WOW! What a ride. Leaving Sanoviv is bittersweet. This place feels safe and somewhat surreal. We met some amazing people and had some sweet experiences. We anticipate transition into home life that could present both challenges and opportunities. We trust in a big God who has cleared paths for us as we take the next steps.
Shelly's home care is basically diet and supplements. Whew! We thought it might be a bigger deal.
Her diet will consist of organics in the following areas:
Grass fed beef
Free range chicken & turkey
Wild caught fish
Lots of veggies
Some fruit
She can have dairy in the form of yogurt and goat cheese. If she has dairy it has to be raw milk from grass fed cows. They are saying no caffeine or sugar. We get the sugar but doing without coffee for Shelly will be a challenge. :-)
The idea is to reduce the amount of toxins that come into her body through plants or animals, watching especially for toxic estrogen which we get through genetically engineered corn or grain fed animals.
Her supplements in addition to the Tamoxifen (which is a natural hormone treatment) are the Usana regime. She will probably be taking near the same amount of supplements at home as she was taking here. One way or another she will figure out how to take pills. :-)
In the wrap up Sanoviv gives patients their before and after blood tests to show how much healthier they are when they leave. We are not sure if that will be done before we check out.
Shelly arrives back in Portland on October 20 in afternoon. The girls are picking her up to get her back in Roseburg by late evening.
Many thanks for all your prayers and support during this phase of the journey. Shelly can't wait to see you!
Hugs to all! Ciao for now.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Friday 10-16-09 Sanoviv
While the report results were "no cancer cells detected" in the breast or lymph tissue what we know (the Dr.'s say) is that when a tumor is detected it is evidence of cancer cells in the body. The tumor is just where they've congregated in a large enough mass for you to notice. Even when the tumor is removed the cancer can still exist in the body which is why ongoing treatment is needed.
Shelly's treatment regime over the last 3.5 weeks has been to move her PH to an alkaline state (which is not hospitable to cancer), boost her immune system, and provide natural supplements to fight the cancer cells.
The Dr.'s are recommending 6 more months of Tamoxifen (a hormone treatment since the cancer is estrogen receptive) and pretty strict nutritional and supplement regime. Shelly will continue to get regular check ups to monitor. The Dr.'s opinion is that with regular clear check ups after 5 years they will declare the cancer in remission.
They are not recommending chemo or radiation which they were trying to prepare us for over the last week. Shelly was not going to pursue those options even if they were recommended in any case. God just circumvented that decision point. :-) Yay!
This whole experience was not anything I could have planned or projected. When you see Shelly and hear her stories of Faith I know you will be touched. The last few weeks have been an incredible time of creating new habits in everything from our thought life to finding rest and peace in everything. God truly turned this adversity into a gift. I am blessed to have been a companion to Shelly during this phase of her walk.Hugs to all! Ciao for now.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Thursday 10-15-09 Sanoviv
Finally! Good news. The pathology report came in this afternoon. NO CANCER CELLS DETECTED. The carcinoma originally detected was contained within the tumor that was removed in the lumpectomy last Saturday. The lymph nodes removed were all clear.
Shelly's home treatment just got simpler. YAY, God! Shelly will be getting instructions on nutrition and the support required when she gets home over the next few days.
Your prayers, messages and support have been so much appreciated. Continue to hold Shelly and her family up as she transitions into "real" life again next week.
Hugs to all! Ciao for now.
Shelly's home treatment just got simpler. YAY, God! Shelly will be getting instructions on nutrition and the support required when she gets home over the next few days.
Your prayers, messages and support have been so much appreciated. Continue to hold Shelly and her family up as she transitions into "real" life again next week.
Hugs to all! Ciao for now.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Wednesday 10-14-09 Sanoviv
Well....no pathology reports today. We did learn today they may not arrive before Shelly leaves. :-) Again, we trust this is all in God's hands.
Shelly will start getting her information tomorrow about her 2 weeks of homecare and will be looking for a local oncologist to support the implementation and ongoing assessments in this program. Be praying the options are clear and easy for Shell. The Dr.s at Sanoviv work hand in hand with the local physicians to ensure Shelly continues to have a supported immune system and a body that is in anti-cancer conditions while they continue any other treatments.
Everything she is doing now is really pumping up her system for health. She has the hyperbaric chamber everyday. It is more bearable. :-) They began putting cream on her incisions to aid in reducing the scarring.
Shelly's nutritionist Oscar is putting together a personalized nutrition schedule too. They really do cover all the bases.
It is a beautiful, relatively quiet day here at Sanoviv. We will miss this place. We said goodbye to more new friends this morning. Soon it will be our turn. We are now the ones that have been here the longest and show the newbies the ropes. It adds some fun and cameraderie to be part of this community.
