Thursday, December 29, 2011

2nd checkup, echocardiogram, round 9

There is an app called Blogfire, if you would like to receive these posts faster than the computer email delivery then download the app. (thanks mike and libby)

Aly had ultrasound at 8:15 this morning, then bloodwork, then met with doctor to review ultrasound results, then had echo cardiogram, now having round 9 of chemo.

Ultrasound revealed that the lymph nodes that were larger are now more normal. We went in expecting a good report to be that the nodes had shrunk again. The result was that the nodes were found to be similar to the other nodes which is actually good. Not knowing exactly how much the nodes had swollen compared to normal, once we found out they shrunk 25% after 4 weeks we now realize that if they had shrunk 25% more then they would actually be smaller than normal. So short story, we want all the lymph nodes to look the same, and today we found out that they do look more similar than before.

Aly's blood work came back good again today. 2.87!!

Dr. Morrow was not here today but we met with another doctor who just approved the remaining 4 treatments of taxol and we were done with him.

Aly's echocardiogram went good, it is simply a test that looks just like ultrasound and they are measuring the performance of the heart so they have a baseline to look at when we get to the next chemo cocktail beginning Jan 26.

Aly is getting round 9 of chemo right now.

On a fun note a doctor today said to Aly, your hat looks great and that wig looks great too. Only problem was it was not a wig, we had a good laugh.

Let me say that as we have gone further in this process we have realized that Cancer is truly war. I described it as a fight at first but a fight is short, aggressive and the outcome is predictable early.

War is planning, studying, working and then daily walking that plan out. Aly and I have truly felt at war. We have had conversations that no one plans on having, especially with their 24 year old wife. This is the most tangible spiritual war that we have ever faced. This has a face, a name and inspires true hate from Aly and I toward the devil.

As the spouse for Someone going through this process the devil becomes relentless in his pursuit of attacking us. For Aly cancer has become a living breathing foe.

I am stating that we are fighting the devil in Aly's body, our marriage and our relationships.

Matthew 10:38-39
38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me you are not worthy of being mine. 39 if you cling to your life you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Only 4 more treatments of Taxol!!!!!!!

That is what my nurse said as she was finishing administering my 8th round of chemo! She said "only 4 more rounds of Taxol!" How awesome is that?! It really has gone by quickly. After Taxol, I"ll have another 12 weeks of chemo, but then I'll be done with chemo forever!!

Let me back track....Josh and I were planning on heading to Houston Thursday morning, but late Wednesday afternoon, we were offered a plane ride that we could not turn down and it was an amazing blessing. We flew into Houston Wednesday night and had blood work and chemo on Thursday...I was done at 12:45 with everything!!!!! We couldn't believe how fast everything went. Oh, and my ANC was 3.74!!!! I cant tell you how thankful we are for this wonderful blood work!

We stayed at a hotel the first night, and Thursday night, the Stanfills opened up there home to us, yet again. We had a great night, a great dinner, and a wonderful time visiting with their family. We love them!!!

We flew in this morning and I was able to get some more of my shopping done today. It's amazing how much more energized you can feel by being in a plane an hour and a half as opposed to 6 hours in a car. God is so good to us.

Next week, I have my 2nd ultrasound to once again monitor my response to treatment, as well as an echocardiogram. Because the 2nd type of chemo I will be on is much more tough on the body, they have to make sure it won't negatively affect my heart. Please be praying that the cancer is continuing to shrink if not gone, in Jesus' name. Also, please pray the echocardiogram comes back normal so I can get the FAC treatment come January 26th.


I love you guys!!!! Merry Christmas!!!!

Here are some pics from treatment 8...


Saturday, December 17, 2011

Home from Treatment 7!!!!!!!

Hey guys,


We made a really short trip this week and are done with treatment 7. YAY!!!!!!! Josh and I headed down Thursday afternoon, had blood work this morning and then chemo this afternoon. We left Houston around 4:30 and got home around 10:30. The blood lab was down and it took what seemed like forever to get my lab results back. We were nervous that they had dropped but guess what?!?! ANC was 3.3, baby!!!! We were so excited. The people in the treatment waiting area were staring at me, but I didn't care as I raised my hands, praised the Lord, and hugged and kissed my man...whew, we were relieved! So, I got chemo and everything went well. God is SO SO good.


