Hi Everyone -
We wanted to send an update on how this past week went for Jason. It was quite the whirlwind for sure! For those that we haven't been able to reach out to yet, please please please know we love you. It truly has been overwhelming how many hours/days that we have spent at the Univ of MD this week, which has left us very exhausted by the end of each day along with a clingy daughter : )
As for the news...we received our pathology results back on Friday (9/30), confirming that Jason has adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, aka esophageal cancer. To boil it down, the cancer has spread to other lymph nodes but not to any other organ - PRAISE GOD - as this means he is still eligible for treatment including surgery. This treatment will include a combination of radiation, chemo initially. After this treatment is finished and if the cancer has not spread to other organs, they will proceed with a surgery (esophagectomy). While it was a really tough week to process the news, we realize that the news could have been worse and for that we feel blessed!
For those of you who like the nitty gritty details, here you go :) Those who do not, skip to the prayer requests lol. There is a tumor on the lower end of the esophagus that attached itself to an ulcer, which is confirmed to be adenocarcinoma. Then the upper portion of the esophagus had 2 lymph nodes that showed up on the PET scan, which after testing one of the two, was also found to be adenocarcinoma. For those of you who aren't familiar with lymph nodes (as I wasn't until this week) they are your filter system that the esophagus is lined with from the top to bottom. So, what this means is that the cancer passed through the lymph nodes between the tumor and upper nodes which is now collecting in the nodes at the top.
There are about 5 inches between the tumor and upper lymph nodes that have been identified with cancer. When you think about the treatment area, remember that they always go above and below the cancerous areas to treat and then ultimately remove in surgery to have negative margins (remove all the cancer). The tricky part this time around with radiation will be them determining whether or not Jason will need to have a feeding tube beforehand or not. Once treatment starts, they do not want to irritate his esophagus any further than it will already be, therefore they will make their decision as a team whether or not a feeding tube is necessary from the beginning. They say that the first couple weeks Jason may feel ok, however the last 2 to 3 weeks of his treatment will be EXTREMELY difficult. Also, they say for some the few weeks following post treatment can even be the worst in terms of how Jas may feel! So, this will be much much different this time around knowing that Megan may need to drive him to Baltimore every M-F if he's not feeling well. Also, the first couple weeks he may be fine with eating as the tumor will more than likely shrink. However later in the treatment his esophagus will be "intensely sunburned" and it will more than likely be very uncomfortable to get food/liquids down.
So, Jason is potentially going to have a little over 2/3 of his esophagus removed in surgery, assuming that the cancer has not spread after the treatment. Here's the crazy part! When they move to surgery, they will take his stomach (think of what an old wine sack looks like) and stretch it into garden hose to create a brand new esophagus - cancer free. Pretty wild right? Well, the seriousness of this surgery is considered up there to what open heart surgeries are in many ways. Jas will be in the hospital a minimum of 2 weeks after the surgery and won't really feel like himself for a good 3 to 6 months after.
While this all sounds awful, know that we will take this news any day knowing that the news could have been worse! And for that, we are staying positive! This is our best chance of fighting off this cancer!
Many of you are asking, how can we help? For now, we've summarized what we feel the most helpful things to be. After we know more about timing of treatments, surgery, etc. we will for sure have a much larger number of needs, as we know that it's going to take a team to get through this trial! So if you are willing, here is what you can do for now:
1. Pray for our prayer requests below.
2. Continue to email, text, etc. any scripture you have that we can add to our "wallpaper" in our house. It is a wonderful blessing to be showered with God's word throughout our entire house and also kept Megan company during the 4 hour scope last week :)
3. If you know of anyone who had esophageal cancer and is doing well today, please see if they would be willing to speak with us! We want to surround ourselves with as much positivity as possible, and not get caught up in the ugly statistics!
4. Pray with us! We would love for you to call, visit, etc. and pray out loud with us for encouragement!
Here's our prayer request list as we ask for your help in lifting these specific needs up to God!
1. God's healing hands on Jason, to rid the cancer entirely from his body and to STOP all further growth of the cancer;
2. Continued wisdom and knowledge on what the best treatment plan and who the best treatment team will be as we learn of the options;
3. For Jas to be able to have an operation to remove the tumor - it's looking good, but we need continued prayer
4. Godly wisdom on miscellaneous decisions we will need to make quickly (counseling, family planning, etc.)
5. To help us stay focused on today and not tomorrow; to help us to hand over all fears and anxiety to God and be blanketed with his perfect peace that only he can provide during a trial like this; (Isaiah 26:3 - You WILL keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in God.)
6. Strength and endurance for Jason, as he is going to need to be a strong fighter!
7. For our minds to stay focused on God and to have positive attitudes (keeping the evil one OUT), knowing that God WILL use us to further his kingdom in this situation. (THANK YOU for all of the scriptures that you sent! Keep them coming please! We will most likely have new wallpaper decor throughout our house by the end of this trial!!!)8. Daily revelation of where and who God wants us to be witnessing/serving through this experience and to give us the boldness and wisdom to do so.
Answered Prayers: THANK YOU, THANK YOU GOD!!!
1. For God to prepare our hearts for the news we will be hearing over the next couple weeks regarding the stage of cancer in Jas' esophagus as well as whether there is cancer anywhere else in his body - Oh this was quite a story! God clearly did this but not in a way we would have ever expected. We went to the Univ of MD on Tuesday morning for the scope (after both of us clearing our entire day and having arranged for Taylor to be taken care of) to find out that the scope was for Wednesday morning. Wheewy! Clearly we were not ready for the news Tuesday, but God intended for us to spend a day together as a family and prepare one more additional day. We truly were in a better place on Wednesday when we heard the preliminary thoughts of our GI Dr.
