MK Update 8/3/2008

FINISHED WITH CHEMO & CANCER FREE!!!!!! I have tried to send this e-mail three times this morning and for some reason when I finish the first sentence I was accidentally sending the message. I just wanted all of you to get the point that I am finished with chemo and have no evidence of cancer anywhere in my body! It was been a very long four weeks! That last chemo treatment just about took me down! I went for my repeat scans (a PET scan, CT scan of my brain, and MUGA scan of my heart) on Thursday, July 24th. That was such a long day and I started feeling very ill while I was there. Turns out my red blood cells were very low and Dr. Harrington wanted to do a blood transfusion. I was not comfortable with that at all--so she agreed to allow me to wait and just monitor the blood counts to see if they would come up on their own. I went back to see her on Monday, July 28th to get the results of my scans. They came back with no evidence of cancer anywhere in my body and my red blood cell count was up. It was still below normal, but not so low that I needed a transfusion. Again--your prayers at work! It was certainly a strange day. Although it was great news to hear I was cancer free, I still just felt so weak and sick that it was hard for me to enjoy the news. That same day I had an appointment with Dr. Hagans (my surgeon). He gave me the best advice ever--it just took a week for me to process what he said. He told me that I had taken the most aggressive approach to treating this cancer. If you remember, he had advised me to only do the lumpectomy along with radiation and chemotherapy and to not do the double mastectomy. But, you know me--it's either all or nothing. So, after much research and much prayer I decided to go with the double mastectomy and the most aggressive chemo so that I could get my percentage of recurrence to the lowest possible number. So, he told me that there was nothing more I could do to prevent the cancer from returning, that I should be confident in my decision knowing that I had done everything possible to give myself the best chance, and that I needed to hand everything over to God and let him take care of me from this point forward. Have I mentioned that he is awesome?!?!?

Our trip back to Batesville that day was difficult. I still was very ill--nausea is a terrible thing. When we pulled into our driveway it looked like Pepto-Bismol had exploded all over our house and yard! There were pink streamers everywhere! There was a beautiful sign hanging over our mailbox that read "It's cool to be cancer free". A gigantic sign hanging over our garage door that was painted in pink and said "We love you MK". It was so beautiful and so awesome! Some of the girls from Chris's basketball team (last year's team) came over as soon as they heard our good news and decorated the house and yard for me to see when I got home. Needless to say, I cried and cried! It was so awesome. Those girls mean the world to me! How awesome that a group of teenage girls would rush around to complete something so awesome in less than 2 hours in 100+ degree heat! But, I still was not feeling well and trying to enjoy all of this was very difficult.

I started feeling better Thursday evening and Friday was a pretty good day. I have had a good weekend so far--it is just that my energy level is still low and that is frustrating. But, the fact that I am cancer free and finished with chemo has finally sunk into my brain! And let me tell you, I feel like I am walking around with about a million pounds removed from my shoulders! It's so nice to tell others that I am finished with chemo and am cancer free! I remember there was a time when I thought that day would never arrive! This has been a long and exhausting 8 months not just for me but for my family. I have an appointment on the 15th with the plastic surgeon to get the ball rolling on the reconstruction process. I will have at least two surgeries left to complete that process. And, Dr. Hagans gets to remove my port during my first surgery! That too is so awesome. I know when I can finish the reconstruction, get this port out, and get my hair back everything will really be better. I know it sounds crazy, but I have a constant visual reminders of this cancer and I know when those are gone it will help me to put this behind me!

I can't even begin to express in words to each of you how much you all have meant to me and my family the past 8 months. I know I still have some difficult days ahead, but I am fairly confident that the worst is behind me now! Your prayers and support really have carried me through this experience. My spiritual growth has been enormous and continues to need to improve. I humbly ask that each of you continue to pray for me as I finish this chapter in my life; specifically, that I will continue to grow as a faithful Christian knowing that God really is in control and will take care of me. I love you all and will always be grateful for my Army of Angels that have carried me through this process! You really have been "the light of my world". I continue to pray for each of you daily and love you more than you will ever know! God is good--all of the time! Love to you all! MK

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 NIV