Josh has been giving me my neupogen shots and it has been pretty entertaining to say the least. In case you didn't know, Josh is a people watcher. I am more of a bull in a china cabinet, while Josh is particular and pays attention to details- me, not so much! I do it more now because of my profession, but I am typically not that way. I am working on it though:) So, we talked about who would give me my shots, and we decided that Josh would. He had watched my nurses do it several times and I felt completely confident in letting him do it. He did a great job and he makes it fun, of course. So, needless to say, when my blood work came back high, you can guess whose ego rose, and he wasn't afraid to show it!!! Of course, it had to do with my shot administrator:) I LOVE him!!!


The drives are getting LONG! It really isn't that bad, but I think making the trip in 2 days made it seem that way. Thank goodness, we received DVD TV show series to entertain us while driving. Not only did it keep us awake, but it made us laugh. Thank you Emily and Sam Jones for our Psych season (almost done!!) Next week, we are hoping that Pilots for Patients will be able to take us to Houston, but we will see! They have such an amazing organization and we are looking forward to meeting them.


I had one of my best weeks last week, as I had little to no body aches and very few side effects- it was great!!! The new side effect I am facing is not being able to be comfortable, temperature-wise. I am hot, then cold, hot, then cold, and the pattern continues. It is frustrating trying to sleep, sit in a car, and sleep, so I am hoping and praying this will subside soon. Once again, such little side effects compared to the normal, but figured I would tell you guys as much as I could. 


As you guys continue to pray for my healing and for God's will to be done through all of this, please continue to pray for my fertility. We are praying and believing Psalm 128, and over the last week or so, this has been on my mind a lot. 


As Christmas is a week away, I have thought much about Christ and the gift of Himself and how I want this Christmas to be different. God has chosen me, among all the other 24 year olds in the world to face this, right now, at this time in my life. I have thanked Him for choosing me as He has entrusted me to be the vessel I need to be to accomplish His perfect and divine will. I want to praise Him this Christmas. I want to be still in His presence and honor Him and be in awe of Him. I commit that this Christmas will be different and every Christmas hereafter. 


My prayer for every reader of this is that you make this Christmas different. I pray that we all get on our knees and praise and thank God for who He is and what He has done in our lives. I pray that if you find yourself far from God, that you humble yourself and seek Him with your whole heart. God is wanting to do a work through me, and it may be to reach you. So, if you are reading this, please, I beg you, and I know God is waiting on you--- come to Him. Seek Him. Repent. Please do your part on accomplishing a part of what God wants to accomplish through me. Join me in making this Christmas different. Thank God for your good health, your family, and friends, coworkers, boss, etc... Thank Him for the things that aren't going well in your life, as he is longing for you to cling to Him and seek Him so that he can do something amazing in and through you.


"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." Romans 5:3-5 


Join me in rejoicing when trials come...


"Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." 2 Corin. 12:9


I am living proof of this verse...physically and spiritually. I have felt weak so rarely. I am so thankful that God promises me that His power and strength works best when I am weak. This is why when people say how well I am doing, I have to say it is not me!! God's strength is being made perfect. He is gets all the honor and praise.


I have the most amazing husband, the most supportive and loving family, and the absolute best friends in the entire world. Ironically, I feel the most blessed I ever have this Christmas. God loves me so much that He chose me to show His power and His love as he continues to heal my body according to His will. May we thank and praise God for all he has done this Christmas. As we struggle and go through trials, I pray we never forget all the things God has done for us---this verse has CARRIED me..please, cling to it.


Psalms 103:1-5 "Praise Yahweh, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise Yahweh, O 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."


Let us not forget his benefits!! One of my favorite worship songs is "Desert Song" by Brooke Fraser. My favorite line in the song is "All of my life, in every season, you are still God, and I have a reason to sing. I have a reason to worship." This is SO true of my life. I look back on every part of it. Every tragedy, heartbreak, crisis, sadness and God has been with me and taken care of me in EVERY season. I love my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.


Ok, it is 2:15 in the morning and I am preaching a sermon!!!!! I promise I don't start writing intending to do that...ha:) I couldn't sleep and figured I would update you all. I better get to bed...LOVE YOU ALL!! Thank you for loving us!!!


Oh, I almost forgot, I will be debuting "Raquel" tomorrow, otherwise known as my wig:) The hair is just simply getting too thin. Even though the wig is a wig, it looks so much better than my current hair, so why not break it out. Hope you all like Raquel:) Pictures to come soon. Here is one from my 7th treatment!



Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Ordering more Aly's Fight shirts

This is a guest post by Lee Taylor

Thank you so much to everyone who has bought an Aly's fight shirt. We have sold nearly 300 shirts thus far! The response has been amazing, and it has been such a blessing to see people wearing their shirts around town to support Aly. (If you have not received your shirt yet, please email alysfight@gmail.com to make sure that we get that shirt to you)

We will be making our next t-shirt order on Monday so get your orders in by Monday to make sure you have your Aly's Fight t-shirt.

T-shirts will cost $20, with all proceeds above cost, going to help Josh and Aly cover the increased expenses that come along with a situation like this.

There are always so many questions about shirts, so I hope the following information will answer most of your questions. If you have any further questions about sizes or orders, please email the t-shirt team at alysfight@gmail.com . We are all volunteers who have jobs, so please give us 24 to 48 hours to respond.

Ordering Process

Some have said the shirts fit slightly smaller than a normal athletic t-shirt. If you are concerned about which size to order then you may want to order one size larger than normal, but we can answer those questions if you email us at alysfight@gmail.com.

PayPal and Credit Card instructions

1. To pay with PayPal or a credit card, please follow the link and enter the donation amount which covers the cost of your shirts.https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=S6ETLSY73DS7Y

2. The second step is to email alysfight@gmail.com
with the shirt sizes desired, and we will get you a
confirmation for your order.

To see the t-shirt follow the link below

If you wish to pay some way other than via card then arrangements can be made by emailing us at alysfight@gmail.com

Thanks for all your support,
Lee Taylor

P.S. A huge thanks to everyone who wore their shirts and took part in the CCS basketball benefit for Josh and Aly. It was an incredible night!!


Sunday, December 11, 2011

Round 6- check!

Treatment 6 done. Halfway through Taxol!!!!! Praise the Lord! We had a rather uneventful trip, which is a good thing. I came down this week with my mom and sister, and my brother- in- law came in yesterday. We relaxed and shopped and had chemo yesterday. My ANC came back at 1.47 which was definitely high enough to get chemo. I just pray it continues to stay that way...I know it will.

My neupogen shots should have been delivered to our house on Saturday, and I was to take one shot Saturday, one Sunday, and one Monday. Well, they did not come in and we are still waiting. I just got off the phone with the on-call pharmacist at the specialty pharmacy where we ordered the shots, and she said they did not get sent because the prescription was invalid. The only part lacking was the instructions on how to administer the shots! So frustrating, because we know what to do and to administer one each day for 3 days after chemo, but they cannot fill the prescription without all of the information. This totally makes sense, but just wish someone would have called me so we could have done something about it.

These shots are important for not only keeping my immunity up, but for my counts to be high enough to get chemo on schedule. I am to call my doctor and the pharmacy first thing in the morning to try and get all of this straightened out. I know everything will end up ok, it is just hard to know you need a shot and you can't get it!

Once we get all of this figured out, they will be delivered to us weekly, which will be much easier than going up to MD Anderson or another hospital.

Please pray I can get a shot tomorrow and that my ANC will not drop...love you all. I am so thankful for a good week of chemo...it really was great. I don't want that to be overshadowed by my frustration with the shot issues... I know you all will be praying that I get my shots..THANK YOU!

Here is a pic from #6!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE 8:25 p.m.

When we posted this, we got a call within minutes that allowed me to get the neupogen shot tonight. Wow, the hand of God and His favor is upon us. Whoever read this and prayed immediately, I cannot and will never be able to thank you enough. We also will be able to get it tomorrow and Tuesday. So, I'm only one day late, as opposed to 2 or 3 like we thought it could be.

Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation--so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?"

God is taking care of me and He is hearing all of our prayers. I have always known God hears us when we pray, but WOW! I will not be afraid...the one who holds my world in His hands is the One I trust. 

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Finally headed home!!!!

We are so glad to be headed home! We thought we would be home a week ago, so we are ready to be home. We went to a church service last night so we could head home right after my shot this morning...did I say we are glad to be heading home?!

I know you guys already know because of Josh's post, but ISNT GOD SO GOOD!?!! I can't begin to describe the weight that has been taken off of me. What I knew God was doing in my body has been proven. Others now know what I already knew...God is healing me and will continue to until I am cancer-free!!!! Oh my goodness, what a day that will be!