2. For the cancer to not have spread anywhere else in Jas' body - It has not spread to any other organs!!!
3. For our appointments to go off with out disruption and they be informative and encouraging - We spent last Friday with the Univ of MD team that specializes in esophageal cancer including the medical oncologist, radiology team, surgeon and back again with our GI Dr. while talking to good ole' Dr. Aboulafia daily also! Many times along the way they mentioned the word "cure" as a potential result of this treatment which was very encouraging! It was almost humorous, as we felt like we were top recruits this week. Jas is such a rare case, being that he is under 50 years old with his type of cancer, on top of having a sarcoma this year also. Needless to say, they made us feel very loved and wanted to be treated at their hospital lol.
4. To be able to go on vacation - While we didn't share this request with many of you, Jas and I have been praying that we would still be able to go on our planned vacation to Virginia Beach this week. And guess what, we are there! Praise God, as we really needed this time to further research, regroup and process as a family! Our God is so tenderhearted that he knew we would have 2 vacations planned this year, well before we knew that Jason had his Sarcoma and now Esophageal Cancer, right after diagnosis but before treatment would begin. Those who know cancer, know how small of a window this is!
We would be remiss if we did not mention our favorites verses that are helping get us through this trial : )
Romans 8:18 and 28:
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (ESV)
In case any of you listened to the message our Pastor delivered a couple weekends ago, here is the link to his message last week. Also, very applicable and encouraging!
Link to message: http://www.fcfchurch.com/media.php?pageID=29 (Click on the 9/25 Formative Lessons Message)
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU so much for your continued love, support & encouragement!
We Love You and are so blessed to have you in our lives!
Jas & Meg & Taylor
<>< <>< <><
9/22/11 - God has chosen Jason again...Round 2
Hello Everyone - Sadly, we are reaching out to you sooner than we ever would have anticipated, to ask for your additional help in URGENT prayer!
These past 5 weeks (while recovering from his last surgery), Jason has had pretty consistent heartburn along with food getting caught in his chest area after swallowing. We thought it may have something to do with having had a tube down his throat from the past 2 operations he had recently. But, we figured better to be safe than sorry and decided to get it checked out. So, this past Monday Jas saw a GI Dr. to have an endoscopy done to get to the bottom of what may be causing these symptoms. To our shock and worst fears, the Dr. indicated that he had a mass in his esophagus and thought it was cancer, which has since been confirmed with pathology. Many of you know our history with cancer in this part of the body, as Jas' dad passed away from esophageal cancer and his grandfather had some form of cancer around the throat. So, we understand just how serious this is and how much more intensive the treatment plan may be compared to last time around! What we don't know as of now is if this mass was caused by Jas' sarcoma in his leg or a completely different type of cancer.
Next step was to have a PET/CT full body scan, which he had done today to see if there is cancer anywhere else in his body and determine what stage this cancer is at. Praise God, with some persistent persuasion, we got an appt. to see Dr. Greenwald w/ University of MD, who is known for being the best in this area for this type of cancer. The appt is next Tues. 9/27, and he is already planning on doing another scope but with one that includes ultrasound. Hopefully, they won't also determine that Jas is also pregnant, :) gotta laugh... We more than likely will NOT know the results of the PET scan or formal pathology results until that meeting. Both our Dr. in Frederick and good ole' Dr. Aboulafia referred Dr. Greenwald so we feel blessed that we got in so quickly and they see the urgency as well. Additionally, Dr. Greenwald's office also wants us to keep Friday 9/30 open so we can attend a clinic session, where they get all the staff together and discuss the course of action for the cases. This include the oncologist, radiologist and chemo dr's all in one room focused on each patient, again what a blessing that this is happening so quickly.
Speaking of Dr. Aboulafia, (which we know God has put him in our path for a reason), we called him Monday night after receiving the news to get some recommendations. We had learned during the course of Jas' sarcoma treatment that he used to sit on a Esophageal Cancer Action Network (ECAN) Board, so we knew that he would personally know the best Dr in the area and we truly respect his opinion. Dr. A talked through some things with us and was so kind that he even gave us his cell number to reach him on for any questions that we may have. Additionally, we spoke w/ his office today and they want a sample of the biopsy to compare with his pathologists to see if it was the sarcoma that I had, so Dr A is really engaged and working on this as well. We know Dr. A knows Dr. Greenwald personally, socially, and professionally, so we are confident that the collaboration will be seamless. There's just something so calming about his style and approach whenever we speak with him! God truly has blessed us with having met Dr. A and knowing that he will continue to be a resource for us!
Here's our prayer request list as we ask for your help in lifting these specific needs up to God!
1. For God to prepare our hearts for the news we will be hearing over the next couple weeks regarding the stage of cancer in Jas' esophagus as well as whether there is cancer anywhere else in his body;
2. For the stage of cancer to be lowest on the scale, so Jas can have an operation to remove it;
3. For the cancer to not have spread anywhere else in Jas' body;
4. For our appointments to go off with out disruption and they be informative and encouraging;
5. Wisdom and knowledge on what the best treatment plan will be as we learn of the options;
6. God's healing hands on Jason, to rid the cancer entirely from his body;
7. Daily revelation of where and who God wants us to be witnessing/serving through this experience and to give us the boldness and wisdom to do so; (You would laugh if you would have heard Jas as he was coming back to after his endoscopy. As his speech was slurred like a drunk man and only half there, he was laughing with a nurse who also came from a Wiles family line in MD about how we're all connected if we go back to Adam and Eve. God will give us the words and boldness if we ask!)
8. To help us stay focused on today and not tomorrow; to help us to hand over all fears and anxiety to God and be blanketed with his perfect peace that only he can provide during a trial like this; (Isaiah 26:3 - You WILL keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in God.)
