all this and more

headed to mayo

Okay, lots going on here. Last night around 4:30 AM we woke to someone frantically ringing our door bell... you know it can’t be good when someone comes knocking at that hour. We come down stairs to find two police officers on the front step, another out in the street and Chris’ car parked sideways in the middle of the street - driver door open and the engine running. Turns out someone tried to steal his car last night... along with a couple of others in the neighborhood that had been left unlocked (they found a spare key that must have fallen between the seats - we were completely unaware there was an extra key in the car). The funny thing is, his car had zero gas. Our elderly neighbor across the street woke and called the police when his dog went crazy and noticed our car in the middle of the road. So I was up at 2:30AM with Julia, then again at 3:30AM to take my pills, and 4:30-6:00AM filling out police reports and fingerprinting the car. Good times :o)

As for the month of July, it was great! We spent a lot of time together as a family, and honestly just took it easy. Anna Grace lost two more bottom teeth, both girls have for the first time (ever) slept through the night in their own beds... we are still working on it, but they are doing really well with the “new rules”. Miss Julia has also learned to swim, she can even do a back flip in the water with no assistance - so cute - she’s very proud of herself. That’s pretty much the highlights for the month of July.

Now that August has arrived it is time for my 3 month visit to Mayo. Chris and I fly to Rochester in the morning and will return Wednesday night. My blood work, CT Scans and MRI are on Tuesday (starting at 8:00 AM) and then we meet with my doctors on Wednesday morning to review everything. I must say that I am very optimistic that everything is going to go well. I really think we are going to see clear scans - or at the very least see that we have this disease under control. I will be sure to update you all on Thursday when we return home (I will also post summer pictures of the girls next week).

Please keep our family in your prayers as we face another visit to Mayo. Also, I ask you to continue to lift up sweet Ava - that she may be completely healed.

Happy Moments, PRAISE GOD.

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.

Painful moments, TRUST GOD.

Every moment, THANK GOD.

-Rick Warren

Here are some pictures of Mayo in Rochester, MN...I must say I have a very special place in my heart for the Mayo Clinic, the doctors and nurses are amazing. It's crazy to think this medical marvel is located in the middle of corn fields.These are pictures of the Gonda Building where I have my doctor visits and CT Scans.

 

sad news

My Dear Friends and Family,

 

As many of you know my follow up CT Scan and MRI were this past Monday. We meet with the doctors on Tuesday and sadly things do not look good. My lungs are covered in several tiny spots (the one they saw on the January scan has grown). The Medical Oncologist said at this point he could not say 100% that it was the synovial sarcoma, but that he was pretty sure that it was. We opted not to have a biopsy since they were so small and he wasn't sure he could get a good sample, plus the larger one is very close to my heart and we all agreed not to attempt to biopsy that mass.  We then decided that the best option was to wait until June and do a follow-up CT Scan of my chest, the doctor said at that time he could be sure.... because the tiny spots would have grown and there will be additional new spots, but he would still do a biopsy to be 100%.

 

So here comes the scary part... if the cancer has metastasized to my lungs, the long-term (5+ years) survival rate is very low. The Oncologist said that with the chemo and then surgery to remove the masses as they appeared might buy me 3 years give or take (being very sick for the remainder of my life)... or I could choose to feel good and stay healthy as long as I could (maybe 2 years) until the cancer took over. The kind of cancer I have just does not respond well to chemo - the doctor flat out said that the chemo will not save my life.... only buy me time.  As you can imagine I am sick - completely devastated, but having to hold it together for the sake of my girls. We will not be discussing any of this with them until it is absolutely necessary.  I am clinging to my faith and my family. I really don't know what to think right now, there are so many emotions and they change from moment to moment. I still have that fight inside and I plan to do everything in my power to battle this horrible disease.

 

Luckily, I am going to see Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez on May 5th & 6th. He has cured many stage IV cancers and I am hoping and praying that he will help me save my life. 

http://www.dr-gonzalez.com/case_reports.htm

 

Please, please, please pray for my complete healing and the peace of the Lord to wash over me and my family. Also, I ask that you pray for all those battling cancer - that they too may have good health and the strength needed to fight this war we are all up against.

 

I have so much more to say, but to be honest I am sick to my stomach just writing this email... so with that - I will keep you all updated.

 

With Love,

Montye

 

This will be my last post for a while - I have decided that I will only update when I have new information to share. If you would like to get those updates via email please click on the subscribe link (right side of the blog). Thank you for joining me over the last couple of months, but I will now be soaking up every minute with my girls and my family.

All is clear

My CT scans and mri this past week all came up clear. There was a very tiny spot on my lungs that they will monitor, but Dr. Rose assured me it was nothing to be concerned about. Thanks be to God! We will return to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester again this April for our follow scans. The doctor has decided to only do a CT scan of my chest and an MRI of my back every 3 months and a CT scan of my pelvic area every 6 months (to reduce my exposure to radiation).  I have also set up a meeting with one of their Alternative Medicine doctors for our next trip.  I consider it a gift not to have to endure chemo and radiation at this time and have been trying to do all I can to build up my immune system and stay healthy.  I am currently taking several supplements and vitamins that have been mentioned in various books and articles to assist in fighting off cancer.

All 'n all, I feel great! This journey has given me a deeper faith and a new outlook on life. It's amazing how many blessings have come out of this experience. And again I thank each of you for your continued support and prayers, words cannot express what it has meant to me and my family.

As for this blog, My hope is to keep you all up to date on my progress, as well as, post pictures and stories of our daily life.  If you would like more information on the type of cancer I have, synovial sarcoma, or would like to read my story you can click on the following link http://premium.bluesombrero.com/montyesun . This is a website my darling cousin Elizabeth (and Pete) created for me during my surgeries this fall called Montye's Sun - Outshing Sarcoma.

I will try to update the blog often (daily or weekly), so check back for more post.... and bear with me while I figure this whole blog thing out. If you're wondering why I called my blog "All This and More", it is because often times I look around and think to myself...Wow, I have all this and so much more - Blessings Galore!

My girls: Anna Grace (5) and Julia (3)... my crazy little angels. (photo by Irma at http://www.mazzottiportraits.com/)

With God, all things are possible. Mark 10:27