No Surgery

Metisha got out of her MRI and the tumor on her vertebrate is smaller than they thought and on the outside of the bone so the doctors are not concerned about an immediate threat of paralysis. Praise God! So there is not urgent surgery and they doctors want to target the tumor with radiation. Tisha has an appointment at 7:30 am tomorrow with the radiologist.

Praise God for the continuing good news we have received throughout the day. Pray for wisdom. We have been researching other treatments today and need guidance and wisdom on what to pursue and how to work with the doctors. Praise God for Tisha’s oncologist and his staff who have taken such amazing care of her!

Buckle in for the Ride

Metisha’s left her oncologist office and is on her way to Arlington to have another scan of neck. The PET scan shows the cancer is in her C2 vertebrate and there are two spots on her liver but the cancer is not anywhere else. After this morning, we are taking that as good news! Now we are waiting on this afternoon’s scan and the results to come back from that scan. If the scan shows the risk of paralysis is too high, they will do surgery ASAP. If the risk is lower, they will start radiation on her vertebrate this week. At this point the spots in her liver are secondary to the vertebrate and all focus will be on the vertebrate.

Please know how much your prayers mean to us and how much the truly uphold us. This is terrifying, but we will peace and energy from your prayers. And Metisha’s spirits are good. She even called me to tell me a joke!

Keep praying and I will update you as soon as more information is available.

Not Good

The initial results of the PET scan are not good. The cancer is in Metisha’s neck and vertebrate which has put Metisha at an extremely high risk of paralysis. They have not read the scan beyond this point so we don’t know if the cancer is anywhere else. She is meeting with her oncologist today at 1:30 to discuss the next steps and had another scan after that at 3:30 pm.

Metisha has peace around this news but does not want to be paralyzed. We even had some laughter when we talked.

Metisha’s immediate prayer request is that she will not become paralyzed. Please begin praying for this immediately. Pray for wisdom for the doctors. Pray that a treatment and a cure will be found quickly. Pray for safety for Metisha’s parents (Danny and Barbara) as they drive to Fort Worth to be with Metisha.

I will keep you updated throughout the day as news becomes available. Please, please, please just keep praying.

No Test Results Yet

Tisha had her PET scan today at 2 pm. We don't have any results yet but keep praying! Metisha is doing great and is ready to fight this cancer!

We can’t even begin to express how much your concerns, support, love and prayers mean to us. We are so uplifted by you daily!

Keep praying and keep believing for a miracle!

The Words I Don’t Want to Type

The cancer is back. I wish this was an April Fool’s joke, but it isn’t. Tisha had a routine abdomen scan and the results came back today. There are multiple suspicious spots on her liver and her cancer markers are up. She has a PET scan Monday at 2 pm to confirm the spots on her liver and to determine if there is cancer anywhere else in her body. The doctors will make the game plan after the results of the PET scan are back.

We are no doubt devastated and heartbroken tonight. We love Metisha so much. But we are also looking to hope. In God we always have hope and that is what we cling to tonight. Throughout Metisha’s cancer battle mom and I have each had our own signs of Metisha’s healing. Mom’s sign is a red cardinal. This afternoon as I sat on my balcony crying to God for answers I looked at the trees in spring bloom and there sat a red cardinal. Mom and Dad left for their nightly walk at the farm and Mom prayed on the drive out that God would give her a positive sign. As soon as they began their walk they saw not one but four red cardinals!

So in our despair, we already see God answering prayers. So join Metisha in prayer. Pray for healing. Pray for a miracle of complete and total healing before the PET scan on Monday. Pray not just that Metisha would be healed, but that she will live to be a wrinkly old lady and not experience cancer another a day of her life. Pray for strong faith and hope. Pray for peace. Pray for Mark (Tisha’s husband), Danny and Barbara (Tisha’s parents), Regan and Jeremy (Tisha’s sister and brother –in-law), Lyle and Ann (Mark’s parents) and Kaley (Mark’s sister).

From Lamentations Chapter 3:
I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,
the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed.
I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there's one other thing I remember,
and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

God's loyal love couldn't have run out,
his merciful love couldn't have dried up.
They're created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He's all I've got left.

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It's a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.It's a good thing when you're young
to stick it out through the hard times.

When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The "worst" is never the worst.

Why? Because the Master won't ever
walk out and fail to return.
If he works severely, he also works tenderly.
His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.

-Little Sister Regan

Clean Scan

Tisha had a MRI of her liver yesterday and it came back clean! We are blessed once again with a cancer free scan!

This month we celebrated Metisha’s recovery in a very magical way. Metisha, her mom, sister and brother-in-law spent 5 days at Disney World! Tisha made pink t-shirts that said “Celebrating Surviving Cancer”. We were trying to play the cancer card to win a free night stay in Cinderella’s Castel but it didn’t work. Oh well. We had a blast and were very grateful to be celebrating Tisha!

Does anyone smell burnt liver?

I can not help but feel I smell like over cooked meat today? Eeewww! Anyone who likes that smell is welcome to come by, but I warn you that I am not looking my best today. I feel like an old lady walking hunched over with my oh so cute chemo curl bed head hair do. Mom would be so proud:) On the upside, I am really enjoying my "nurse." Why don't they make "nurse's" outfits for men?

I wanted to thank you all for you prayers these past couple days. I am amazed again by the power of prayer and I am so grateful God answers. Please continue to pray that I will be 100% cancer free. I would also like to ask that you join me in praying that I would be led to whatever it is God wants me to do with my experience. I just hope I don't end up in Africa living in a grass hut:)

God bless all of you and again know that I pray for you too!
Love,
Metisha