9. Strength and endurance for Jas, as he is going to need to be a strong fighter!
10. For our minds to stay focused on God and to have positive attitudes (keeping the evil one OUT), knowing that God WILL use us to further his kingdom in this situation. (We are posting scripture throughout our house on index cards. Please email any scripture that comes to mind that you feel is applicable and we will most likely have new wallpaper decor throughout our house by the end of this trial!!!)
There are a couple of bible verses we continue to stand by that were our favorites during these past 5 months and will continue to be as we head through this next trial.
Romans 8:18 and 28:
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (ESV)
The really cool thing about Romans 8:28 is that just this past Sunday our Pastor at FCF preached a POWERFUL message on this exact verse. I've attached a link below to hear the audio of it and we would strongly encourage you to listen to it. Once again, the timing of this message on this particular verse that we've been clinging to for some time is no accident! God gave us this message one day before the shocking news on Monday, which just proves to us once again that God's timing is perfect and he will provide for us what we need every single step along the way. While we don't know what the outcome of this trial is going to be, one thing we can rest assured in is that God is going to be with us 100% of the way. He clearly provided for us in our last go around with cancer, and he will provide for us this time as well! Please please please, we urge you to listen to the message below. Just copy and paste the link into your browser and then play the 9/18/11 - Random Images Series - Key Events Message. It WILL bless your life for sure and bring clarity for you also!
Link to message: http://www.fcfchurch.com/media.php?pageID=29
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU so much for your continued love, support & encouragement! Please do not be hurt or offended if we are not able to return your calls/emails as quickly as you would hope. We've been very overwhelmed these past few days with the news and have needed time to process as a couple and regroup. We do appreciate all of your calls, emails, texts, cards, visits!
We Love You and are so blessed to have you in our lives!
Jas & Meg & Taylor
<>< <>< <><
These past 5 weeks (while recovering from his last surgery), Jason has had pretty consistent heartburn along with food getting caught in his chest area after swallowing. We thought it may have something to do with having had a tube down his throat from the past 2 operations he had recently. But, we figured better to be safe than sorry and decided to get it checked out. So, this past Monday Jas saw a GI Dr. to have an endoscopy done to get to the bottom of what may be causing these symptoms. To our shock and worst fears, the Dr. indicated that he had a mass in his esophagus and thought it was cancer, which has since been confirmed with pathology. Many of you know our history with cancer in this part of the body, as Jas' dad passed away from esophageal cancer and his grandfather had some form of cancer around the throat. So, we understand just how serious this is and how much more intensive the treatment plan may be compared to last time around! What we don't know as of now is if this mass was caused by Jas' sarcoma in his leg or a completely different type of cancer.
Next step was to have a PET/CT full body scan, which he had done today to see if there is cancer anywhere else in his body and determine what stage this cancer is at. Praise God, with some persistent persuasion, we got an appt. to see Dr. Greenwald w/ University of MD, who is known for being the best in this area for this type of cancer. The appt is next Tues. 9/27, and he is already planning on doing another scope but with one that includes ultrasound. Hopefully, they won't also determine that Jas is also pregnant, :) gotta laugh... We more than likely will NOT know the results of the PET scan or formal pathology results until that meeting. Both our Dr. in Frederick and good ole' Dr. Aboulafia referred Dr. Greenwald so we feel blessed that we got in so quickly and they see the urgency as well. Additionally, Dr. Greenwald's office also wants us to keep Friday 9/30 open so we can attend a clinic session, where they get all the staff together and discuss the course of action for the cases. This include the oncologist, radiologist and chemo dr's all in one room focused on each patient, again what a blessing that this is happening so quickly.
Speaking of Dr. Aboulafia, (which we know God has put him in our path for a reason), we called him Monday night after receiving the news to get some recommendations. We had learned during the course of Jas' sarcoma treatment that he used to sit on a Esophageal Cancer Action Network (ECAN) Board, so we knew that he would personally know the best Dr in the area and we truly respect his opinion. Dr. A talked through some things with us and was so kind that he even gave us his cell number to reach him on for any questions that we may have. Additionally, we spoke w/ his office today and they want a sample of the biopsy to compare with his pathologists to see if it was the sarcoma that I had, so Dr A is really engaged and working on this as well. We know Dr. A knows Dr. Greenwald personally, socially, and professionally, so we are confident that the collaboration will be seamless. There's just something so calming about his style and approach whenever we speak with him! God truly has blessed us with having met Dr. A and knowing that he will continue to be a resource for us!
Here's our prayer request list as we ask for your help in lifting these specific needs up to God!
1. For God to prepare our hearts for the news we will be hearing over the next couple weeks regarding the stage of cancer in Jas' esophagus as well as whether there is cancer anywhere else in his body;
2. For the stage of cancer to be lowest on the scale, so Jas can have an operation to remove it;
3. For the cancer to not have spread anywhere else in Jas' body;
4. For our appointments to go off with out disruption and they be informative and encouraging;
5. Wisdom and knowledge on what the best treatment plan will be as we learn of the options;
6. God's healing hands on Jason, to rid the cancer entirely from his body;
7. Daily revelation of where and who God wants us to be witnessing/serving through this experience and to give us the boldness and wisdom to do so; (You would laugh if you would have heard Jas as he was coming back to after his endoscopy. As his speech was slurred like a drunk man and only half there, he was laughing with a nurse who also came from a Wiles family line in MD about how we're all connected if we go back to Adam and Eve. God will give us the words and boldness if we ask!)
8. To help us stay focused on today and not tomorrow; to help us to hand over all fears and anxiety to God and be blanketed with his perfect peace that only he can provide during a trial like this; (Isaiah 26:3 - You WILL keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in God.)
