33.33% Done

Julie is 1/3 of the way to the finish line! Well, the chemotherapy finish line at least.


This past week has been such a mixture of wonderful, sad, refreshing, hard and happy moments. We had the privilege last weekend to attend a marriage retreat at Sonrise Mountain Ranch, in Cimarron, CO. We went with some dear friends and had an amazing time. The normal 5 hour drive took us nearly 7 & 1/2 as we meandered our way through some beautiful Colorado locales, stopped for lunch and enjoyed God's amazing creation.


The retreat itself was very, very good. The location is such that there is zero cell phone coverage. No email. No texts. No Internet. No nothin. It was awesome. The accommodations were fantastic, we had our own cabin, the setting was serene and perfect.   Here are a few photos:

This is the view as you enter the Cimarron valley

Nice little nature trail that flanks the property

It was very serene!

So cute!

In my element

View from the lodge out onto a small lake

Matt and Chantal, the husband and wife team who run the center, are fantastic people - we feel like we made lifelong friends. I highly recommend it for any couple - newly married or old veterans. 


During the weekend, Julie began to rapidly lose her hair. It was a very emotional situation. Thankfully, I had packed my hair shaving equipment and during our 4 hour afternoon alone time on Saturday, I took on the task of shaving Julie's head. We played "Beautiful" by Mercy Me.  We both cried a lot and laughed a little, but in the end, it was a sweet, intimate time together. For the record, I'd make a lousy hair dresser. I think I picked the right career path! And for the record, it is amazing how beautiful Julie is without hair. It really allows  you to focus on her face and the great features the good Lord provided her. Her smile lights up the room more than it ever did before. 


Today was chemo treatment #2. Sadly, I was flying back from CA and didn't arrive until after she was done, but our dear friend Becky took Julie and sat with her through the whole treatment.  The regiment was about the same, but this time, they do a blood test and the oncologist evaluates Julie's ability to take the chemo treatment. Her blood counts were good - white cells were normal and red were just a little low. She was cleared for treatment and endured another several hours of dripping poison into her body.


This next week we expect to be much like the last one She will be very tired, nauseous, and a bit lethargic, but the second time through should be easier - she knows what to expect and how to deal with things better than before.


Julie's prayer has been from 1 Peter 3:3-4 "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such a as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." That is indeed our prayer.


Thank you all for your prayers and support!

The Tortoise and the Hare

Who doesn't remember this famous fable by Aesop.  The moral of the story of the Tortoise and the Hare is of course: slow and steady wins the race. 

Battling cancer, like life and the race the Hare ran, is truly a journey. There are always mountains and valleys, fields of green and deserts, blizzards and warm sunny days. And while overall Julie is doing very well, this portion of our journey is particularly challenging. Not necessarily for physical reasons, although there are lots of physical challenges. (And memory challenges for me, there are so dang many medicines she is, and can be on, its really hard to keep them straight). 

  

But, emotionally, this is a lot like "The Waiting Place". Do you remember the waiting place?  Its from Oh, The Places You'll Go! (for more on why I love this book, see this post: Seussisms). The waiting place is..."A most useless place...for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go, or a bus to come, or a plane to go, or the mail to come, or the rain to go, or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow, or waiting around for a yes or a no or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil or a better break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants, or a wig with curls or another chance. Everyone is just waiting.

In our case, it's waiting for the pain to come, or waiting for the hair to go, or waiting for a dose of drugs, or a walk to help, or the nausea to slow. Waiting for the prayer to lift, or the weight to shift, the fatigue to stop or the next shoe to drop.

The process of breaking the body down, then allowing it to build back up only to break it down again is extremely wearing on the emotions.  We have both felt like we as a family have been under emotional spiritual attack and would very much appreciate prayers in that area.

To help in "the waiting place", Julie is trying to do several things.  The first it that she is spending a lot of time in prayer and study, and really leaning on the Lord. She has several books that have been very helpful. The second is that we have purchased a decent camera and she is going to learn more about photography and how to use iPhoto. In addition, she has been starting to exercise more, and is going to physical therapy. And the last is, somewhat sadly, retail therapy. The packages are starting to arrive. Be very afraid.

This is an exciting weekend.  We are going away to a marriage conference - it's at a retreat center in Cimarron, CO. 1/2 way between here and nowhere.  It's nestled in the mountains and we are very much looking forward to getting away for a few days.  Please pray for our time away, and for the girls who will be in the care of others.

The next chemotherapy treatment is September 29th. I will just be returning from an out of town trip, and a friend will be taking Julie to chemo on that day.

We are prayerfully living in the reality of "slow and steady wins the race". We are greatly encouraged by friends (especially the visits by friends that have been so encouraging to Julie), by prayer and the presence of the Lord. Thanks be to Him is able to do immeasurable more than we can ever ask or imagine.

