In between now and then...

Well, we are in the infamous "in between" time. That is the time between mastectomy and the beginning of chemo-therapy. Alyson is continuing to heal well and she is getting mobility back in her left arm. We don't start chemo until the end of May. The only things that we have to do from now until then is go to the genetics counselor to get the results of the test that we had done a while back, and continue to get tissue expander injections for reconstruction of the left breast. The "in between" time is always a little bit nerve racking for me, because I just want this all to be over for Alyson. Her spirits are great and she is excited about the nice weather we have been having. We have gone on a few walks with Brooks and we have taken him to the park. He had his first experience with real grass. Let's just say that Alyson and I got a great laugh out of the whole experience. Brooks did not want to touch the grass with his hands and when he did, he ever so gently brushed his hands over the top of the blades of grass. He is now walking all over the place and is getting hard to keep up with. Alyson has been able to hold him and pick him up more and more and that makes Brooks happy to have his mommy back. I am finally back at work and am feeling the crunch of getting behind on some things. Good thing I work for a great boss at a great college. Rochester College has been so understanding of the whole situation, and they have allowed me to do whatever I need to do in regards to Alyson.

I started Turkey hunting today. What a great escape that is. I was all by myself in the woods just enjoying the whole experience with nature. It is the greatest thing. I got into the woods about 5:30 am before the sun comes up. As the sun rises, the forest gets louder and louder. Natures loudness is so relaxing to me, there is nothing else like it. I was unsuccessful today, but I will go back at it tomorrow morning, hopefully this time I will harvest a nice Turkey.

So for now we are just "in between" waiting for whatever is next...

In between now and then...

Well we are in the infamous "in between" time. That is the time between mastectomy and the beginning of chemo-therapy. Alyson is continuing to heal well and she is getting mobility back in her left arm. We don't start chemo until the end of May. The only things that we have to do from now until then is go to the genetics counselor to get the results of the test that we had done a while back, and continue to get tissue expander injections for reconstruction of the left breast. The "in between" time is always a little bit nerve racking for me, because I just want this all to be over for Alyson. Her spirits are great and she is excited about the nice weather we have been having. We have gone on a few walks with Brooks and we have taken him to the park. He had his first experience with real grass. Let's just say that Alyson and I got a great laugh out of the whole experience. Brooks did not want to touch the grass with his hands and when he did, he ever so gently brushed his hands over the top of the blades of grass. He is now walking all over the place and is getting hard to keep up with. Alyson has been able to hold him and pick him up more and more and that makes Brooks happy to have his mommy back. I am finally back at work and am feeling the crunch of getting behind on some things. Good thing I work for a great boss at a great college. Rochester College has been so understanding of the whole situation, and they have allowed me to do whatever I need to do in regards to Alyson.

I started Turkey hunting today. What a great escape that is. I was all by myself in the woods just enjoying the whole experience with nature. It is the greatest thing. I got into the woods about 5:30 am before the sun comes up. As the sun rises, the forest gets louder and louder. Natures loudness is so relaxing to me, there is nothing else like it. I was unsuccessful today, but I will go back at it tomorrow morning, hopefully this time I will harvest a nice Turkey.

So for now we are just "in between" waiting for whatever is next...

Good News!!!!!!!

We went to the Oncologist yesterday to get the pathology reports on the lump and the lymph nodes. The first lymph node was the only node that had cancer in it, and it only had a small amount. The rest of the nodes were clear. That is great news. Since the cancer had traveled the doctors staged Aly's cancer at Stage 2a. She will undergo chemo-therapy treatments beginning towards the end of May. The treatments will last for 4 months with treatments being every two weeks. We will expect Alyson to lose her hair about 15 days after the first treatment, so unfortunately she will have to look like Clint Logue only without the mustache. I guess that is just another horrible side effect of chemo. Anyway, we are praising God today for His provisions. Thank you all so much for your prayers for Alyson, Brooks, and myself. We have realized what a wonderful family we have in the church. The food we have been getting from family and friends has been great, a little too great as I can barely get out of the door because of my gut.

