The Roller Coaster Continues

Better safe than repeating this summer again in 5 years. That was our decision after meeting with Dr. Bush- the radiation oncologist. The good news is that the treatments will only be 3 weeks in duration and won’t start until the middle of September. This allows Sara 3 weeks of energy regaining time before the radiation starts and it seems that the radiation treatments will cause a fraction of the side effects that the chemotherapy did. So, for the next three weeks, we enjoy - no doctor’s appointments, prodding, poking, sticking etc. Sara’s looking forward to this!

Emrys spent last week battling a cold, and also getting some rest and relaxation, although a little less than originally planned. He preached at Community Presbyterian Church in Lake City, CO on Sunday. Lake City is a warm community and it looks as if he may be filling their pulpit through the middle of December. (Yup, that’s right- moving again!)

It’s with sadness that we share that we found out that Emrys’s dad, George Tyler, passed away on Saturday. So this week will bring some zig-zagging around the country to make it to PA for memorial services and back to the Midwest for the Wheat family reunion. Please keep Emrys’ family in your prayers as they mourn this sudden and unexpected loss and for us as we travel that our health will be sustained and protected. (Sara’s been given the OK by her doc to fly but we all know about airplanes and germs etc!)

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Marathon- Support Sarah R!

I found out this week that my dear friend Sarah R. is planning on walking a marathon in January on the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society team to raise money for cures for these cancers. As my prognosis is good due to the research and development of these treatments, not all lymphomas and leukemias have reached this point in successful treatments. To the right is the link to Sarah's fundraising page. If you are so led I would encourage you to support her in her trek!
Thanks!!
~sjt

Halleluiah, NO MORE CHEMO!!

Chemo is over- Praise God! After my doctor consulted with the pediatric oncologists at University of New Mexico, we found out last night that the 3 cycles of chemotherapy I have completed will be sufficient and I will have to complete 3 weeks of radiation therapy as icing on the cake to make sure that any little cancer cells that may be hanging out get eradicated as well. But for now, I take great joy in knowing that when I am done with feeling yucky this time around, I get to continue getting better. Its my understanding that the radiation treatments are a little less jarring on the body than the chemotherapy was. Here's for hoping!

So this morning after my Neulasta shot all the nurses, staff and my Doctor were there to share in our rejoicing! It was a wonderful moment that I cherish in the small clinic that has truly cared about me/us and oujourneyny towards the cure. I also found out that another friend of mine is planning owalkingng a marathon in January with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Look for a link to her website coming soon.

So this means that the trip to Branson, MO for a family reunion for the Wheats will be a much better weekend. We will be moving into the apartment today and I'm so looking forward to the space again.

Thanks to all who have supported us in so many ways through this summer journey! All too numerous to thank personally but know that I there was a way I'd love to have the opportunity to personally thank everyone. For now I'll continue in getting as far as I can.
Love to you all! More info on our Lake City opportunity next time- still in the air on that but should have information next week.

Moving again!

Camp has finished out for the summer and most of the summer staff has headed off in the general direction of their homes. We are hanging out at Sonlight for a couple more nights. Tomorrow we will make a day trip out to Lake City, Colorado, a small town about 2 ½ hours north of Pagosa Springs. We’re scouting in a sense as we may have an opportunity to spend some time in this area this fall. More info as things develop.

Spending the summer at Sonlight has been a great experience for us. The staff was wonderfully supportive and the environment can’t be beat! It will be sad to leave but we are ready to move on. We will stay with friends in Durango this week as Sara takes on Chemo Round 6 and hopefully by next weekend the apartment we will be using will be ready for us. We will welcome our own space again as we’ve done the “community living” thing and stayed with wonderfully hospitable friends and family since we left Pasadena in May. Having some time and space to reconnect with each other will be great!

So Cute!!

Camp is full of 3rd and 4th graders this week and they are so cute! Check out the Sonlight site for pictures! The little ones are so much fun as they learn their way around camp; something we take for granted with our older groups. One little guy checked in on Sunday and promptly went to show his buddies the mud pit- up close and knee deep before we caught up with them! No signs, nobody said they couldn’t go out there, who knew!

Camp is over the end of this week we will be moving back to Durango. If you need to send anything our way via Snail Mail, please do not use the Pagosa Springs address; e-mail us and we’ll pass along our current mailing address.