9. Strength and endurance for Jas, as he is going to need to be a strong fighter!
10. For our minds to stay focused on God and to have positive attitudes (keeping the evil one OUT), knowing that God WILL use us to further his kingdom in this situation. (We are posting scripture throughout our house on index cards. Please email any scripture that comes to mind that you feel is applicable and we will most likely have new wallpaper decor throughout our house by the end of this trial!!!)
There are a couple of bible verses we continue to stand by that were our favorites during these past 5 months and will continue to be as we head through this next trial.
Romans 8:18 and 28:
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (ESV)
The really cool thing about Romans 8:28 is that just this past Sunday our Pastor at FCF preached a POWERFUL message on this exact verse. I've attached a link below to hear the audio of it and we would strongly encourage you to listen to it. Once again, the timing of this message on this particular verse that we've been clinging to for some time is no accident! God gave us this message one day before the shocking news on Monday, which just proves to us once again that God's timing is perfect and he will provide for us what we need every single step along the way. While we don't know what the outcome of this trial is going to be, one thing we can rest assured in is that God is going to be with us 100% of the way. He clearly provided for us in our last go around with cancer, and he will provide for us this time as well! Please please please, we urge you to listen to the message below. Just copy and paste the link into your browser and then play the 9/18/11 - Random Images Series - Key Events Message. It WILL bless your life for sure and bring clarity for you also!
Link to message: http://www.fcfchurch.com/media.php?pageID=29
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU so much for your continued love, support & encouragement! Please do not be hurt or offended if we are not able to return your calls/emails as quickly as you would hope. We've been very overwhelmed these past few days with the news and have needed time to process as a couple and regroup. We do appreciate all of your calls, emails, texts, cards, visits!
We Love You and are so blessed to have you in our lives!
Jas & Meg & Taylor
<>< <>< <><
9/4/11 - Trial 1, Complete healing by God's grace and providence
Good Morning Everyone! We have WONDERFUL news that we wanted to share regarding Jas' recovery and pathology reports from surgery! We continue to have even more prayer requests answered, so you will see even more exclamation points, CAPITAL LETTERS, and bold formatting in our email below : ) We continue to be in absolute AWE of God's hand in our situation and are SO BLESSED!
1. As God continues to heal Jason, that this cancer experience not be wasted and the glory goes to the creator and not created things like medicine or machines;
2. God's healing hands on Jason and his recovery;
3. Daily revelation of where God wants us to be witnessing and serving now that we've personally experienced a mild version of cancer (compared to others) and to give us the boldness and wisdom to do so;
4. Strength and endurance for Jason as he returns back to work this week and to be a light among those he works with.
ANSWERED PRAYERS over the last 3 weeks! HOW EXCITING TO CONTINUE TO SEE GOD'S FINGERPRINTS ALL OVER THIS SITUATION!1. God's healing hands on Jason and his recovery; He is in a good deal of pain and has been struggling with nauseousness most of today; Please pray for pain to be lessened and for his overall comfort to be increased. - ANSWERED PRAYER (His pain lessened significantly by the end of surgery day PRAISE GOD!)
2. For God to make it clear whether or not we should stay in the hospital tomorrow night or not. - ANSWERED PRAYER (We only stayed overnight 1 night at the hospital! Dr. A shared that if Taylor - 2 yrs - was at our home he would have kept us in the hospital, but since she was in OH he thought Jas would be more comfortable in our own home.)
3. For patience for both Jason and I during the recovery process - ANSWERED PRAYER (This was the longest span of time that Jas and I have both been off work together since college, which has been over 10 years - Oh MY! It really was a sweet time together as a couple. We laugh now that our only real sticky moments involved him not being able to drive himself lol.)
There are a couple of bible verses we continue to stand by that were our favorites during these past 4+ months. Romans 8:18 and 28...
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU so much for your continued love, support & encouragement! We are just WOW'd by how God has provided us exactly what we needed during this tough time. To have such amazing family & friends (who feel like family) to be so generous in so many different ways to help us through has been such an incredible gift to us!
Included below is an email from our dear friend Melinda who we have gotten to know very well over this past year. She will be running the Marine Corp Marathon this Fall in honor of Jas, Kat and her sister who have/are battling cancer. It's VERY EXCITING how she plans to share God with others during the race : )
We Love You and are so blessed to have you in our lives!
Jas & Meg
Again, we can't thank enough for all your prayers and concern and we thank you in advance for the additional prayers below. Here are some of our prayer requests that we continue to lift up to GOD!
1. As God continues to heal Jason, that this cancer experience not be wasted and the glory goes to the creator and not created things like medicine or machines;
2. God's healing hands on Jason and his recovery;
3. Daily revelation of where God wants us to be witnessing and serving now that we've personally experienced a mild version of cancer (compared to others) and to give us the boldness and wisdom to do so;
4. Strength and endurance for Jason as he returns back to work this week and to be a light among those he works with.
ANSWERED PRAYERS over the last 3 weeks! HOW EXCITING TO CONTINUE TO SEE GOD'S FINGERPRINTS ALL OVER THIS SITUATION!1. God's healing hands on Jason and his recovery; He is in a good deal of pain and has been struggling with nauseousness most of today; Please pray for pain to be lessened and for his overall comfort to be increased. - ANSWERED PRAYER (His pain lessened significantly by the end of surgery day PRAISE GOD!)
2. For God to make it clear whether or not we should stay in the hospital tomorrow night or not. - ANSWERED PRAYER (We only stayed overnight 1 night at the hospital! Dr. A shared that if Taylor - 2 yrs - was at our home he would have kept us in the hospital, but since she was in OH he thought Jas would be more comfortable in our own home.)
3. For patience for both Jason and I during the recovery process - ANSWERED PRAYER (This was the longest span of time that Jas and I have both been off work together since college, which has been over 10 years - Oh MY! It really was a sweet time together as a couple. We laugh now that our only real sticky moments involved him not being able to drive himself lol.)