We are hoping today that Aly gets her final drain tube out. That will make her more comfortable sleeping and maneuvering throughout the day. She may also get her first injection in the tissue expander. This week will be filled with other doctor appointments as well. We meet the surgeon on Thursday for post op check and full pathology report. Next week we go see the genetics counselor for the results of the genetics test. Alyson has to schedule a CAT scan and a heart scan(checks heart function for chemo). Alyson is really hoping that her lifting restrictions will be removed, she really wants to hold Brooks with both arms.

Thank you again for your prayers. We love you all!!!!

Surgery Update-She is just Alyson

Alyson is doing great post surgery. You would never know that she has gone through what she has gone through. Everyone is amazed when they see her. They expect to see her laid up on the couch in pain. Instead, what they get is.... Alyson. Just Alyson, she still gets up in the morning takes a shower and gets ready for the day. She may need a little help from me, but most of the things she normally does she still does. The first day home was a little difficult for her in terms of getting comfortable, so I went out and got her a new recliner so that she can sit in comfort. The only problem that she is having is not being able to pick up Brooks and hold him. She has limited use of her left arm and she cannot lift anything heavier than 10 lbs. About every 8 hours I have to change her drain tubes as they fill up with fluids. Other than that she is doing great. She is just Alyson.

We are going over to her parents house for Easter dinner. Happy Easter everyone. He is Risen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"That sucks"

Well, Aly had her surgery done today. I will try to explain things properly, but I am exhausted both physically and emotionally. In previous posts, we asked that you pray specifically that Alyson would "map" so that the doctors could easily find the lymph nodes. We thank you for those prayers. Let me just give you a synopsis of the day...

We got to the Hospital shortly after 8 am this morning, at which time we did all of the pre-op things. We saw the doctors before the surgery at which time they asked us if we had any last second questions. We had none. At around 11 am Alyson went into the surgery room, just after I was able to give her a kiss and a hug. After about 2 hours Dr. Benitez came out and said that Alyson was doing fine, but... There is that word, but. The good news was that Alyson "mapped", which is what we wanted so that the doctor could easily test her lymph nodes. The bad news is that the first lymph node they tested was positive for cancer. That meant that the doctor had to take the remaining nodes, which is what Alyson did not want. In that moment I was so devastated for Alyson and my heart sank deep. When the doctor first came over to talk to us I stood up to hear what she had to say. By the time she was done I was sitting down with great disappointment. The one thing Aly wanted was to keep her lymph nodes. She didn't care about the breast as much as she wanted to keep her lymph nodes. The remaining nodes are being sent off to the lab, along with the lump to go through the pathology process. We won't get the results until next Wednesday. Our prayer now is that the cancer only got to one node. At this point Aly is still in surgery with the plastic surgeon. That meant she did not know about the nodes.

When the plastic surgeon was done, he came out and reported that his part of the surgery was completed as planned and that Aly was in the recovery room. She still did not know about the lymph nodes. We were told by the doctors that the nurses would not tell Alyson about the Lymph nodes, but that we would have to do it with the doctor. We decided that I would be in there when the doctor delivered the news to Aly when she was a little more alert after the surgery. We waited a little over an hour to see her. I was the first person to see her and I was hoping that she would not ask me about the nodes. Needless to say, the first words out of Alyson were "tell me about the nodes". It was just her and I, and I had to deliver the news, that they had taken all of the nodes and that the first node was positive for cancer. Without any hesitation Aly said this, "that sucks". She said it in such a calm and matter of fact way, almost as if she was telling cancer, "that's all you got!!" I couldn't believe it. Here I was thinking that I was going to have to comfort Alyson, and then she says "that sucks". Then she looked at me and said, "Oh, well...how are you doing?" In that moment she encouraged me, not me encouraging her. That is just the way she is. Absolutely amazing.

