After consulting with my oncologist on Thursday, he would like to try another chemo that has been successful with ovarian cancer patients rather than go back to the chemo I had been on previously for a year that was successful, but can have detrimental effects on the heart. So, we will probably begin that regimen on Monday, Sept. 27th. If it becomes necessary to go back to the old one, we would have to monitor the heart activity very closely. In the meantime, we will hold off draining the ascites until we see how well I do on this new drug. I forgot to have my doctor write it down for me, so I don't remember the name, not that you would even want to know! I feel well and do not notice any change in my level of energy or sleep pattern. I am in very little pain, except for the hernia in my navel, but I can certainly live with it. Please keep me in your prayers and I will keep you informed as I continue with my treatment.

My recent CT scan revealed bad news and good news. The bad news is that there is a new spot on my liver. The good news is that the multiple tumors in my abdominal cavity seem to be stable. My oncologist recommends that we drain the fluid in my belly as soon as possible and try to fix the hernia in my navel that is the size of a golf ball. I am waiting to hear if the procedures will be done here or at Presbyterian St.Luke's in Denver where I have had the procedure to drain the ascides done before. I am very disappointed that the cancer has been extremely agressive in the last few months, but we hope to stop it by returning to the old chemo regimen temporarily until we can come up with another one to try. Because the old chemo is hard on my heart, we will have to have a echocardiogram done before every treatment and monitor things very closely. In the big picture, every day that I have been given since I was sent home from the hospital last December to die has been a gift. I am so grateful for every day, the wonderful summer I had, and the great start to another school year! We will continue to treat my cancer as any other chronic disease by being proactive in every way - spiritually, physically, and emotionally. I'm not giving up, nor should you - please continue to pray for discernment and Divine guidence throughout this time when we will have to make important decisions regarding the quality of life that I have while I am still on this planet. God is soverign in my life, and He has indeed been so merciful and good to me. I have never taken for granted your faithfulness in remembering me in your prayers. It is such a blessing knowing that I have your loving support. I'll continue to post updates as I have them.

I received the second dose of Doxal on Monday and all went well. I'm feeling a little tired today after the first day back with children at school, but so are the majority of teachers, many of whom are a lot younger than I am, so I'm not to worried about it. I just might have to go home and take a nap! The kids seem to like my new "hairdo", which is short but a bit different from last year - light brown with gold highlights so I won't look as old as I feel! I'm back full time as long as I have the energy to do my job with enthusiasm. If I have to drop to part-time, a lady who has worked in the library with me for years will job share with me. So far everything is going well, PRAISE GOD! I will get a CT scan next Thursday to determine the growth, or lack of growth, in size and number of tumors, and after reviewing the results, the oncologist will decide whether to stick with this drug or move on to something else. The homeopathic physician is going to the clinic in Germany that he is affiliated with in the latter part of September and will take the disk with my most recent CT scan images to the team of cancer specialists there to see what they recommend. So far we have been unsuccessful in shrinking the tumors significantly. They haven't gotten bigger, but they haven't gotten significantly smaller, either. I am experiencing more fluid accumulating in my abdomenal area as well in that I can't zip up pants that I could wear at the beginning of the summer. That's usually not a good sign either. Sarah is off to Washington, D.C. this week and so is hurricane Earl - hope it misses her and everyone else! Bob is back doing any and all exercise that he feels up to. He is training for a century ride in Boulder in 2 weeks, so he has been spending time in the saddle. I'm so grateful that I feel better than I did at this time last year. I feel that I am making progress and that I am able to enjoy my "normal" life. Your continuing prayers are always needed and cherished. Will give another update after getting the results of the scan.

My new chemo regimen, the drug Doxil, took me down a notch or two, but I am feeling better now. This summer has been so wonderful - I've felt like my old self before I got sick, with loads of energy, no pain, and feeling stronger every day. The treatment this past Monday was the first time with this drug, so I am a little discouraged that it left me feeling so fatigued, with pain in my abdomen, cramping in my hands and feet, and overall operating at about 60% instead of 90%. After a few days of sleeping a lot and not doing much of anything, I am starting to feel better, so I'm hopeful that I will continue to improve. My oncologist would like to keep me on this drug for 3 treatments, given every 28 days and then we will evaluate how effective or ineffective it is in addressing the spread of cancer in my body, as well as in reducing the size of the tumors. So we won't have any tests done until the end of September. Thank you for continuing to pray for me. School starts on Aug. 23rd, so I need all the energy I can possibly have to put in a full work day. Bob and Sarah are doing fine. Sarah will participate in a triathlon this weekend, so she has been training like a maniac! Bob will do a 100 mile bike ride in Boulder in a few weeks, so he's been working out a lot, too. The weather is already turning a little cooler - fall will be here before we know it!