There are a couple of bible verses we continue to stand by that were our favorites during these past 4+ months. Romans 8:18 and 28...
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU so much for your continued love, support & encouragement! We are just WOW'd by how God has provided us exactly what we needed during this tough time. To have such amazing family & friends (who feel like family) to be so generous in so many different ways to help us through has been such an incredible gift to us!
Included below is an email from our dear friend Melinda who we have gotten to know very well over this past year. She will be running the Marine Corp Marathon this Fall in honor of Jas, Kat and her sister who have/are battling cancer. It's VERY EXCITING how she plans to share God with others during the race : )
We Love You and are so blessed to have you in our lives!
Jas & Meg
NOTE FROM OUR DEAR FRIEND MELINDA...
Dear Friends and Family,
I’m sure most of you probably already know this about me, but I LIKE to run. I hardly consider myself a “runner” as my running shoes and I have had a love – hate non-committed relationship over the last 10 years. I must confess I have casually bounced around from 5k to half marathon with months and even years in between with very little use for them as I pursue my other fitness passions like Pilates, spinning, aerobic dance, and weight training. Some of you have even asked me in the past, when are you going to finally commit to those shoes and train for a real marathon? To that question, you probably heard me reply something like “Someday, when I finish a half marathon and think to myself… wow, I really want to turn around and do that again, that is when I’ll do a full!”
I also hope that all of you know this about me, I LOVE my friends and family! Over the last couple of years that love has been strengthened and put to the test by a 6 letter word most of us would rather we never had to hear... cancer. Really hitting home in 2009 with my sister Julie’s winning battle against ovarian cancer and most recently as my two dear friends were diagnosed Kathleen (adenocarcinoma originating in the lung) and Jason (Myxoid Liposarcoma). It may just be a hunch, but I have a feeling that each one of us have probably been somehow affected by the “C” word and wished we could do something more for the people who bring so much fullness to our lives. We pray, we drop off food, we offer support, and do whatever we can to show our love, but even after all of that it can still sometimes feel like we wish there was more we could do.
Last week my shoes and I completed our 6th half marathon together in Annapolis Maryland, it was a cool humid day and a gorgeous run. At the end of that 13.1 mile run I would like to be able to tell you that I finally had the thought “Wow I would really like to turn around and do that again”, but to be perfectly honest, the fact that it was over and I could finally stop running was the only thought on my mind as I crossed that finish line. But hey… that was a whole week ago and I’ve found a greater motivation and reason to “tie the knot” on those running shoe laces and commit to training in them for a full marathon once and for all!
In honor and support of my loved ones who have battled and are still battling cancer, I am going to keep on running past the 13th mile marker at the Marine Corp Marathon on October 30th and complete 13.2 more miles while raising funds for the Lazarex Cancer Foundation. After researching the many different Cancer Charities affiliated with the M.C.M., Lazarex won me over with the first sentence on their website which reads: Lazarex Cancer Foundation- building a bridge to hope, dignity and life for cancer patients and their families. As a follower of Christ, that is one of my own missions in life, to build a bridge to others that they too may find the hope, dignity and life I have found in Christ Jesus.
Both of my friends Kat and Jason wrote Philippians 4:13 on their leg (the location of the first diagnosed tumors for both of them) as they went to their first Oncology Doctors visit. The verse states, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” So far, it has been my privilege to see God working miracles not only in them but the people around them as they prepare for and run their own endurance race of cancer treatments. So here is my plan, I will write it on both of my legs and as I find myself looking down and wanting to quit, it will remind me to start looking up for the strength needed to finish my race. I realize running a marathon is not a matter of life and death for me and people do it all the time, but at least it’s something more that I can do to show my love for them and share their legacies of faith with others.
If you would like to help me in my fund raising efforts by making a tax deductible donation or if you would like to find out more information about the Lazarex Cancer Foundations which helps to fill in the financial gaps for those battling cancer in what seems to be hopeless situations, please see the link at the bottom of this email. You can make a donation on my personal running page and dedicate your gift to the loved ones you have supported through the difficulties of cancer. The minimum amount needed to be raised in order for me to be a part of the "Team for Life" is $750.00, but something tells me we can do much better than that so I am going to leave my personal fundraising goal open ended and watch to see what happens.
Also, I am designing my own runner’s prayer shirt to wear on race day that will have the Lazarex Cancer Foundation’s Team for Life logo on it along with the names of the friends and family members we have dedicate our donations to. If you would like me to add your loved ones name/s to the shirt please reply to me with the following information:
(Choose one) In Honor of/ In Support of/ In Memory of, NAME, Type of Cancer.
Sending My Love and Blessings!
Melinda Wilson
Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support Lazarex Cancer Foundation
******************************************************************************
Some email systems do not support the use of links and therefore this link may not appear to work. If so, copy and paste the following into your browser: http://Lazarex.kintera.org/mcm2011/melinda_wilson?faf=1&e=4640610293
******************************************************************************
I’m sure most of you probably already know this about me, but I LIKE to run. I hardly consider myself a “runner” as my running shoes and I have had a love – hate non-committed relationship over the last 10 years. I must confess I have casually bounced around from 5k to half marathon with months and even years in between with very little use for them as I pursue my other fitness passions like Pilates, spinning, aerobic dance, and weight training. Some of you have even asked me in the past, when are you going to finally commit to those shoes and train for a real marathon? To that question, you probably heard me reply something like “Someday, when I finish a half marathon and think to myself… wow, I really want to turn around and do that again, that is when I’ll do a full!”
