Merry Christmas 2008

We have very much to be thankful for this Christmas. Of course, if you are reading this, you have been keeping up with Sharon's progression through breast cancer. We are so thankful that every test and report she has had in the past few months have come back "negative" for cancer. She had a mammogram this December, the first one since her diagnosis and surgery. The report came back saying, "showed no signs of cancer." Thank you for your continued concerns and prayers for her and for all of the family.

We enjoyed Thanksgiving with Melissa and David home. David's parents also joined us. With Laura home, we had a full house and a lot of fun. The Lichtenbergers are all in Ohio for Christmas with David's sister, Katie, and husband, Sean.

We pray that each of you has a blessed new year. May God be the center of all you do as you grow in your faith and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Happy New Year.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

If you have heard that Sharon had a little set back, let me explain. Sharon spent about a week in the hospital last week. She somehow contracted a strep infection that was in her blood. They immediately put her in the hospital to give her IV antibiotics. She was in there from Wednesday last week to Tuesday this week. That is just one of the things we will have to be careful of for some time. But she is doing well and is hoping to be back at work this week after she sees her Oncologist on Tuesday. Keep us in your prayers. We continue to need our God in our lives. Thank you for checking on us.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

We have had a wonderful month since I last posted! Sharon continues to get stronger every day. The celebration of Melissa and David's wedding was such a happy day. God has blessed us so much. It was great being with friends and family during the week of the wedding. The weather was great. We had a huge rain storm come through after we were seated for dinner at the reception. The sky was beautiful after the rain and we even had a rainbow. It was a special day.

We are back to normal - well - the new normal. Sharon is back to work full time. Melissa and David are back in St. Augustine. Laura is back in Tallahassee for her Senior year at FSU. I am back to church, community choir, and the community college as a voice teacher. I attempted to begin a DMA program at the University of Miami. I was accepted to the program but so far the details haven't worked out. God is in control and I will continue to try to go but I will wait for God to show me a clearer path. He is not a God of confusion.

We are praying for our friend Matt Fay. Another dear friend and musical assistant, Pam Withee, is battling ovarian cancer. You can check on her at paminpinecrest.blogspot.com. Also, my secretary's mother-in-law has had surgery for pancreatic cancer. Another of our church members is fighting prostate cancer. It seems to be that Satan has chosen the cancer tool to try to defeat all of us. It won't work! We are just more convinced that prayer is the way we defeat him. Join us in all of our prayers and in our celebration of God at work.

Blessings, all.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

This is a day we will remember! Sharon had her third PET scan today. She expected to wait until tomorrow to get the results from the doctor, but the doctor called as soon as she got the report on her desk. You can probably guess where this is going. Everyone is excited to share this kind of news. She told Sharon, "Your scan was completely clear." From stage four breast cancer to completely clear in six months, what an amazing journey. We credit this complete healing to the intense prayers of all of our friends and family. You have been such a tremendous support for us. We thank our God who is still in the business of healing.

We are now focusing our energies on Melissa and David's wedding in three short weeks from now. It has been a great help in keeping us moving forward. So we are going to celebrate it with wonderful joy! God is great and greatly to be praised.

Don't forget to check on our friend Matt Fay www.mattfay.blogspot.com. He is in deep need of our prayers.

Now on to the next chapter in our lives. More to come...

Thursday, July 17, 2008

We want to encourage you to click on the link to mattfay.blogspot.com. This is a young friend of ours in Tennessee. He is in desparate need of all of our prayers. All of the chemo they have given him over the past two years has not "conquered" his cancer. Let's add our prayer power to his cause. Call Matt's name to God as often as you can. There is a really neat prayer card that his brother has done. You can print it out and put it on you refrigerator. Thank you for taking time to do this.

Monday, July 14, 2008

We are already into our fifth month in the treatment plan for Sharon. In the midst of the darkest times it seemed that every day passed so slowly. Now, as we look back, it has gone by so quickly and Sharon has been through so much. She has just gotten home from work a few minutes ago. She happened to see her oncologist at the hospital today. Her cancer count is down to 20! 0 - 20 is in the normal range. So she has pretty much beaten this cancer! We will be anxious to see what report comes from the PET scan next week. Pray with us that the cancer is completely gone.

The effects of the drugs that Sharon continues to take are mostly that they cause extreme leg pain. Of course, her being on her feet for 12 hours at work aggravates the situation. The doctor has changed her medication from Arimidex to Tamoxofin. We are very hopeful that the leg pain will decrease soon. She is glad to be back to work.

Melissa and David's wedding plans are coming along nicely. It is hard to believe that it is one month away. We are excited for them and looking forward to seeing family and friends from near and far. Please keep us all in your prayers. There is still much to do and many decisions to make. God bless you all.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

We are at the point in the treatment that information is a bit slower in coming and visits to doctors' offices are a little less frequent. We are glad for that but it means that we have greater periods of time between updates for you. Thanks for checking on us and for your prayerful concern.