Alyson is doing fine and her pain is relatively calm. Her only complaint so far is that it feels like someone is standing on her chest. She has two drain tubes that will drain the fluids from the area. We will have to clean them out about every 10-12 hours for about a week, as long as everything goes well. She will not be able to lift anything more than 10 lbs. I don't plan on her lifting anything. She is resting well right now and the nurses were going to let her rest for the night, so I came home to get some rest. I will pick her up in the morning and bring her home. At that point she will be well on her way to being pampered, which she so deserves.

I was greatly supported today by my family and friends. The Lake Orion Church of Christ was an absolute Godsend. Ken Mitchell, Doug Edwards, and Eric Magnusson came up to share a word of prayer with Aly and I. Garth Pleasant met me in the waiting room at 8:30 this morning and shared a word of prayer with Alyson and I. Kevin Kadrich came out during his lunch hour and shared a word of prayer with me an my family. Klint Pleasant and Kim Speck were there when the doctor told me about the lymph nodes. Klint and Kim, that meant so much to me that you were there in that moment. George Evjen sent me text messages all day that were greatly encouraging. Alyson's best friend Kindra Reed called and offered encouragement to me. Kindra you are a great friend to Alyson. Alana Logue and I shared tears on the phone today from Texas. I could go on and on with names of people who comforted Aly and I. Prayers were coming from all over the country.

God's Will is being done as we speak, even though we do not know what it is. Praise Him for today. We praise you Lord for today!!! Lord you will see us all on our knees tomorrow again pleading for your hands. You will offer them to us and we will again praise your name. Thank you for the courage that you have given Alyson and for the encouragement she gives to everyone she encounters. Praise, Praise, Praise...Honor and Glory. Amen.

The Great 3 in 1...

When you think of The 3 in 1, you most likely think of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Today, those of you who read this blog are united in prayer for Alyson. Today she goes in for a single mastectomy on her left breast, which is the beginning of her treatment for breast cancer. Today we are the 3 in 1, but in a different sense. We are united in posture, thoughts, and prayers. Posture in that we are all on our knees before God. On our knees telling God that we are powerless and that we are asking for His Will to be done and His Kingdom glorified. Thoughts, thinking of Alyson as she begins her fight against cancer. Prayers..., prayers of healing, strength, wisdom, and courage. We are doing all three of these things at once, in Michigan, in Texas, in St. Louis, in Illinois, in Virginia, in Ohio, in any place that knows Alyson.

I was thinking of a Nicole C. Mullen song that says, "When I call on Jesus, all things are possible. I can mount on wings of eagles and soar. When I call on Jesus, mountains are going to fall...". We are calling on Jesus today and anything is possible. The one thing we know for sure is that Jesus will be glorified in all of this. He will hear our prayers and He will see the desires of our hearts because He is in all things.

As Jesus is my spiritual rock and salvation, so to is Alyson my earthly rock and salvation. On this earth she is why I wake each morning. She is my strength and courage and without her I am merely a blind man walking in a dense forrest. In her I see the definition of strength and courage...

Today we are the great 3 in 1...

Lord,
You are the one TRUE God. Your power is immeasurable, your Love is indescribable. You are awesome! Thank you for giving up your Son for our sins. Thank you for your Son, so that we can come before you and petition for your help. Today Lord, my wife, our friend, your daughter begins a journey that only you truly understand. She begins a journey that only you know the end result. WE TRUST YOU. Today, Lord we ask for wisdom, courage, strength, and for your Will to be done. We ask for fast healing. We ask Lord that you allow Aly's lymph nodes to map, so that the doctor's don't have to take all of the lymph nodes. We ask that you be with Alyson as she prepares for what is ahead. You have given her such a warrior spirit, and we ask that she continues with that spirit. Lord, whatever you would have us do for Alyson during this time, let us do so without hesitation. Lord we ask that you be with the doctor's. Give them wisdom, and precision with their instruments. Please be the hands that guide, please be the eyes that see. We love you Lord...

Let that be the start of our prayers for today. Thank you all so very much.

First Haircut

Here is Brooks getting ready for his first birthday by getting his first haircut.