I also hope that all of you know this about me, I LOVE my friends and family! Over the last couple of years that love has been strengthened and put to the test by a 6 letter word most of us would rather we never had to hear... cancer. Really hitting home in 2009 with my sister Julie’s winning battle against ovarian cancer and most recently as my two dear friends were diagnosed Kathleen (adenocarcinoma originating in the lung) and Jason (Myxoid Liposarcoma). It may just be a hunch, but I have a feeling that each one of us have probably been somehow affected by the “C” word and wished we could do something more for the people who bring so much fullness to our lives. We pray, we drop off food, we offer support, and do whatever we can to show our love, but even after all of that it can still sometimes feel like we wish there was more we could do.
Last week my shoes and I completed our 6th half marathon together in Annapolis Maryland, it was a cool humid day and a gorgeous run. At the end of that 13.1 mile run I would like to be able to tell you that I finally had the thought “Wow I would really like to turn around and do that again”, but to be perfectly honest, the fact that it was over and I could finally stop running was the only thought on my mind as I crossed that finish line. But hey… that was a whole week ago and I’ve found a greater motivation and reason to “tie the knot” on those running shoe laces and commit to training in them for a full marathon once and for all!
In honor and support of my loved ones who have battled and are still battling cancer, I am going to keep on running past the 13th mile marker at the Marine Corp Marathon on October 30th and complete 13.2 more miles while raising funds for the Lazarex Cancer Foundation. After researching the many different Cancer Charities affiliated with the M.C.M., Lazarex won me over with the first sentence on their website which reads: Lazarex Cancer Foundation- building a bridge to hope, dignity and life for cancer patients and their families. As a follower of Christ, that is one of my own missions in life, to build a bridge to others that they too may find the hope, dignity and life I have found in Christ Jesus.
Both of my friends Kat and Jason wrote Philippians 4:13 on their leg (the location of the first diagnosed tumors for both of them) as they went to their first Oncology Doctors visit. The verse states, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” So far, it has been my privilege to see God working miracles not only in them but the people around them as they prepare for and run their own endurance race of cancer treatments. So here is my plan, I will write it on both of my legs and as I find myself looking down and wanting to quit, it will remind me to start looking up for the strength needed to finish my race. I realize running a marathon is not a matter of life and death for me and people do it all the time, but at least it’s something more that I can do to show my love for them and share their legacies of faith with others.
If you would like to help me in my fund raising efforts by making a tax deductible donation or if you would like to find out more information about the Lazarex Cancer Foundations which helps to fill in the financial gaps for those battling cancer in what seems to be hopeless situations, please see the link at the bottom of this email. You can make a donation on my personal running page and dedicate your gift to the loved ones you have supported through the difficulties of cancer. The minimum amount needed to be raised in order for me to be a part of the "Team for Life" is $750.00, but something tells me we can do much better than that so I am going to leave my personal fundraising goal open ended and watch to see what happens.
Also, I am designing my own runner’s prayer shirt to wear on race day that will have the Lazarex Cancer Foundation’s Team for Life logo on it along with the names of the friends and family members we have dedicate our donations to. If you would like me to add your loved ones name/s to the shirt please reply to me with the following information:
(Choose one) In Honor of/ In Support of/ In Memory of, NAME, Type of Cancer.
Sending My Love and Blessings!
Melinda Wilson
Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support Lazarex Cancer Foundation
******************************************************************************
Some email systems do not support the use of links and therefore this link may not appear to work. If so, copy and paste the following into your browser: http://Lazarex.kintera.org/mcm2011/melinda_wilson?faf=1&e=4640610293
******************************************************************************
8/16/11 - The surgery
Good Evening Everyone! We have WONDERFUL news that we wanted to share as a result of Jas's surgery this morning! As you read through you'll see that we use a lot of exclamation points, CAPITAL LETTERS, and bold formatting. The reason for this is because
So we are definitely staying overnight at the hospital tonight and we won't know until tomorrow whether or not we'll stay one additional night. A lot depends on how mobile Jas is able to be tomorrow and his pain levels. They are pumping a lot of drugs in him right now in hopes that he gets a good night sleep. Tomorrow will be a big day to get up and moving around a little.
Again, we can't thank enough for all your prayers and concern and we thank you in advance for the additional prayers below. Here are some of our prayer requests that we continue to lift up to GOD!
1. As God continues to heal Jason, that this cancer not be wasted and the glory goes to the creator and not created things like medicine or machines;
2. God's healing hands on Jason and his recovery; He is in a good deal of pain and has been struggling with nauseousness most of today; Please pray for pain to be lessened and for his overall comfort to be increased.
3. For God to make it clear whether or not we should stay in the hospital tomorrow night or not.
4. For patience for both Jason and I during the recovery process;
5. Daily revelation of where God wants us to be witnessing and serving through this process and to give us the boldness and wisdom to do so;6. Continued blanket of God's peace & strength - Jas is going to need both of these over the next few weeks as he tries to become more mobile and battle the pain.
ANSWERED PRAYERS just from last week! HOW EXCITING TO SEE GOD'S FINGERPRINTS ALL OVER THIS SITUATION!1. For wisdom and expertise for Dr. Aboulafia (surgeon); ANSWERED PRAYER!!!
2. For a smooth surgery and the ability to remove the tumor without it rupturing; ANSWERED PRAYER!!!
3. For a skin graft to not be necessary; ANSWERED PRAYER!!!3. Continued blanket of God's peace & strength. ANSWERED PRAYER!!!
There are a couple of bible verses we continue to stand by during this difficult time. Romans 8:18 and 28...
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU so much for your continued love, support & encouragement! We are just WOW'd by how God has provided us exactly what we needed during this tough time. To have such amazing family & friends (who feel like family) to be so generous in so many different ways to help us through has been such an incredible gift to us!
We Love You and are so blessed to have you in our lives!
Jas & Meg
So we are definitely staying overnight at the hospital tonight and we won't know until tomorrow whether or not we'll stay one additional night. A lot depends on how mobile Jas is able to be tomorrow and his pain levels. They are pumping a lot of drugs in him right now in hopes that he gets a good night sleep. Tomorrow will be a big day to get up and moving around a little.