Sharon saw her doctors last Monday and blood was drawn for the cancer markers. Yesterday Sharon got the report from the markers. The one that was 840 is now 26. The other one that was 19 is now 0.5. We are so pleased with how her body is responding to the treatment. We thank God for the healing that is taking place. Sharon will have the next infusion of Herceptin on the 7th of July and then she will be scheduled for the next PET scan. She is praying that the cancer markers that are drawn at that time will show no cancer. Pray with us to that end.

Melissa and David's wedding plans area coming along nicely. We still have a few things to solidify but we are blessed with all the things that have come together this month. Melissa is getting so excited. So are we. God, give us strength to do all that needs to be done in the next 7 weeks. And give us healing.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Sharon is back to work today! This is her first 12 hour day since February. If you are reading this before 7 pm today, pray for her that she will have strength for what she needs to do today. We know that everywhere she goes, she is a testimony for how God has been at work in her life through this cancer. Pray that she will radiate God's love in all she does today.

She saw her doctors yesterday and they were very pleased with her progress. The surgeon doesn't need to see her for two months. The oncologist will see her again in three weeks when she has her next infusion of Herceptin. She will be scheduled for another PET scan after that meeting and then we will make our plans to go to Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa for them to review everything that has been done. Sharon has participated in their database study on breast cancer so this is a logical step for us to take in making sure we are doing everything that needs to be done.

As Sharon was finding out about her illness, I was needing to make a decision about traveling with The CenturyMen (www.thecenturymen.com) to the UK on their international mission tour. I deceided not to go but the men are leaving on July 3. Pleased pray that God will use them to rekindle the flame that has gone dark in that part of the world. Music is so powerful and, when combined with God's Word, it can make a tremendous difference in the lives of the hearers. God did not permit me to go at this time but my heart is going with my brothers. Please pray for them.

Thank you for all your prayers on our behalf.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

We are enjoying family reunions with both of our families. We spent last weekend with the Magill family (Sharon's mom's) and this week we are with the Jewett siblings. Lots of stories have been told and the heritage of the loving Father has prevailed throughout both reunions. We are blessed to have the traditions of Christian faith in both of our families. It has been wonderful to reconnect. Especially in light of what we have been through these last four months, we are thankful for the foundation of Jesus Christ to sustain us and uplift us. Our families are a blessing to us.

Keep us in your prayers. We are traveling Friday and Saturday back to Jensen Beach. Sharon will see the Oncologist on Monday when we get back and we will find out what the next step is for her. We still claim complete healing for her. Pray that God is glorified in her healing. Thanks for checking on us.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Well, it's back to work for Sharon! The doctor gave her the clearance to go back to work full time when we get back from Tennessee. Two more weeks to heal should make a big difference in how she feels. The doctor took out the stitches and removed the bandages today. She saw the family doctor yesterday, the surgeon today and spoke with the oncologist today. The oncologist wants to continue the current treatment plan for now. The last cancer markers were down to 50. That was three weeks ago. We expect them to be much lower now. I still want us to go to Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa so they can review everything that has been done and evaluate where we are. We should do that when we get back after the 15th. This is good news but we still have a few hurdles to jump to be completely well. Pray that this will take place before the next visit with the oncologist in two weeks. The proof of the healing will be seen in the repeat PET scan that will probably be scheduled for the week after she goes back to work. Thank you for your faithful prayers on our behalf. Pray for safety as we travel these next 10 days. God bless you all.

Friday, May 30, 2008

We heard from the surgeon late yesterday afternoon. It was good news and not so good news. The lump that was removed from the breast was completely clear of any cancer cells. This is quite remarkable since the original tumor was larger than half of her breast. Out of the four lymph nodes that were removed, two of them had scattered cancer cells in them. The other two were clear. The surgeon thinks that the treatment course that we are on is appropriate to continue but wants to confer with the Oncologist. We are scheduled for a surgical follow-up on Tuesday but are not scheduled to see the Oncologist until we are back from Tennessee. Currently, Sharon takes the Herceptin IV every three weeks and the Arimidex by mouth daily. We need your prayers to finish this task of ridding her body of all the cancer. We praise God for the tremendous healing that has already gone on. We continue to look for the completion of the healing.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

We went to see the surgeon today, expecting to get the pathology report from the surgery. Because it was a holiday weekend, there was no report. We expect that the surgeon will call when he gets the results. He will call as late as 10:30 at night. That's OK. Sharon had a three week dose of Herceptin today so that will carry us through our trip to TN. We will stay with our house mother, Rose Marie Westmoreland, on Thursday, June 5. We will be at Sharon's mom's Friday to Tuesday for the Magill family reunion. Then we go to Sevierville Tuesday through Friday for the Jewett reunion. We will be stopping in St. Augustine on our way back on the 13th to meet with David's mom and dad as they are just getting back from Thailand. David will have left that morning for 6 weeks out of the country. He'll be back in time for the wedding! We will be back home in Florida on the 14th. We are not sure yet but Sharon may be given the clearance to go back to work when we get back. We'll find that out in the next week.