My recent trip to Louisiana to see family and dear friends was truly therapeutic! God blessed me with boundless energy while I was there in spite of the heat and humidity. It was a wonderful 12 days, but I must admit that it does feel good to be home again. I will have my next chemo on August 2nd when we anticipate that we will change to a different chemo drug that works similarly to the one I have been on, but without the negative side effects to the heart. Bob continues to improve after his heart surgery and is back to running, swimming, and biking daily. Sarah is doing well on her exercise regimen and mostly plant-based diet, so I guess you could say as a family we are supporting each other as we try to live a healthy lifestyle so that we can feel good every day! I am enjoying each day of summer vacation before I start back to work on Aug. 23rd in my same position as full-time librarian at the same school I have been in for a while now. I am indeed blessed to be there and am looking forward to another great year! I am so grateful that I feel like my "old" self again - like I am not even sick! God is so good and merciful. I didn't think that I would ever feel this well again. I didn't think I would ever have another beautiful summer in Colorado, so I know that each and every day is truly a gift from Him!

I'm happy to say that my June 21st tests all revealed that not much change for better or worse has taken place since the last battery of tests. The fact that the tumors have not gotten larger, and that the cancer has not spread anywhere else is reason to celebrate! My chemo went well on June 23rd. We decided to stay on the same chemo regimen until after I return from my visit to Louisiana in July. Until then, Bob, Sarah, and I continue to enjoy each and every day in the Colorado mountains and have been keeping a very busy schedule to include all the things we enjoy doing.
Bob celebrated his 64th birthday yesterday and is recovering really well from his heart surgery in May. He is back running, road biking, swimming, and working 12 hour days. Sarah is quite busy at the rec center now that all the kids are out of school on summer vacation. While she is anxious for school to resume, I am thankful that I still have about 6 weeks left before I will return to work. We are so blessed to live in this beautiful place where we have the support of so many wonderful friends. God is so good! My next update will be at the end of July after my next chemo and my trip to Louisiana.

School's out! YEA!!! I can't tell you how relaxed I feel already. Summer in the mountains of Colorado this year is truly a gift from God. I can honestly remember laying in bed at the hospital in the Hospice room, watching the snow falling outside and thinking that I would probably never see a Colorado summer again. So, I plan to make the most of each and every day, doing all the things we enjoy, and savor every moment for what it is - a wonderful gift! I had chemo last Thursday. I am scheduled for a CT scan, an echocardiogram, and a port flow test on June 21st. The oncologist is thinking that we will not schedule another chemo on the 23rd as I would normally have, but rather take some time off, let my body regroup, and see what happens. We will monitor my body closely, and if we think that I need to get back on some kind of chemo, he has a different one in mind to try. The current chemo drug has been very effective in keeping the cancer from spreading, and has actually reduced the size of the big tumor, but it is very hard on my heart. So, we will try a different drug that acts similarly to the one I am on now, but hasn't the drawback of the heart deal, although I'm sure it has its own drawbacks, whatever they are. Last summer when I got off of everything and was just taking my homeopathic remedies and following the RAVE diet, I didn't do so well, so I hope my body is stronger now and will respond to less treatment in a positive way! Bob is doing really well in the monitored cardiac rehab program at the Shaw Center where I receive my treatments. The staff there is very knowledgeable and helpful. On his off days, he does the excercises using his own heart monitor. Sarah just finished a 10K race in Port Angeles, WA, where she was visiting her old roommate from CMC in Steamboat. She has lost 30 pounds over the past year and is feeling so much more energetic and stronger than before. She often rides her bike to and from work now that the days are nice and long, and works in the masters' swim program three times a week, so she is serious about getting into shape. We all feel so blessed to be together and to feel so well after a roller-coaster year. I was asked to give an "inspirational" message at the state Delta Kappa Gamma Conference in Longmont this weekend, and of course I shared my "miracle" story of how God healed me at Christmastime. So many women came up to me afterward to tell me how touched they were by my message, and that they would share it with others they know who are struggling with pain and hopelessness. Many asked me for my contact information so that they could pass it along to a loved one. I was so happy that I was able to offer encouragement to them. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, as I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is faithful in answering them!