Race For The Cure Update

Sunday was race day.


The day started off a bit rocky (and very early at 4:30am), but we prayed for a miracle and got one! Julie was able to muster up the energy to get to the race and while she didn't walk, she was there to see so many friends who came out in support of breast cancer.


The event itself was amazing. There were over 7,300 people at the event and it raised over $100,000 locally. Our team had 49 members and raised over $1,000! Thank you so much to everyone who participated - both financially and physically.


The day started with breast cancer survivors releasing balloons into the incredibly blue Colorado sky:

The 5K run started at 8:00, then the 5K walk started at 8:15, followed by the family 1K walk.  Hannah, her friend Morgan and I did the 5K walk.  Here are some photos:

Hannah and Morgan (Thing 1 and Thing 2) on the 5K walk

Sarah signing Morgan's shirt

Garden of The Gods Park is beautiful

Steve sportin' the cool race shirt, team button and hat from Australia!

Nearing the finish line

We really had a great time. Julie did well given how she was feeling. The last two days she was very, very low, but is slowly progressing. 


The next chemo cycle is scheduled for the 29th of September. Julie will likely lose her hair this week or early next.  Please pray for emotional strength, both during the low physical times and of course during the hair loss. 


We rest on this promise: He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world.


Blessings to all

16.6% Complete

Sometimes the left side of my brain takes over.  


The left side, of course, is the analytical side.  The numbers, logic, rational, linear side of my brain. Given the emotional roller coaster we've been on, I think it needs a little exercise.


I told Julie today that she is almost 17% done with chemotherapy. 1 down, 5 to go. 1/6th of the way there. After next time, she will be 33% done. 2/6th; 1/3. Math is your friend.


Julie's first chemotherapy session was this past Thursday. It was an "interesting" experience. We went into the oncologist office as scheduled, spent 30 minutes in the waiting room, then went to see Dr. Kim. She did a quick exam, sent in three more prescriptions for managing side effects and "released" Julie for chemotherapy. There is no nurse to guide us, just a verbal instruction - "keep taking lefts and go through the double doors at the end of the hall".


We shuffle down the confusing corridor (am I the only one who finds doctors' offices confusing to navigate?). We get lost and ask directions. (Maybe we subconsciously got lost - the instructions were really not all that difficult.) There they were - the double doors to the chemo lab. We walk up to them, take a deep breath and I push the doors open.


We enter a large room with a long nurses' desk in front of us and a large square section to our immediate right, filled with Lazy Boy-like chairs. If they didn't have IV stands next to the chairs, it could have been a recreation room at a senior care center. The first thing I notice is how many chairs there are; that and and how close they are together. This is clearly not going to be a private activity.


We stand there for a minute, not exactly sure what to do or where to go. We shuffle our way over to the nurses' station and check in.  "Julie Maegdlin" we manage to eek out in a weak voice. "Oh yes, Julie. Take a seat and a nurse will be with you soon," the lady at the desk says and then goes back to work. Take a seat? Where? Which nurse will be over? When?


The room has a smattering of patients, some old, some not so old, sitting or reclining in chairs. I happen to notice that only two people have lost their hair. Not sure what to think about that. We awkwardly make our way through the sea of patients in chairs, some family members sitting with patients, IV stands, medical carts and nurses attending to various patients in search of a place to sit. "Should we sit here? No. How about here? Hmmm. Maybe over here?" It was very uncomfortable.


We settled in the far corner of the room where there were two comfortable looking chairs that look back into the room and at the nurses station, but has us staring directly at an older gentleman hooked up to an IV and huddled under a blanket, reclining in his Lazy Boy. Its the best option there is, so we sit down. And we wait. 10 minutes goes by. Nurses go to and fro. Nobody stops. Nobody says anything. Every patient, including the man in front of us has the same look. Our eyes meet, we kind share a knowing half smile, but don't exchange words. The obvious "so, what brings you in here?" question need not be asked. 


Finally a nurse wheels a cart over. "You must be Julie." "Yes," Julie replies. "How are you today?" (insert your own snarky response here. Julie was very polite.) How was your blood work?" "Well," we say, "they told us you were supposed to do her blood work". "Hmmm, I don't see the order. Let me go check."  Nurse goes away. Nurse returns.  "OK, we can do your blood work".  She struggles drawing blood - apparently there is kink in the tubing attached to port. Under her skin. "Move your head this way...maybe its stuck under your clavicle?...Oh, it happens all the time." Long story short, the blood starts flowing. The nurse draws the blood and starts to sort through IV bags. 


