Friday, January 16th,

Just sent this e-mail to my family--assuming I have correct e-mail addresses, so I thought I would post it here.

"Hi everyone,
I don't know who is interested and who isn't, but I thought I would send an update about my cancer situation . . . I just went to the Drs. yesterday and the day before.

So, the "active" part of my treatment is complete.  I am now taking an anti-estrogen medication (the cancer was estrogen-dependent) and hoping it doesn't come back.

I will be doing annual mammograms.  No CT scans, as they are only marginally helpful.  The bad news is that if it does come back, it will be nearly impossible to catch before it has spread somewhere---lungs, liver, etc.  The good news is that the chance that it WON'T come back is hovering around 80%, give or take.  The really, really good news is that I have had Priesthood blessings, and though I don't know exactly how things are going to unfold, I feel good about my future.  :-)

I will be seeing the Dr. every 3 months for the first 2 years, and watching like a hawk for anything that would indicate a problem--unexplained pain anywhere in my body that is persistent, or generally not feeling well (nausea, headache, etc.)  On year 3, I begin seeing the Dr. every 4 months; with each year the frequency decreases.  If I think something may be wrong, I schedule an "extra" visit, and we will do CT scans then to look for a problem.  If the cancer does come back, it will most likely be within the next 5 years.  I am going to get really good at living on faith--not good at it yet, but I will get there!

That's where we are.  Thanks to all of you for your fasting and prayers, and your support.  I have appreciated, and continue to appreciate, you all for all you have done/are doing.

Love you all"

Thurs. Jan. 8, 2015

Well, the New Year didn't start out quite as I had hoped . . . on New Year's Day, in the afternoon, my youngest child got sick.  The rest of us followed right after, except my daughter, who has eaten literally more than a case of oranges in the last 2 weeks.  I took my little guy to the Dr., and he has RSV, which means that we all have RSV, too.  This one has even hit the adults hard; actually my kids have done better than we adults have!  As of today, we are all finally better enough to be up and around.

I've been so sick the last couple of days that I have slept the whole day.  It has been miserable, but today I've only taken one nap so far, and I feel a little better.  :-)

One other thing occurred to me . . . it was one of those things I understood in my heart rather than my head when it dawned on me.  Heavenly Father allows us to have these experiences to prepare us for future difficulties.  The "last days" are prophesied to be difficult---He needs people who are prepared and qualified.  Just as a coach has to prepare his/her team for competition by practicing the sport and taking care of themselves physically and mentally, we have to "practice" hard things so we are tough enough to handle whatever the future will hold.  So put on your seatbelts, folks, we are going for a ride!!!!