1. As God continues to heal Jason, that this cancer not be wasted and the glory goes to the creator and not created things like medicine or machines;
2. God's healing hands on Jason and his recovery; He is in a good deal of pain and has been struggling with nauseousness most of today; Please pray for pain to be lessened and for his overall comfort to be increased.
3. For God to make it clear whether or not we should stay in the hospital tomorrow night or not.
4. For patience for both Jason and I during the recovery process;
5. Daily revelation of where God wants us to be witnessing and serving through this process and to give us the boldness and wisdom to do so;6. Continued blanket of God's peace & strength - Jas is going to need both of these over the next few weeks as he tries to become more mobile and battle the pain.
ANSWERED PRAYERS just from last week! HOW EXCITING TO SEE GOD'S FINGERPRINTS ALL OVER THIS SITUATION!1. For wisdom and expertise for Dr. Aboulafia (surgeon); ANSWERED PRAYER!!!
2. For a smooth surgery and the ability to remove the tumor without it rupturing; ANSWERED PRAYER!!!
3. For a skin graft to not be necessary; ANSWERED PRAYER!!!3. Continued blanket of God's peace & strength. ANSWERED PRAYER!!!
There are a couple of bible verses we continue to stand by during this difficult time. Romans 8:18 and 28...
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU so much for your continued love, support & encouragement! We are just WOW'd by how God has provided us exactly what we needed during this tough time. To have such amazing family & friends (who feel like family) to be so generous in so many different ways to help us through has been such an incredible gift to us!
We Love You and are so blessed to have you in our lives!
Jas & Meg
8/12/11 - Prep for surgery
Good Morning Everyone! We wanted to send out a quick update to confirm that Jason's surgery is a go for next Tuesday, August 16th. Hooray! What a huge answer to our prayers - THANKS GOD!!!
We met with Dr. A this past Wednesday and he walked through the process one last time with us. Fortunately Jas' skin condition is good enough to operate on. While we have seen changes in his skin since his last radiation treatment (redness increasing to the point of looking like an intense sunburn and some peeling) our Dr. felt good to move forward. Prayer request answered - THANKS GOD!!!! A couple other pieces of information. With having another MRI completed this past Monday, they were able to compare the actual measurements of the tumor. The tumor has shrunk by about 50%. Another prayer request answered - GOOOOOO GOD!!!! When Dr. A's nurse shared the news with us she shared in our excitement of Praising God when we heard the actual measurements! Thirdly, while we've been praying also for the tumor to firm up, Jas and the Dr. didn't seem to think that there was a change in firmness. Dr. A stated that if it hadn't firmed up any, that it wasn't going to. So... surgery is scheduled for 7:30am next Tuesday at Sinai (Baltimore) and will last approx 2.5 hours.
We are so blessed with having such an amazing support network of family and friends! Taylor will be in Ohio with her grandparents for 10 days and then will return with Jas' mom who will be staying with us for a week. And to you Marylanders who know us so well, thank you for the meal line up for weeks. We feel so loved! THANK YOU!!!
1. As God continues to heal Jason, that this cancer not be wasted and the glory goes to the creator and not created things like medicine or machines;
2. For wisdom and expertise for Dr. Aboulafia (surgeon);
3. For a smooth surgery and the ability to remove the tumor without it rupturing;
4. God's healing hands on Jason and his recovery;
4. For patience for both Jason and I during the recovery process;
5. Daily revelation of where God wants us to be witnessing and serving through this process and to give us the boldness and wisdom to do so;
6. Continued blanket of God's peace & strength.
And just an added bonus, as we were meeting with Dr. A we discussed hospital arrangements and whether or not I would have the ability to stay in the hospital the entire length that Jas would be admitted. Bless his heart, he is arranging for Jason to have the "suite" recovery room which is one of the best. This will allow a cot to be in there for me to sleep on vs. a recliner. Now that's just God all over it : ) What a compassionate God we have!
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Thanks so much for your continued love, support & encouragement!
Jas & Meg
7/22/11 - The Creator working through His Creation.
Hello Again Everyone - We wanted to share some exciting news as Jason continues to move forward in his treatment!
In meeting with Jason's Orthopedic Oncologist and Radiation Doctor this week, we learned some valuable information that we wanted to spread the news on. Both Dr's agree that Jas' tumor has reduced in size significantly, their estimates ranging between 35 to 50%. GO GOD! That was fantastic news and such an answered prayer, as that has been on our prayer list for quite some time now! MANY THANKS go out to all of you for your prayers! The reason this is such great news is that the smaller the tumor is, the easier the surgery will be to remove the tumor as the margins will be greater in working with one part of the tumor that was touching the bone initially and another part of the tumor that an artery is wrapped around. The other piece of information that Jas' surgeon shared was that he would like for the tumor to firm up a little more before surgery to make it easier to take out the entire tumor without it rupturing, as right now it's more of a liquid/fluid type consistency. So you'll notice that has been added to our prayer request list : )
The other piece of Great News is that Jas will finish his radiation treatments by the end of next week! Hooray! He's seeing the light at the end of the tunnel from that perspective and I'm sure our car will too lol. He truly has been a trooper this past month, continuing to work and on top of that spend a total of 3.5 hours on the road daily. God clearly is giving him an unbelievable sense of calm, as it's so easy living in this DC area to get road rage : )
Overall, we felt very good about our meetings with both Dr's and still continue to feel at peace that we are where God wants Jas to be for surgery and continued treatment. Another big step that was taken, was that the surgery was set for August 16th. The overall surgery will take about 2.5 hours. Jas will be in the hospital at least 2 days and if a skin graft is needed, which they will not determine until in surgery, then it will be longer. So, things are moving forward! We are in progress of arranging for Taylor to head back to Ohio with her grandparents. so she can have fun with them and not be confused by all of the upcoming events Mid August. What a huge help that will be to us!
