Randy

I know this is a blog "just about Pam's cancer," but it isn't. Please, pray for Randy and the whole Shafer family right now. He has ministered to and mentored so many of us (and in Pam's case, as recently as Sunday evening, when he spent time just encouraging her as he himself labored to breathe freely). Thank you. Randy's blog is deeper and more revealing than anything I have ever read. Here it is if you are interested http://www.fogparty.blogs.com/



Watch in "high quality" if you can.

Pam cancer sequel chap. 3

This update about Pam begins with a plea for a friend of ours, Randy. Maybe you know him, maybe you don't, but he is an incredible friend and encourager to us and he is suffering greatly right now, so I am asking for prayer on his behalf (like right now). Pray for healing, comfort and peace. Thank you.

Today Pam met with her surgeon. She added a third test to next week for Pam (chest wall ultrasound to go with the bone scan and chest CT already scheduled). The fun of taking the tests will be forgotten as soon as they are complete and the waiting begins for the results (these tests really need to come back negative). On Dec. 8th Pam will have surgery to remove the tumors. If all goes well she will be in and out on the same day. Pam will have some limitations following her surgery for a few weeks. No driving or lifting. I am adding no shopping to the restriction list as well. It is for her own good. Then more waiting as the tumors are dissected. By Dec. 12th the pathology reports will be ready and Pam will get her first clue as to what type of treatment her oncologist will recommend. These are all big days for her and your prayers will be cherished.

This blog...why? People seem to have real concern for Pam and this is the easiest way to communicate how she is doing and ask for prayer from many people at once. Those who want to know how she is doing and how they can pray, can simply check here anytime. I have no idea how often I will post. Hopefully I will be done soon. Praying she doesn't have a repeat of her long drawn out experiences from 3 & 4 years ago. Personally I follow blogs of a few friends who are battling cancer & serious illnesses like Randy, Don, Lexi, Lanie, Rachel & Chris. I want to know how they are and I love to pray for them. So I am offering the same for my Pam.

Don't be confused, having cancer is not always as glamorous as these fancy blogs make it seem. Yes, you hobknob with wealthy, well-educated doctors. You have fabulously expensive machines devoted to you nearly every week. You get to taste some pretty exotic and expensive drugs that take you to far away lands and almost back again. You learn so many new vocabulary words you begin thinking you are smarter than you actually are because you suddenly know when to use the word metastatic instead of metastasize. (OK, even me, someone with a 95 IQ...not to brag, but that is nearly a perfect 100...has difficultly with some of the terminology, so don't be afraid to ask). Anyway, this blog is here and I hope you find the information helpful.

Pam and I help out a little at church with the kids ministry on Saturday evenings. Four years ago we were doing the same when Kevin Elder was teaching. He had the couple dozen kids come around Pam and pray over her. It is a memory we'll never forget and a moment we didn't think would happen again. Well last Saturday evening it did, on a big scale. Rick Rogy was teaching and gathered together the 55 2nd-3rd graders, the 46 4th-5th graders and a dozen or so adult leaders and they all prayed. Comforting, encouraging, uplifting...a wonderful moment in the middle of a rotten couple of weeks.

Pam cancer sequel chap. 2 (11/21/2008)

I suppose if you have gone through cancer or serious illness (yourself or with a relative), you'll understand the first part of this email. Pam's experience the first time around taught to me to take notes. Let me share with you my notes from today so you can get a feel for the cancer patient visiting the doctors office (you have to hate going to any doctor, but when his office is called Peoria CANCER Center, double that). Also I should mention Pam really likes her oncologist.

Notes:
*
Doctor enters, says "Good to see you Pam...
...I mean bad to see you."
*
Doctor says "This is a local recurrance of your previous cancer, local is good...
...but this is serious."
*
Doctor says "The pattern of the spreading of this cancer is expected...
...however, your case is not common."
*
Doctor says "The PET and CT scans showed that the cancer is contained in the lymphnodes which is much better than a metastatic recurrance in say the bones or lungs...
...but PET/CT scans don't alway light up these types of slow growing cells,
so let's schedule you for a bone scan and CAT scan."
*
Doctor says "This is likely the least-worst situation...
...but it is serious." (used the S word twice!)
*
Doctor says "I recommend surgery to remove the nodes. The nodes will be dissected giving clearer direction as to follow up treatments such as radiation and/or hormone therapy...
...and/or chemotherapy or all three." (Chemo is a bad, bad word in Pam's cancer world.)
*
good/bad/good/bad/good/bad...argh.

Now, I may have quoted her doctor's words out of order, but you get my drift. It is a recurrance of her original cancer from 4 years ago. It looks as though it is the best situation as far as the location of the recurrance for treatment. Her doctor will proceed with more tests to gain a certainty with what she actually has going on within her before establishing a treatment plan. That is greatly appreciated after what Pam experienced before. So, more tests, more appointments, a little surgery and as yet to be determined treatment...Happy Holidays!

It may seem odd to some that we throw Pam's medical information out so openly. It is simple. Our faith is very important. Part of that faith is the understanding that prayer comforts and heals. It is very encouraging to know people are praying. So I harness a little fraction of the www and send out the information, selfishly hoping some will pray. Thank you to those who do.

I didn't post this on a blog yet (yes I did)... seems like that would be giving in (guess I did). The blond in the pic above is Pam. She is handling this quite well, though some folks wonder. When you have cancer, you find yourself in the hospital, a doctors office, or diagnostic center a lot. There are a lot of germs in those places. In the past 7 days Pam has been in 5 different medical facilities. At some point she picked up a cold and lost her voice. She also ended up with pink eye. So if you see her, it will look like she has been crying. If you hear her on the phone, she will sound terrifically distressed. Don't worry, she is doing very well considering.

Thanks for the concern and the prayers.

Pam cancer sequel chap. 1 (11/19/2008)

Around three years ago I brought to an end the email chronicle of Pam's experience with cancer and the treatment that followed. She has dealt with a little list of problems since, but we really believed she had overcome the actual cancer. Pam is 3 years and 8 months past chemotherapy and had been convinced she would reach the coveted 5 years clear. Those thoughts were dashed in a short phone call received while in the WMBD TV 31 news studio late yesterday afternoon. So I am back to writing what I never expected to again, details of Pam's battle.

We don't know a lot about what is going on within her, but will soon. What we know and will share is that a little over a week ago Pam discovered a lump or two in the lymph area under her left arm. Being prudent, she called her doctor who sent her for a sonogram last Thursday. In an all too "2004ish" familiar way, the doctor that read the sonogram said something like "it is probably nothing but let's do a biopsy." Very similar to what Pam heard from her initial doctor's appointment 4 years ago. I placed a picture of Pam above, she looks great. This is from Sunday (16th), the day before her birthday, also the day of her biopsy. Let this picture serve as a lesson, you can't judge a book by it's cover. The results of the biopsy Monday were delivered to her cell phone as we waited with our Erin in the studio for her much anticipated stint as the weather kid with Chuck Collins yesterday. Bad timing, bad delivery mode, but Pam really wanted to know. The beautiful sunshine of yesterday had her really up and convinced the tests would say all clear. So Pam calmly accepted the news and spent the next hour as the picture of composure while our kids enjoyed the "news" experience. It will be a day we never forget for a couple of reasons.

Hopefully by Friday we'll know what is happening within Pam...is this a recurrence?...is this a new cancer?...is it nothing (wouldn't that be a nice answer to prayer!)? I will likely move this info to a blog and if you want to know what's up, you'll have a place to go to find out.

This email had a couple of purposes. 1) Let you know (and share...my contact box is limited), 2) and to ask you to pray for Pam.