Our devotion today was about suffering and understanding the work of suffering in our lives. We can testify the good things we've seen come out of Shelly's suffering. It gave us food for thought...what other suffering are we going through that God is trying to use to bring about maturity and endurance in us? What about you?
As I mentioned in an earlier post our updates may be more intermittent unless we have new news. Of course if anything is urgent, we will call the girls.
Skype call tonight to the kids at 7ish.
Hugs to all! Ciao for now.
Shelly will start getting her information tomorrow about her 2 weeks of homecare and will be looking for a local oncologist to support the implementation and ongoing assessments in this program. Be praying the options are clear and easy for Shell. The Dr.s at Sanoviv work hand in hand with the local physicians to ensure Shelly continues to have a supported immune system and a body that is in anti-cancer conditions while they continue any other treatments.
Everything she is doing now is really pumping up her system for health. She has the hyperbaric chamber everyday. It is more bearable. :-) They began putting cream on her incisions to aid in reducing the scarring.
Shelly's nutritionist Oscar is putting together a personalized nutrition schedule too. They really do cover all the bases.
It is a beautiful, relatively quiet day here at Sanoviv. We will miss this place. We said goodbye to more new friends this morning. Soon it will be our turn. We are now the ones that have been here the longest and show the newbies the ropes. It adds some fun and cameraderie to be part of this community.
Our devotion today was about suffering and understanding the work of suffering in our lives. We can testify the good things we've seen come out of Shelly's suffering. It gave us food for thought...what other suffering are we going through that God is trying to use to bring about maturity and endurance in us? What about you?
As I mentioned in an earlier post our updates may be more intermittent unless we have new news. Of course if anything is urgent, we will call the girls.
Skype call tonight to the kids at 7ish.
Hugs to all! Ciao for now.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Tuesday 10-12-09 Sanoviv
If we didn't know Who was in control we might be experiencing more frustration. Shelly is in IV treatments right now and there is no pathology report as of this morning. We are trusting that when we get the report it will only confirm what we hear God saying.
In the meantime, another guest/patient with colon cancer got some bad news at breakfast. We immediately lifted she and her sister (who is her companion) up in prayer. While we were praying Shelly had a message for this woman. We got to get better acquainted with them on Friday at our worship service so we had some idea of what she was going through.
A mother of two young children in her early 50's, her diagnosis in the States is that she has 1-3 years to live. She is here for the Ukrain, the natural chemo that Shelly has been on. When I was getting settled Shelly in IV she was seated right next to this gal who was obviously distraught. Shelly boldly stepped up and with conviction shared her message "God is bigger than this. This news today is not foreign to Him. He has you here at this place and time for a reason. He is big enough to turn this circumstance around in a moment. Don't get caught up in the details, numbers and statistics. It is easy for anxiety and worry to tip the balance of our trust. His love for you is bigger than this. That cancer is not a part of you...do not take ownership of it by saying "my cancer..." This is not a hopeless situation...He is in control."
The atmosphere shifted. There was hope in the room. Their faces were changed from looks of desperation and tears to peace.
Seeing Shelly operate in her gifting is amazing. She has a strength in her gentleness that has been tempered over the years through testing. She knows Who holds her, her kids, her future and it shows.
OK..that is it for the morning update. I hope you are as encouraged as I was. This time with Shelly has been precious for me. I feel so blessed to count her as my best friend for over 35 years.
Hugs to all. Ciao for now!
In the meantime, another guest/patient with colon cancer got some bad news at breakfast. We immediately lifted she and her sister (who is her companion) up in prayer. While we were praying Shelly had a message for this woman. We got to get better acquainted with them on Friday at our worship service so we had some idea of what she was going through.
A mother of two young children in her early 50's, her diagnosis in the States is that she has 1-3 years to live. She is here for the Ukrain, the natural chemo that Shelly has been on. When I was getting settled Shelly in IV she was seated right next to this gal who was obviously distraught. Shelly boldly stepped up and with conviction shared her message "God is bigger than this. This news today is not foreign to Him. He has you here at this place and time for a reason. He is big enough to turn this circumstance around in a moment. Don't get caught up in the details, numbers and statistics. It is easy for anxiety and worry to tip the balance of our trust. His love for you is bigger than this. That cancer is not a part of you...do not take ownership of it by saying "my cancer..." This is not a hopeless situation...He is in control."
The atmosphere shifted. There was hope in the room. Their faces were changed from looks of desperation and tears to peace.
Seeing Shelly operate in her gifting is amazing. She has a strength in her gentleness that has been tempered over the years through testing. She knows Who holds her, her kids, her future and it shows.
OK..that is it for the morning update. I hope you are as encouraged as I was. This time with Shelly has been precious for me. I feel so blessed to count her as my best friend for over 35 years.
Hugs to all. Ciao for now!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Monday 9-12-09 Sanoviv
Another late day post here in beautiful Mexico. No news....on the pathology report anyway!