While modern medicine has many good things, it seems you can’t always have them all at once. Sara’s faring much better this go of chemo than the last, but at the price of quality sleep. It’s a sacrifice chosen over 10 days of upset stomach. We hope and pray that her sleep will be back in sync in the next couple of nights.

Thank you all for your continued prayers, cards, calls and support during this summer. The chemo journey is just over half way done and we’re praising God for the success of the treatments thus far. We are forever grateful that this is not something that we had to face on our own.
~sj&et

Awesome News... and not so awesome details...

The CT scan went well on Tuesday and I have had a couple good days before returning for chemo today. Before the chemo came the results of the CT scan: CLEAR! No evidence of any enlarged lymph nodes at all- anywhere! So the good news is that the chemo is doing its job.

The bad news is that I still have to finish out the 3 remaining treatments and my doctor is still talking about radiation. I’d prefer to skip the radiation portion of this show and move on to the “cancer-free” status waiting for me but I’d also like to have my doctor’s endorsement on that. So please pray that the radiation is not necessary and I can move on to regaining my health at the end of September.

Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers during this time. I appreciate your continued prayers as I continue through the remainder of the chemo. It’s especially frustrating knowing that I’m going through the chemo but all the enlarged lymph nodes, scar tissue and all, are gone. The recovery time after the treatments seems to have gotten longer with this last treatment and it is becoming wearing on me overall. Thanks so much and love to you all!
~sjt

It’s so hard to believe that it’s August tomorrow! This summer has gone by fast in some respects and seems to have dragged forever in others. We have 5th and 6th graders arriving this week for camp. It should be fun!

This round of chemo has been the first that Sara has felt the cumulative effects of the drugs. Fatigue is a little bit more wearing and stomach is a bit more sensitive. Sara will be in Durango more than she will be at camp this week so please keep her in your prayers as she goes for the CT Scan on Tuesday and for chemo on Thursday. She is particularly dreading the CT Scan as the first CT scan was a dreadful experience.

Emrys continues to keep busy around camp and enjoy preparing devotions and worship services for camp staff. We’re both looking forward to returning to Durango when camp ends and some time with Sara’s family over Labor Day.

4 Down- 4 To go

Four treatments down, four to go. I will consider it halfway done when my energy comes back and the CT scan is done (August 2). Praise God, the Nuelasta (bone marrow stimulating drug to boost my white blood count) worked great! Last time my white count was 3.6 on a scale of 4.1 (low)-10.9(high) and today it was up to 10.6! I was able to get the Emend (aka WonderDrug) and so hopefully I’ll just be ready to go this time around! I’m encouraged and at peace.

Thanks to all of you who have sent pictures and cards. It’s been a joy to hear from you all! I only wish I had the energy and discipline to write back to you all! But know that your thoughts, prayers, cards, letters and pictures are appreciated.

Much love!
~sjt

July Updates

The last few weeks have been filled with working, dodge-ball, Napoleon Dynamite nights and some nap times as camp has continued. Lots of pictures in the July Pictures link! Sara decided that dealing with the mess of losing her hair was more difficult than the “jump off the cliff” of a buzz cut. So Emrys went to pace with her and on Sunday night we both cut our hair. There are pictures of Emrys’ haircut and the last curl to go. Sara’s haircut was a little more emotional so we didn’t do pictures of that.

Emrys preached at First Pres in Durango on Sunday and that went well and it was good to see our First Pres "family". It was also nice to spend a "non-chemo" weekend in Durango and have Sara have some energy to hang out and visit and do some shopping.

We’re doing well and have 3 ½ weeks of camp left. After August 15th we’re headed out back to Durango to hang out through the rest of Sara’s chemo treatments- much to the delight of our First Pres family in Durango. We have also been given permission to delay our Parish Pulpit travels to January so stay tuned for travel details!

Friday

It’s Friday! And a non-chemo Friday which makes the sun shine a bit brighter and the sky a bit bluer and the grass a bit greener. Sara’s feeling better and regaining her energy. Emrys is working his usual camp stuff and a sermon for First Pres- Durango on Sunday. His “research” has included having to view the original three Star Wars movies this week. We’ll have to wait until Sunday to find out how they relate to the book of Joshua.

Sara’s been resting a lot this week and is blowing through books. Since this week was a rental week at camp we’ve had lots of hands which make for light work. Staff also threw a “Hat Shower” for Sara. Check out pictures on the “What’s New” link on the Sonlight webpage.

We’re doing well and will be working on posting more pictures. Love you all!