"We're going to start you on Herceptin today..." she starts to say. "Wait! She's not supposed to get Herceptin..." I almost yell.  "Oh, let me look. Hmmm. Yes, you are correct.  Let me go get her chart".  Heart pumping, wanting to jump out of my chair, I try to calm myself down. The nurse returns.  In my nicest voice I say, "This is her first time...can you explain exactly what you are going to be doing to her today?"  We get it all sorted out and she gets the IVs going.


Once we got settled in, it became a bit more comfortable.  Julie was drinking tons of water. I got her 3 cups of tea. She went to the bathroom 6 times. We actually say 5 words to the guy sitting across from us and his adult daughter. He's got 5 chemo drugs to go through. Yikes. Despite the awkwardness, she managed to get through 2 pre-chemo drugs (both for nausea) and then 2 hours of chemical insertion. And, in the end, she did AWESOME.


Next time will be much easier. It will be familiar and we will feel less awkward. Her next scheduled "treatment" is the 29th of September. Julie is managing through the side effects well. She is tired, has zero appetite and is a bit nauseous, but overall doing well. 


We are excited about the Race For The Cure on Sunday. Check out the post from last Saturday for details. Race For Cure Info Blog Post Today she took her Neulasta shot - to boost white blood cell and bone marrow- and it is her last day for the steroids, which help counter act the side effects. Please continue to pray for no side effects! She really wants to be at  Race For The Cure, and the Dr. said it would probably be one of her worst days.


I will update the blog again on Sunday, hopefully with some fun pictures of the Race.


God's richest blessings to all!

Chemo Treatment

2 days and counting.


Julie's first chemotherapy treatment is this Thursday, September 8. These last two weeks have been hard. Julie describes it as the "gorilla in the closet".  You know he is in there, and you don't want to go in the closet because you know you are going to get clobbered.  And, you've done everything you can to avoid the closet...worn wrinkled clothes, used every last t-shirt in the dresser...but eventually you have to face the gorilla (or walk around half naked).


We're really hoping and praying that the gorilla is more like the "gorilla in the mist", not King Kong.


We are as prepared as we can be, and maybe more than we should be:-).  We are all "learned" up on the treatment, the side effects, the medicines to counter the side effects, and even the medicine to counter the side effects of the side effect medicine! I am convinced that Julie is going to do awesome!


We have been in a concerted time of prayer and reflection, and we have both been camped on a number of powerful verses, many of them is Psalms. Psalm 103 has been particularly helpful. What an amazing set of verses, but especially verses 2-5 : "Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits — who forgives all  your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."


A few more that have been very helpful
Isaiah 41:13
Psalm 147:10-11
Proverbs 2:8
Jeremiah 29:11


While we are not looking forward to the next 5 months, we put our trust in the Lord, knowing he will carry us, knowing its just a season. We are so blessed to have so many of you praying for us.  Thank you. Please continue to pray for Julie during her chemo treatments - for minimal side effects, for strength, courage, and perseverance. May she be a shining light to others, and may the power of God within her be released to bless those around her.


I will update everyone again on Thursday.


Soli deo Gloria

Race For The Cure Information

Thank you so much for those of you who have already registered for the race and to those to who have expressed an interest and still need to register. Also, thank you to everyone who has financially sponsored us! We are so grateful for each of you.  

Here is a list of information that we hope you'll find helpful and/or necessary for the Race for the Cure on Sunday, September 11th at Garden of the Gods Park.   

Our team (Oh, The Places You'll Go!) will meet at the registration tent at 7:15am.  We will then hand out our team buttons and gather into groups.  You can choose to run the 5K at 8:00,  you can walk the 5K at 8:15, or participate in the 1K family walk at 8:45.  Event officials will direct you where to go at the appropriate time. We do not have plans to meet after the race so you can do your own thing.  

If want to get there early, the whole event starts at 6:00am, with an opening ceremony at 7:00.  Here is a link to the agenda: Race Day Schedule

You have many options for parking.  This is a well attended event so there will be lots of traffic. (Sorry!) Click on the link for further information:  Parking Map

For those of you who have not yet registered, or would like to add/bring someone else with you, there will be a registration tent at the event.  It costs $5.00 extra to register on that day.  Without the extra $5.00 fee on the day of the event adults are $30.00 and children ages 5-16 are $15.00.  You can also pre-register at Chapel Hills mall or the Citadel mall.  Here is the link for the specific locations and times at each location:  Registration and Packet Pickup Info

For those of you who have already registered, you need to pick up your race packet and shirt (make sure to go soon so they don't run out of your size).  You will do this at the same locations that you can register (see link immediately above) - most will probably want to pick up their packets at one of the two malls.

What else do you need to know?  You can call or email Julie or Steve or go the website at: Oh! The Places You'll Go Team Page  for answers. Also, here is a race FAQ: FAQs  We want to make this easy and fun for each of you.  

Thank you again and see you there!

Steve, Julie, Sarah, and Hannah