Again, we can't thank enough for all your prayers and concern and we thank you in advance for the additional prayers below. Here are some of our prayer requests that we continue to lift up to GOD!
1. DRAMATIC reduction in the size of the tumor as the result of radiation;
2. Tumor to firm up prior to surgery;
3. Minimal side effects if any from the radiation, as any skin changes could result in a delay of surgery;
4. As God continues to heal Jason, that this cancer not be wasted and the glory goes to the creator and not created things like medicine or machines;
5. For wisdom and expertise for Dr. Aboulafia (surgeon)
6. Daily revelation of where God wants us to be witnessing and serving through this process and to give us the boldness and wisdom to do so;
7. Continued blanket of God's peace & strength.
So, we also wanted to share a pretty awesome story with you all! Our dear friend Kat, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer about 4 months ago, also goes to Dr. Aboulafia. Just last week she went to see him for an update on her largest tumor on her left scapula. When Dr. A read the x-ray his first words were, "this is frickin' unbelievable...nothing short of a miracle". Here her largest tumor has ALREADY regenerated back into bone and the rest of the tumors in her body are healing significantly fast! So when we went to see Dr. A this week, we intentionally wanted to bring Kat up to him, as he knows that we are close friends and we truly believe that God has a purpose for both Kat & Jas to be going to this Dr's office. But, before we had a chance to bring her up, he asked us how Kat was doing. We all had huge grins on our faces as we discussed her recent news and he said to us, "that truly was a PRAISE GOD moment when I read her x-ray." We shared that we felt God was working through her in AMAZING ways and are THRILLED that he's working a miracle in her! Jas and I continue to be in absolute awe at how God is working through Kat in her situation and feel so privileged to witness God performing a miracle in such a dear friend of ours!
There are a couple of bible verses we continue to stand by during this difficult time. Romans 8:18 and 28...
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Thanks so much for your continued love, support & encouragement!
Jas & Meg
In meeting with Jason's Orthopedic Oncologist and Radiation Doctor this week, we learned some valuable information that we wanted to spread the news on. Both Dr's agree that Jas' tumor has reduced in size significantly, their estimates ranging between 35 to 50%. GO GOD! That was fantastic news and such an answered prayer, as that has been on our prayer list for quite some time now! MANY THANKS go out to all of you for your prayers! The reason this is such great news is that the smaller the tumor is, the easier the surgery will be to remove the tumor as the margins will be greater in working with one part of the tumor that was touching the bone initially and another part of the tumor that an artery is wrapped around. The other piece of information that Jas' surgeon shared was that he would like for the tumor to firm up a little more before surgery to make it easier to take out the entire tumor without it rupturing, as right now it's more of a liquid/fluid type consistency. So you'll notice that has been added to our prayer request list : )
The other piece of Great News is that Jas will finish his radiation treatments by the end of next week! Hooray! He's seeing the light at the end of the tunnel from that perspective and I'm sure our car will too lol. He truly has been a trooper this past month, continuing to work and on top of that spend a total of 3.5 hours on the road daily. God clearly is giving him an unbelievable sense of calm, as it's so easy living in this DC area to get road rage : )
Overall, we felt very good about our meetings with both Dr's and still continue to feel at peace that we are where God wants Jas to be for surgery and continued treatment. Another big step that was taken, was that the surgery was set for August 16th. The overall surgery will take about 2.5 hours. Jas will be in the hospital at least 2 days and if a skin graft is needed, which they will not determine until in surgery, then it will be longer. So, things are moving forward! We are in progress of arranging for Taylor to head back to Ohio with her grandparents. so she can have fun with them and not be confused by all of the upcoming events Mid August. What a huge help that will be to us!
Again, we can't thank enough for all your prayers and concern and we thank you in advance for the additional prayers below. Here are some of our prayer requests that we continue to lift up to GOD!
1. DRAMATIC reduction in the size of the tumor as the result of radiation;
2. Tumor to firm up prior to surgery;
3. Minimal side effects if any from the radiation, as any skin changes could result in a delay of surgery;
4. As God continues to heal Jason, that this cancer not be wasted and the glory goes to the creator and not created things like medicine or machines;
5. For wisdom and expertise for Dr. Aboulafia (surgeon)
6. Daily revelation of where God wants us to be witnessing and serving through this process and to give us the boldness and wisdom to do so;
7. Continued blanket of God's peace & strength.
So, we also wanted to share a pretty awesome story with you all! Our dear friend Kat, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer about 4 months ago, also goes to Dr. Aboulafia. Just last week she went to see him for an update on her largest tumor on her left scapula. When Dr. A read the x-ray his first words were, "this is frickin' unbelievable...nothing short of a miracle". Here her largest tumor has ALREADY regenerated back into bone and the rest of the tumors in her body are healing significantly fast! So when we went to see Dr. A this week, we intentionally wanted to bring Kat up to him, as he knows that we are close friends and we truly believe that God has a purpose for both Kat & Jas to be going to this Dr's office. But, before we had a chance to bring her up, he asked us how Kat was doing. We all had huge grins on our faces as we discussed her recent news and he said to us, "that truly was a PRAISE GOD moment when I read her x-ray." We shared that we felt God was working through her in AMAZING ways and are THRILLED that he's working a miracle in her! Jas and I continue to be in absolute awe at how God is working through Kat in her situation and feel so privileged to witness God performing a miracle in such a dear friend of ours!
There are a couple of bible verses we continue to stand by during this difficult time. Romans 8:18 and 28...
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Thanks so much for your continued love, support & encouragement!
Jas & Meg
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