Come and See What the Lord Has Done - Cancer Update #1 (Originally Posted on January 12, 2010)

Dear Friends and Family,

First, let me thank you for all of your prayers. They are working! I finally got home around 5:00pm today and after being at the hospital for 32 hours, I was ready to come home! The surgery was a success and there were no serious complications. Dr. Arnold, my fabulous surgeon, just went through the first incision he made three weeks ago to remove the rest of my thyroid. He did have to make a second incision because the skin above the first incision had begun to graft to the muscles in my throat. I am still not sure how that happened, but it is corrected now and should heal completely!

The first 12 hours after the surgery were the worst. Again, like my first surgery, we had a hard time getting the pain under control, and the anethesia caused me to be really nauseated for hours. Eventually, after the anesthesia wore off, I felt much better. I have been able to keep down clear fluids and some soft foods down, which is a huge praise! I am on a soft food diet for a day or two, and the nurses said to take it easy on the foods, to gradually move from soft foods to thicker and firmer foods.

Next steps? First, the rest of my thyroid will be taken apart by a pathology team to check for cancer. Dr. Arnold is confident that they won't find any, but he just wants to make sure. After my body settles down a bit, I will have a full body scan to make sure none of the cancer has spread. After that, I may possibly have to have radioactive treatment, but that is uncertain as of yet. Keep praying for a quick recovery. The pain isn't unbearable, but it is uncomfortable at times, so please pray that God would soothe my body.

This morning, while I was laying in my oh-so-comfy hospital bed (wink wink), I was reading in Psalms. God never ceases to amaze me. These past few days have definitely been hard, but the entire time, I felt His presence. I've asked Him to protect me from having a "pity party" attitude and to help me be strong. I've also asked Him to help me not push myself too hard. Which is a big request, if you know me. :-)

Psalm 46 really jumped out at me. I took the liberty to personalize it, so take note of that before you read it. :-) It encouraged me so much!

1God is MY refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble!
2Therefore I will NOT FEAR, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
3Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.
4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
5God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He raised His voice, the earth melted.
7The LORD of hosts is with me;
The God of Jacob is my stronghold. Selah.
8Come, behold the works of the LORD,
Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
9He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
10"Sarah, cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
11The LORD of hosts is with me;
The God of Jacob is my stronghold. Selah.

I invite you to come and see what the Lord has done in my life. His love is everlasting and His faithfulness endures. I am nothing and He is Everything.

God, please help me to never, ever forget what You have done.

The Power of Prayer (Originally posted on Facebook on January 10, 2010

Hey Everyone -

Jeremy and I have gone back and forth about whether or not to say anything "public" about this. I don't want to be seen as a dramatic person or someone who is seeking, or wants, attention. I also usually don't like the entire world on facebook to know my business. :-) I know this note will seem like the opposite of that, but please understand that we are writing this note not because we want attention, but because we want and need your prayers.

Some of you know this, and some of you don't. For almost a year, I have been battling something that has been affecting my body. For a long time, we didn't know what was wrong. It's an extremely long story, but eventually we traced the problems to my thyroid. God has blessed me in huge ways in that He has lead us to doctors and specialists who aren't just good in their fields, they are some of the best in the nation. I have an endocrinologist and a surgeon who care about helping me get better, they aren't in their professions for the money. Jeremy and I are surrounded by extremely supportive families and an amazing network of our extended family and friends. Your prayers have gotten us this far, and we need them still. Most of all, we are thankful for a Father who has never left us or abandoned us when we need Him the most.

After a series of tests, discussions, and consultations, it was decided that half of my thyroid would need to be surgically removed. This surgery took place on December 18th and it went great! Since then, I have been spending my time recovering and enoying the holidays. Jeremy and I moved out of our apartment and are now living with Jeremy's parents to save money.

On January 6th, I went to see my surgeon for a routine check-up. It was just supposed to be a time for him to check the incision to make sure there were no infections, etc. During that appointment, my surgeon told me that while a pathologist was cutting up my thyroid, he found a small concentration of follicular thyroid cancer. There was a less than 1% chance they would find any kind of cancer, so it was a piece of shocking and completely unexpected news.

As a result, I will have to have a second surgery and a round of radioactive treatment. God has truly been faithful during this time. He has given us peace, an unbelievable sense of calm, and relief that He has revealed all of this at the right time. We have no idea how long I have had cancer, and to think it may have gone on for years and years before being found...Things could be so much worse than they are now.

My second surgery will be tomorrow morning at 10am at Baylor Dallas. Jeremy will be posting facebook updates as the day goes on, so be on the lookout for those. The story is much more detailed and longer than what I have posted here, so if you want to know more, feel free to ask. I personally like more details in a prayer request so I will know how to pray, so I don't mind others asking for more info.

I have to be at the hospital early in the morning, so I am about to sign off. I will respond to emails, texts, and facebook messages most likely late tomorrow night or Tuesday during the day. We would appreciate your prayers during this time and appreciate any encouraging words you might have. Jeremy has been a trooper during all of this, I can't imagine how I would react if the tables had been turned. We are completely confident in God's plan for us and in Him! We love Him and know that He loves us more than we could ever know or imagine.

We love all of you and will talk to you soon! Blessings!

Sarah and Jeremy

Why, Hello

Time sure does fly. It's been five months since I wrote my last post. Crazy. So much has happened in five months. Jeremy and I both lost our jobs. Our first Thanksgiving and Christmas as a married couple. Being diagnosed with follicular thyroid cancer and ALL the craziness that incurred. Going on countless nanny interviews until finding the family God had been preparing for me.

Gosh.

I have so much I could write here, but for now, I'll transfer a few notes from my facebook page that I have written over the past few months and then work on another update.

Until then...