The last ultrasound I had was the one when they saw the suspicious lymph nodes and did an immediate biopsy that came back positive for cancer. To say that laying on that ultrasound table is unnerving, is such an understatement. I get undressed and lay on the bed for about 15 minutes, then a lady comes in and does the ultrasound...she literally does not say a word as she measures the lymph nodes on the screen. I am praying the entire time, resisting the devil and thanking God for good results. Once again though, doubts can fill my mind. Has it spread? Is that why she's not talking? Is it not responding? Maybe thats why it's taking her so long to measure...thoughts like these run through my mind. Thankfully, I have the power of the Holy Spirit and I can combat those negative thoughts with God's word. She finally leaves and tells me that the radiologist will come in to give me the results. I wait for another 15 minutes. Tears streaming down my face, praying and believing for good results. The radiologist finally comes in and tells me there seems to be a 25% improvement...I so badly wanted Josh in the room with me for this, but they don't allow you to have anyone come back. Yes, it was lonely and scary, but such amazing moments with me and my Heavenly Father..vulnerable, desperate, trusting, and resting in His presence. As the radiologist left the room, I just praised God over and over.

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and He will flee from you." James 4:7

Dr. Morrow was thrilled at the response and she is just so great. I will be taking 3 shots for 3 days after each treatment to help with the ANC level. It is amazing that I haven't gotten sick with my levels so low. God is surrounding me as a shield.

"He is my hiding place and my shield. I hope in His word." Psalm 119:114

"But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head." Psalm 3:3

We met with my reconstructive surgeon and we discussed what we would do come surgery time. Lots and lots of new information. We loved my doctor and we will meet with them again probably around March or April. Reconstruction will happen 6 months to a year after radiation.

Considering everything, we have actually had a good couple of weeks. I was able to spend some much needed quality time with Josh and we had a great few days with my mom and Ms. Renea. We have shopped, rested, and Josh and I even got a massage. My sister and my mom blessed us with a massage, and it was amazing. We got some Christmas shopping done and it feels good to have some of that underway.

These last 2 weeks have been the worst I have felt thus far. I still feel ok, but many headaches...please pray this subsides. I am so thankful and blessed to only be having few side effects. The neupogen shots have caused my lower back and body to ache, along with the headaches. It comes in waves and right now, I feel great, but that has been a struggle. Overall, I am so thankful to feel like I have been.

We have been staying with one of my mom's friends, Ms. Tammy and she and her family are so great. We had a blast visiting with them last night. God has put such a desire in Josh and I to do for others what has been done for us. I think I have already said this, but it just keeps being planted in us over and over. We want to give. We want to serve. We want to go way out of our way for others in ways that may seem over the top.

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me." Matthew 25:35

We have been so taken care of. Thank you for loving us!!!!

Getting one of my neupogen shots.

                                                     Treatment 5 done!!! Woo Hoo!!!!!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Aly's Fight T-shirts!! and a benefit game this week!

This is a guest post by Lee Taylor

I know that everyone has been waiting to hear word about the Aly's Fight T-shirts. We just picked them up today, and I think they look AMAZING!! It is going to be so cool to see people around town supporting Aly and hearing about her story... or better yet her testimony!

We will be dividing up the shirts between now and Monday and then figuring out a plan to get them in your hands. We will post that information by Monday evening. If you have any questions please send them to alysfight@gmail.com. There are some extras available, but I am sure that they will go fast.

Secondly, the Claiborne Christian School varsity basketball teams have dedicated this season to Aly. Their coach, Robert Mitchum, and the team also decided to dedicate their first game this Tuesday night, December 6 to Aly. All proceeds from the game will go to benefit Aly and Josh as they continue this fight. This is an incredible gesture and is all the more meaningful because of Aly's history as a cheer coach and Josh as a basketball coach. This will be a great night. More info on the game can be found in the video below. Admission is $5 and the games start at 6:00 PM.




Thursday, December 1, 2011

Bam!!!! White blood cells galore and shrinkage!

Aly had the ultra sound this afternoon and we found out that the lymph nodes are down 25% which is great! The last ultra sound Aly had was where our journey took quite a turn so to have a great experience now is much better.

Aly's blood count came back 1.68 which is only .02 low and is plenty high enough to get chemo today. Aly is much happier now, I was scared for the doctors safety if she told my wife she couldn't have chemo.

