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers.
At this point in the day Shelly has already been to a dental appointment to learn about her xrays, exams, and suggested treatments and is now in a Psychology session. This afternoon is going to be another whirlwind.
- 11:30am Medic Consult - she is going to demand (or strongly request) an IV port rather than get stuck a million times.
- 12:30pm Surgeon Consult - we hope this is the day we learn when and what type of surgery.
- 1:00pm Lunch
- 1:30pm Juicing Class
- 2:00pm IV - this is the vitamin/electrolyte boost
- 3:00pm Lymphatic drainage massage - this is where they will work with the lymph glands to remove toxins. This can have side effects as the body processes and removes from the system.
- 4:00pm Extracorporeal Ozone - this is a super IV treatment where they use two IV's to circulate Shelly's blood and add ozone when they put it back in.
- 6:00pm Dinner
- 7:00pm Detox Class
Today's devotion - again right on the mark
"I am with you and all around you, encircling you in golden rays of Light." I always behold you Face to face. Not one of your thoughts escapes my notice. Because I am infinite, I am able to love you as you and I were the only ones in the universe."
Psalm 34:4-7 "I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him."
Psalm 139:13-16 "Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day."
We believe in an amazing God, the Creator of the Universe who loves His children and gives good things. Thanks for keeping us in your prayers.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday 9-28-09 Update
It's only 4:30pm...and it's been a long day. Shell's IV treatment was long and painful. The particular cocktail of vitamins is irritating by itself but I think Shell's IV site is not good too. 90 minutes of aching pain that overlapped with another "accu-stem" therapy.
She is exhausted. I left her in the room to rest before we go to the hyperthermia treatment.
We did see a physician today but not her surgeon. It may be a day or two before the surgeon is available. When he is it will be a quick turn around for surgery, we think. We are praying to understand the purpose behind the delay and are comforted to know all will be revealed in time.
We learned that Shell is being given Ukrain - a natural chemo supplement treatment from Europe. The hyperthermia is supposed to enhance many of the supplements she is taking.
Much of what she is taking should be taken by all of us to make our bodies inhospitable to cancer. I post a list when I get a chance.
Just wanted to drop you a quick note...I am off to get Shell to her next appointment. We will probably not be back on line tonight but I will have updates in the morning.
Your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated!
PS I hope to get more pictures up soon but my phone is not cooperating. :-)
She is exhausted. I left her in the room to rest before we go to the hyperthermia treatment.
We did see a physician today but not her surgeon. It may be a day or two before the surgeon is available. When he is it will be a quick turn around for surgery, we think. We are praying to understand the purpose behind the delay and are comforted to know all will be revealed in time.
We learned that Shell is being given Ukrain - a natural chemo supplement treatment from Europe. The hyperthermia is supposed to enhance many of the supplements she is taking.
Much of what she is taking should be taken by all of us to make our bodies inhospitable to cancer. I post a list when I get a chance.
Just wanted to drop you a quick note...I am off to get Shell to her next appointment. We will probably not be back on line tonight but I will have updates in the morning.
Your thoughts and prayers are much appreciated!
PS I hope to get more pictures up soon but my phone is not cooperating. :-)
Monday 9-28-09 at Sanoviv
We wake up to the sound of the TV. It comes on automatically at 6:15am. Shelly has to get her lemon water, golden milk (nut milk with tumeric combination), and her vitals taken at the nursing station at 6:30-6:40am.
Back to the room for devotion and prayer. The rest of the group is in a meditation session on the lawn. God is good. One of the daily devotions we use "Jesus Calling" seems to have the message we need every single day. Today's message was about the depth of His love, deception and truth.
Back to the room for devotion and prayer. The rest of the group is in a meditation session on the lawn. God is good. One of the daily devotions we use "Jesus Calling" seems to have the message we need every single day. Today's message was about the depth of His love, deception and truth.
Eph. 3:17 - 19 "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
Breakfast at 8am consisted of Quinoa (hot cereal) with nut milk, Stevia, Coconut flakes, and Cinnamon for flavor with a cup of cinnamon walnuts...with a small cup of lemon water. Shelly takes her baggie of pills during and after. Today she got them all down but one which she is saving for later. :-)
For those of you who don't know...Shell has real trouble swallowing pills. So it is one swallow per pill which makes for a lot of water. With this many pills she gets so full of water she feel she just can't take one more. She has been good about taking everything they give her.
I left Shelly at 9am with her IV treatment so I could update the blog. She was settled in (picture to follow) overlooking the sea, listening to the crashing waves and peaceful music while they give her a vitamin treatment.
As I mentioned in the last post. This is another big day since Shelly will see the surgeon. We are trying to seek God in every aspect of this walk. We are praying and believing for absolute healing either divine or through the assistance of the doctors. The contradiction of what we believe and what we see gives room for seeds of doubt and fear.
Because this is a facility where everything is paid in advance with the insurance to reimburse Shelly there is a constant prayer for His provision financially as health decisions could be influenced by fear and lack. We know that God is a big God and has provided up to now...
Key prayer times for intercession today are 11:30am Pacific meeting with surgeon and 4pm for the hyperthermia treatment.
We sense your prayers! Shelly so appreciates your comments.
PS Shelly got to make a Skype call to her kids last night that really made her day! She misses you so much!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
New Week - New Schedule
This afternoon we hung out by the pool and did the Thalasso therapy which improves or kick starts your lymphatic system. 15 minutes in an 108 degree pool, quick dip in a cold pool, 3 rounds of walking on flat rocks in knee deep water, and wrapping up with 15 minutes in 95 degree pool. We laughed a lot.