I'm still concerned about the liver. Sharon is slowing getting her strength back. Continue to pray for her. With so many uncertainties and so many changes, they call this the "new normal." We're not sure we like it right now. Thanks for checking on us.

Later on the big birthday

We are now home and have had dinner and birthday cake. Sharon rested some after we got home around 3 pm. The doctor reported that he had removed a couple of lymph nodes and about a walnut sized lump from her breast. He was not sure that there was any cancer in the tissue but it was where the mass had shrunk to. All of these tissue samples will be examined by pathology and we will get this report on Tuesday. We consider all of this marvelous news! We know that your prayers have gotten us to this point. We thank God for His healing and for the faithfulness of all of you, our extended family in Christ. We have truly been blessed through this whole process.We know that there are still a couple of hurdles yet to jump but we are thankful for the progress in the race thus far. You have been faithful and God has been faithful. Thank you, God, for your blessing and healing.

Keep praying. We still need the liver to clear of the cancer cells that remain there. Keep us informed of your needs. We certainly want to be faithful to pray for you. Happy Birthday, Sharon, what a marvelous gift.

May 23, 2008 Sharon's birthday!

As I type this entry, Sharon is in surgery. The doctor put in a wire lead into the tumor this morning before the surgery so he could be sure to find it when he got in there. The original tumor was over 7 cm big. Now it is so small that he might miss it! What encourgement for today. Pray for Dr. Vopal right now as he is doing his work. I'm sitting in the cancer center lounge because it is more pleasant than the waiting room. It's just across the driveway so I can get back there soon. She should be out of surgery around noon. I will post the results of the surgery when we get them. Thanks for checking on us.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

While I was home for lunch there was a message on the answering machine for Sharon to call the surgery center about her 7:45 a.m. appointment for Friday. So I guess that she is scheduled to be there then and the surgery should follow. In my mind there are two senarios. 1. They get in there and find there is scar tissue and nothing else. They remove that and we go home to celebrate her birthday. 2. My imagination goes wild here. This is how Satan plays in the playground of my mind. "Oh, let's go sit on the merry-go-round of those deep dark thougths for awhile." Sharon has been so thoroughly convinced that they are going to find everything clear and fine and we will be praising God for His great work in healing her. That truly is what we all are praying for. Her numbers get better everyweek. The chemo has had its effect on her. She is tired, has a rash on her hands, has lost her hair, has some nose bleeds, has pain in her back at night, sometimes can't sleep, sometimes can't wake up, food doesn't taste that good, when she does eat it burns her throat. Yet, she claims God's promises and waits for total healing. I'm not sure I would be so strong! Melissa, Laura, and I beg for your prayers as we anticipate the waiting for surgery. Those of you who have been there know that the waiting is a difficult time. As soon as we get results from the surgery on Friday we will post that for you.

We are still enjoying the sounds in our minds of all the choirs we heard last weekend at the benefit. Thanks, again, to all those who made that possible. It was a wonderful day of music and love. Our church has been such a stonghold of support for us. Where would we be without you! We often hear people say, "I don't know how I would have gotten through it without my church family." We are so thankful for ours and the extended family of the community singers. What a blessing you have all been.

If all goes as planned, we will be on our way to family reunions in Tennessee on June 5. Maybe we'll get to see some of our Tennessee support while we are there.

Thanks for continuing to pray for us. We are still "standin' in the need of prayer."

Saturday, May 17, 2008

This has been a busy week and I have neglected this site. I will give summaries of the events and write later about the details.

The Music Festival was fabulous. The music was grand from the sixth graders all the way to the "symphonic winds." The church and the community choir folks out did themselves. Everything went without a hitch. Sharon's sister, Margaret, surprised her and came in for the event. It was nice having her here.

On Monday, Sharon had a full round of chemo instead of just the Herceptin. When she got to the Oncologist's office she found out that the plan now includes surgery. On Wednesday she found out that it was set for Friday, May 23, her birthday. She is to have a lumpectomy and a sentinal node biopsy. We'll celebrate her birthday quietly back at home!

We have enjoyed having David here for the weekend. Today is his birthday and we went to MY favorite restaurant to eat tonight. It's good having him here.