We anticipated getting the results at Shelly's 11am Dr. appointment this morning but the report had not yet arrived. (even though they confirmed it would be here on Saturday. :-{ ) Like you...we are waiting and trusting.
Shell did get her stitches out today. All of her incisions look great and she no longer needs to have them covered by bandages.
We feel like we are in a holding pattern. Shelly still has full days of treatments that get her healthier and get her body in cancer fighting form.
A round of guests/patients left yesterday and new people are trickling in. One thing about the journey of health is that others that are traveling a similar journey find a bond. We made some great new friends from all over the world.
We will keep you posted! Hugs to all.
Ciao for now.
We anticipated getting the results at Shelly's 11am Dr. appointment this morning but the report had not yet arrived. (even though they confirmed it would be here on Saturday. :-{ ) Like you...we are waiting and trusting.
Shell did get her stitches out today. All of her incisions look great and she no longer needs to have them covered by bandages.
We feel like we are in a holding pattern. Shelly still has full days of treatments that get her healthier and get her body in cancer fighting form.
A round of guests/patients left yesterday and new people are trickling in. One thing about the journey of health is that others that are traveling a similar journey find a bond. We made some great new friends from all over the world.
We will keep you posted! Hugs to all.
Ciao for now.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Saturday 10-10-09 Sanoviv
This theme of this health journey seems to be resting in His love and provision. We were talking this morning about the learning. As you can tell from our devotions, we are becoming steeped in greater understanding of His love for us. We continue to see His hand all around us. Our natural response is to love Him more.
During our worship time last night we got to experience the overwhelming presence of God. We shared communion and had powerful prayer time for each other. Some of the women here are terminal. Some have chronic health issues. One of the women here lost her husband in 9/11. She'd been married a little over a year and was pregnant with their child. We believe that many were healed. Some physically and some emotionally. The time was truly transformational.
In the scheme of things it is clear we are here for much more than Shelly's treatment. One of the key conversation elements of the evening was the Father heart of God. His heart hurts when we do. He longs for us to grasp the comfort He provides, His healing power...and His provision during tough times.
A line from our devotion this morning really stood out after the time of worship last night...
"Don't divide your life into things you can do by yourself and those that require My help. Instead, learn to rely on Me in every situation. This discipline will enable you to enjoy life more and face each day confidently."
Psa. 37:3-6 "Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your righteousness radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun."
You are probably wondering about Shelly's day today. It is pretty uneventful. She has been in IV, and has some light therapy today. She gets to wrap up the day with a lymphatic massage. Sunday is a rest day.
Of course if there is any news from the pathology report I will update right away. And if there is any bad news...we will pick up the phone and call the girls.
That said...I want to give you a heads up the blog posts may not be as consistent since there is not a lot happening other than the same old treatments, food, and schedule. I've been wrapping up my work projects that require that I am online at 9am daily so depending on the news and schedule here the updates may be later in the day. :-)
It is time to make plans to wrap up this leg of the trip and talk about our transitions home. One of our big decisions is the meal we will have when we get back to San Diego. :-) We are not obsessed with food but on the diet here it does give us something to fantasize about.
Ciao for now!
During our worship time last night we got to experience the overwhelming presence of God. We shared communion and had powerful prayer time for each other. Some of the women here are terminal. Some have chronic health issues. One of the women here lost her husband in 9/11. She'd been married a little over a year and was pregnant with their child. We believe that many were healed. Some physically and some emotionally. The time was truly transformational.
In the scheme of things it is clear we are here for much more than Shelly's treatment. One of the key conversation elements of the evening was the Father heart of God. His heart hurts when we do. He longs for us to grasp the comfort He provides, His healing power...and His provision during tough times.
A line from our devotion this morning really stood out after the time of worship last night...
"Don't divide your life into things you can do by yourself and those that require My help. Instead, learn to rely on Me in every situation. This discipline will enable you to enjoy life more and face each day confidently."
Psa. 37:3-6 "Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your righteousness radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun."
You are probably wondering about Shelly's day today. It is pretty uneventful. She has been in IV, and has some light therapy today. She gets to wrap up the day with a lymphatic massage. Sunday is a rest day.
Of course if there is any news from the pathology report I will update right away. And if there is any bad news...we will pick up the phone and call the girls.
That said...I want to give you a heads up the blog posts may not be as consistent since there is not a lot happening other than the same old treatments, food, and schedule. I've been wrapping up my work projects that require that I am online at 9am daily so depending on the news and schedule here the updates may be later in the day. :-)
It is time to make plans to wrap up this leg of the trip and talk about our transitions home. One of our big decisions is the meal we will have when we get back to San Diego. :-) We are not obsessed with food but on the diet here it does give us something to fantasize about.
Ciao for now!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