Tomorrow's schedule is a little more hectic. For those of you who are praying, Shelly has a couple of activities you can be keeping in mind.
- IV Treatments at 9am and 2pm.
- Meet with the surgeon is at 11:30am.
- Hyperthermia at 5pm.
- For fun she has a facial at 10am and a pedicure at noon. This is in addtion to the meals and nutrition breaks.
Pray for the surgeon when you lift up Shelly during the day. We believe God has his hand on this as in all things.
Psalm 27: 13[What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord's goodness in the land of the living!
Fun things to note:
- We wear clothes they provide (all natural fibers, etc.) We put our dirties in a drawer and they bring them the same day clean and folded.
- Levi Strauss' mansion was the original building on this property. We are currently in the Strauss Living room using the internet. (This morning I watched a pod of dolphins playing off the shore while I was writing the first blog post)
- The place is immaculate. The staff is very friendly and helpful.
- The pools are all therapeutic salt water pools (leaving you with a salty sheen when you get out)
Sanoviv - A Healing Place
Kathie Nelson reporting updates for Shelly Jasper Bates. For those of you who don't know me...I've been a part of Shelly's life since we were 12. Our hearts were knit together then and the bond continues today.
In late August, Shelly was diagnosed with estrogen receptive invasive ductal carcinoma, grade 3. She had a mass of about 2.5cm in her left breast. This type of cancer likes to spread to lymph nodes but they couldn't see any evidence at that time. They typically discover the nodes affected during surgery. The treatment option immediate presented was a lumpectomy combined with radiation and chemotherapy.
I was with Shelly when she was diagnosed. We held hands and reminded each other...this was no surprise to God. He has had Shelly in His hands for so many years. This is just another opportunity to see what He will do.
Why Sanoviv? Shelly found Sanoviv when searching for an alternative to the traditional treatment. I was skeptical at first but after reviewing their site and searching for other alternatives I was sold on this being the best option for Shelly and felt compelled to join her as a companion.
From the moment you arrive at Sanoviv you feel like you've stepped out of time...which is probably something we all need. Sanoviv is a cutting edge medical facility with the look and feel of a spa.
Shelly's initial days have been consultations, more testing, and getting her body prepared for whats next.
Every night after dinner Shelly gets a schedule for the next day along with a paper bag of supplements. The diet, supplements and treatments are designed to detox your system and get you into a healing state. For those of you who know Shelly well, taking pills is not her favorite thing but she is a trooper and getting used to taking 65 pills a day.
This full spectrum holistic approach puts Shelly through a thorough regime of fitness, psychological, nutritional, and conventional treatment. It is a gentle and supportive approach to getting the body into alignment.
Shelly's physicians after testing feel very optimistic about her options. Catching this early on and not participating in other treatments means Shelly's body is in a receptive state to respond.
So here is a peek into Shelly's schedule:
Note: If you want to send Shelly a note you can leave your messages here. Regular posts will be from me but Shelly will post as she can.
"to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to Him be glory!" Eph. 3:20-21
In late August, Shelly was diagnosed with estrogen receptive invasive ductal carcinoma, grade 3. She had a mass of about 2.5cm in her left breast. This type of cancer likes to spread to lymph nodes but they couldn't see any evidence at that time. They typically discover the nodes affected during surgery. The treatment option immediate presented was a lumpectomy combined with radiation and chemotherapy.
I was with Shelly when she was diagnosed. We held hands and reminded each other...this was no surprise to God. He has had Shelly in His hands for so many years. This is just another opportunity to see what He will do.
Why Sanoviv? Shelly found Sanoviv when searching for an alternative to the traditional treatment. I was skeptical at first but after reviewing their site and searching for other alternatives I was sold on this being the best option for Shelly and felt compelled to join her as a companion.
Shelly's initial days have been consultations, more testing, and getting her body prepared for whats next.
Every night after dinner Shelly gets a schedule for the next day along with a paper bag of supplements. The diet, supplements and treatments are designed to detox your system and get you into a healing state. For those of you who know Shelly well, taking pills is not her favorite thing but she is a trooper and getting used to taking 65 pills a day.
This full spectrum holistic approach puts Shelly through a thorough regime of fitness, psychological, nutritional, and conventional treatment. It is a gentle and supportive approach to getting the body into alignment.
Shelly's physicians after testing feel very optimistic about her options. Catching this early on and not participating in other treatments means Shelly's body is in a receptive state to respond.
So here is a peek into Shelly's schedule:
- 7:00am Golden Milk and Lemon Water
- 7:30am Breakfast - all vegetarian, organic, restaurant quality food (it is really good)
- 8:00am Treatments - could be ozone or vitamin therapy
- 10:00am Classes - could be mediation, fitness, food prep,
- 11:50am Fruit/Nut snack
- 12:30pm Lunch with small cup of lemon water (not too much liquid so you don't dilute the nutritional impact of the food as it goes through your system)
- 2:00pm Treatments or Classes
- 4:00pm Fruit/Nut snack
- 6:00pm Dinner
- 7:30pm Movie (on weekends fun movie, the rest are educational - nutrition, life, etc.)
- 9:00pm Bed
Note: If you want to send Shelly a note you can leave your messages here. Regular posts will be from me but Shelly will post as she can.
"to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to Him be glory!" Eph. 3:20-21
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