The Community Choir had one of their concerts today. We have one tomorrow and then one next Sunday and that will conclude our year. The summer will probably hold a few more twists and turns in it but we'll face them as they come. We are looking forward to the family reunion in TN in June and Melissa and David's wedding in August. Pray for direction for all of us. Pray for Sharon's surgery next Friday. Pray for God's blessing on all of us as we each try to do His will. Thank you for caring.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Sharon is at the Oncologist's office this morning as I write this. Today is the first day she has driven herself to and from the visit. Normally, she is given some drug that makes her sleepy. Today she will have only the Herceptin so she won't be needing the other drugs. We have lots of questions for the Doctor today in light of the surgeon's report last Wednesday. Among those questions is the one about traveling. We actually are looking to the future and hoping for a trip to Tennessee for two family reunions in June. I'll have to let you know later in the week how this meeting went.

The Music Benefit on Saturday was HUGE! There was an estimate of 1300-1400 people who came to the church for the concerts. All of the music was superb. I enjoyed every minute of it. Sharon was able to attend the entire day. She was a bit exhausted when it was done. Her sister, Margaret, surprised her and came in on Friday night from Memphis to be at the Benefit. I must tell you that the church family and the Community Singers did a marvelous job in pulling off this ordeal. I didn't get to see all the outside work because I was inside the entire day. But with temperatures in the 90's and some folks outside all day I don't know how they did it. But they did and Sharon and I appreciate them so very much. It was a special day that we will never forget.

As for your prayers, continue to pray for the cancer that is in Sharon's liver. We pray that it, too, clears as it did in the breast. May God be seen and glorified in each step of this process. We love you all.

Thursday, May 8,2008

We've been waiting for this opportunity to post for you the results of Tuesday's breast MRI. The surgeon called last night at 10:00 to give Sharon the report. He says, "the cancer is gone from the breast. The lymph system looks healthy." WOW. Does prayer work, or what! God has heard the prayers of His people. Needless to say, we didn't get much sleep last night. We have all been overwhelmed with the feeling of God's presence in our lives. We truly feel "blessed."

We still need the faithful prayers of our team. There is still some invovlement in the liver. We, of course, expect that God is already taking care of that. Pray that the next test shows the cancer in the liver to be gone. So it appears at this point that there may not be a need for surgery on the breast. Thank you, God, for how you work.

Pray that God uses the Music Festival at the church on Saturday to show His greatness. We know there is something special going to happen because it is completely out of our hands. We'll give you a report on Sunday.

As we have asked for your prayers on our behalf we also have been given prayer concerns from friends. Pray for our friend, Matt. Also, pray for Lisa's mom and dad and Carrie and Pat's brother. Russ, Ali, Gina, and Leia need special prayers.

Thank you for your faithfulness and love.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

It has been a busy week with the house full and special celebrations and doctor visits. I wanted to wait until we saw all of the doctors to give you an update. Sharon and I went to see the surgeon on Saturday. She saw her oncologist on Monday. We both went to see the Radiation Oncologist on Tuesday (my birthday). Everyone we see says things like, "tremendous, dramatic" change in the tumors. And we rejoice with this news. The cancer markers are down to 135. Even the guys in the PET scan area got out the first scan to compare it to the new one and were amazed at the quick changes. The discussion now is what should be the next step. One says lumpectomy, one says radical mastectomy, another says why change the course of action as it is working so well.

Okay, we still are dealing with stage 4 cancer. The liver still has a tumor. The lymph system is much clearer. The breast has a small tumor. Sharon was to have had an MRI today. It has been changed to next Tuesday. The last MRI showed both the breast and the liver so they have good pictures from before treatment started. Now comes my request to you. Please, please pray that the tumor in the liver is gone by the time the Tuesday MRI is taken. Let's call on God to bring this to a complete healing. I know that the doctors want to take the credit. They just don't understand that God is using them to accomplish this. But now we want Him to be glorified by making this tumor "melt away." Yes, there has been "dramatic" progress and we know why. It is your prayer that has called Sharon's name to God over and over. Please be constant with your requests to God between now and next week. I told the Doctor that 1000's of people are praying for Sharon. He smiled and said, "that's nice." He doesn't understand yet what the power of prayer is. May God be glorified because of your prayers and what He is going to do.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

We have just arrived back home from the surgeon's office. We have wonderful news to share! The breast tumors are so neglegable that the remainder could or could not be cancer. The residual may be scar tissue from the biopsies that have been taken. He has given us options. The best of the news is that a lumpectomy may be what is needed to remove that tissue. He will also want to remove the lymph nodes that were previously affected. Sharon will still have the chemo on Monday and the two doctors will converse over what is the next treatment.

We are so thankful to have our trust in a living God. We know He heals and we know that your prayers have helped in Sharon's progress through this disease. In your prayers add your words of praise for all God is doing - and is yet to do. We do know that healing comes from Him and we want all of you to celebrate with us in this confidence. May God bless you today. He is a great and mighty God.

We are glad to have Laura home for the summer. Melissa is going to meet David this weekend and they will be back here next week.