Oops our bad it’s Stage 3

So we just got done meeting with Nat’s Doctor for her follow-up from her surgery.

Turns out they got all the tumor (They think) but there was a pencil point of tumor on one of her Ovaries.

So this puts her automatically at Stage 3 Cancer and we are looking at doing Chemo and radiation treatment.

What a punch to my gut. Nat took it well, much better than I am.

She will be starting Chemo on April 13. Will have 6 rounds spaced 3 weeks apart followed up by 25 rounds of radiation daily (Well m-f) so she will finish Chemo end of July and radiation by middle of Sept.

NOT HOW I WANT TO SPEND MY SUMMER!

I am finding it hard to find the grateful in this news but know it is there.

I am grateful they caught the cancer and that it is treatable.

I am grateful that as the Doctor says “We take care of this now and you go on and live the rest of your life”

I am grateful for a job that has good insurance and will allow me to be flexible in my time in the office.

I am grateful I am not traveling like I used to.

I am mad this is even happening.

I am mad that my wife will lose her hair by her 42^nd Birthday

But over all I am grateful beyond anything that We have a good team of experts to get us through this and that we have the rest of forever to be together.

 

New Scar

Well Nat made it through surgery without any trouble. She was quickly in and out and the Doctor came out himself to update me and tell me how well she did.

So grateful for him and his expertise

She does have a pretty long new scar starting at her belly button and heading downward.

Her spirits are great and she is feeling as good as can be expected.

So grateful for the prayers that are offered. She feels them!

 

Update on life

So it has been a year since I last posted.
So much has happened.
First, the little guy in the last post is doing so good

See for yourself. Nat's other sister had twins as well so it is excitement when we get together to say the least.
Last summer Nat and I were in charge of our Ward Trek at Martin's Cove. Such a great place and it helped to mold lives of youth and adult leaders alike.

Our little Miss Boo has turned 8 and decided to be baptized.
We are so proud of her and cant believe that the years have flown by so fast.

So grateful for the Church and what it teaches us. At her baptism we had all the family there.

Lastly I am so grateful to Medical knowledge and blessings from a loving Heavenly Father.
For the last few months Nat has been having very painful and "weird" periods each month. About a month ago she went to see a Doctor. They took a biopsy of her uterus, turns out it was cancer.
We then got into Huntsman Cancer Center for treatment.
I sit here in her room as she sleeps from her surgery this morning. They did a full cut you open hysterectomy.
The doctor feels like they got all the cancer and it had not spread so baring any bad news from he lab reports we are very happy and grateful.

 

Stage 1 Cancer

Well I guess I better fill you all in on a secret we have been keeping.

About a month ago Nat went into the doctor to get some items checked out.

They found a large mass\tumor in her uterus and took a sample and sent it to the lab.

Turns out it is cancer!

We were referred to a local hospital for treatment\options but declined to go there. Instead we contacted the Huntsman Cancer Institute where I had my tumor from my head removed and Nat’s dad is currently being treated.

We met with the head of the gynecology department that deals with this sort of thing.

He was very nice and very informative. He said that the course of treatment was a full Hysterectomy and that he wanted it to be done ASAP. In fact he said how about Wed. (We met him on Friday the 4^th) we asked if it could be later since we had Boo’s baptism to get through. So we are scheduled for the morning.

We told the kids in person after the baptism and they took it well but were quite shocked.

We also told the rest of the family as they were leaving in the parking lot, away from Boo so as not to ruin her big day.

We have felt the prayers of family and friends and I am so grateful for modern medicine and knowledge.

So grateful for my wife and best friend. I hate to even think for a moment how I would ever do this life without her at my side.

 

Baptism!!!

So proud of Boo! Today she was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

She was surrounded by lots of family.

Her birth mother and birth step grandmother were able to make it as well.

Such a spiritual day.

I am so grateful that I have the priesthood and she wanted this.

Fasting

Grateful for Fasting. At one time in my life I would have laughed if you told me I would say that someday.

Over the past few weeks we have seen miracles happen because of Prayer, Priesthood blessings and fasting.

Yesterday my wife and I fasted for our nephew, (who was mentioned in the previous post) as well as his parents.

Last night right before I fell asleep his mom posted the following picture of him.

 

That smile made my day and the fasting done for him all worth it.

I know that fasting if done correctly can have power in our lives. I believe that in order to fast correctly you need to have a purpose for the fast, start and end with prayer, and make sure that you are donating a true fast offering to the Bishop each month. I don’t think you have to donate the money from the fast if you do an extra during the month but then again what could that hurt.

Several years ago in a Priesthood leadership or a High council meeting I herd my Stake President say that we needed to double our fast offering. In a follow up meeting he said that we needed to make our fast offering be triple the amount we normally would give. (I asked him about it almost a year later and he cannot remember saying that, so guess it was personal revelation to me).

I thought ok and started to pay triple the normal about I was giving when counting the two meals. We had already incre4ased it to double the amount when asked. I did this for 3 months then mentioned to my wife that he had asked us to go triple. She said, “Ok but that is going to be hard for our financed” I just smiled and said “We have been doing it for the last 3 months.” She said “ok, keep going”

We have been doing that for several years now and I can truly say we have been blessed.

 

MIracles Happen. Trails of Faith happen.

Just want to throw this out there. My sister in law and her husband have been given a great trial and I am so proud of them.
Read the link for more of the story but let me say I am so grateful to know these 3. Wendy and Ben are true hero's to me. Their strength and faith is inspiring, (especially when I think of them as so young but they aren't).

http://www.gofundme.com/lukecameronmckay

Baby Luke is a special addition to the whole family and I think great things are in store for him
I feel blessed that I was able to be part of giving blessings to Wendy and Ben (I was not the one mentioned in the article) but I did beat Wendy and the helicopter to the hospital for the first flight.

Another item that adds to their being hero's...Ben is just coming up on his year mark since his Baptism. The original plan was to be sealed in the Temple before the baby came but guess he had ideas of his own. This trial of their faith is one that might make some crumble but not these two...love you guys and I am grateful that I know you.