We are truly blessed with Dr Morrow, Aimee and Courtney. Certainly not all the people but the ones we really run into.

So we have to stay in Houston to get neupogin shots the next three days and will come home Sunday. Aly will now get neupogin shots for three days following each chemo treatment which should help solve the low white blood cell count.

Aly told the doc that the nupogen shot in the belly hurt her back and the doc asked did you think about taking your pain medicine and of course Aly the beast didn't even think about it. To that the doc just stared at Aly and said are you kidding me.

God is working through my incredible wife.

Cancer: we now have evidence that you are losing, the snowball is rolling I would get out of the way if I were you.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Still in Houston

So, we are still in Houston. Yesterday, we talked to my nurse and she said that nothing could be done until my counts go up. They told me to rest and we would draw blood again on Wednesday. We decided to stay here to give my body the best chance of the best rest.

Please pray my counts go up! We plan to stay in Houston until they do. In the future, there is apparently something they can give me that helps my counts go up so that this is not such an issue. We are praying and trusting that a great solution to all of this will be made!

As of right now, on Thursday I have an appointment with the reconstructive surgeon, as well as an ultrasound and an appointment with Dr. Morrow. This is the appointment I have been long awaiting as the ultrasound with show how I am responding to chemo...I can't wait to see how well it is responding!!! After the ultrasound, we will meet with my Dr. I assuming to discuss the results and to gain a little more clarity on that the future treatments look like.

Please pray my counts go up so high and also that the ultrasound shows the cancer shrinking, if not gone! God can do more than we would even think or imagine, so I am having faith that some would note as foolish...

We will stay in Houston until my chemo treatment is given! Please pray it happens quickly...it is so crazy to feel fine, yet your blood work looks terrible. God is so good to me. I take all of this as a sign of the chemo working wonderfully, killing all cancer cells in my body. I told Josh last night that even though my hair continues to fall out, I gain some sort of satisfaction from it...cells are continuing to be killed. Of course, struggling with it, but God has given me an incredible perspective.

Love you all and thank you for praying for high ANC counts and great results on Thursday...

Monday, November 28, 2011

Trusting

God is faithful and He works everything together for the good of those who love Him- that's me!

Josh and I are trusting God throughout this rough weekend, because He knows what I need and just when I need it. Yesterday, they were able to get in touch with a doctor and they ordered the chemo- I was overjoyed! All they were waiting on was my blood work. We were fully assuming that they would rise like last week. Well, the blood work came back and my ANC was .32. Of course, I was disappointed and could not receive chemo again yesterday. We ate lunch, went to whole foods, and took a nap in time to wake up for church.

It has been a whirlwind of emotions from hopefulness to disappointment again and again. The Lord never changes. I can depend on Him and His unfailing love when I can't depend on anything else. I have no idea how people go through cancer without a relationship with the One who holds their life in His hands.

We went to an amazing church service last night and God spoke to the both of us in very specific mighty ways. The church embraced us and once again the body of Christ was shown in a powerful way. The pastor spoke on miracles...I obviously am praying for a miracle and believe that one will take place in my body. However, I do not want to seek the promise-giver or miracle-maker for the miracle or the promise. I obviously am believing and claiming that, but that is not the reason I seek God. I praise and seek Him because He is worthy of it- just because of who is is- His very character. I am seeking Him for Him...not just for His miracle working power. This was reiterated in the message we heard last night.

We stayed in a hotel for the first 2 nights here and of course thought we would only be here one night. Last night, we moved from our hotel to a special friend's friend's house (Mr. Clint and Ms. Rose Ann). They have an apartment attached to her house and it has been such a blessing to have those opening up their home to ours. Last week we stayed at one of my mom's friend's house from college (Ms. Tammy)....people have been so generous to us..we are so grateful.

We are sitting in the lobby at MDA waiting to see what the doctor wants us to do. We are assuming blood work again, hopefully followed by chemo if my white cell count raises. Please pray with us that they raise, if it is God's will.

I have been challenged this weekend to be thankful in all circumstances. This is a command by God and I will obey.

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful In all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I am thankful and praising God for this setback. I am not sure why, but I will be thankful and praise Him for everything. Thank you for joining us again in prayer!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Frustrating day

Hey guys,

We made it to Houston last night after flying in from Tennessee for Thanksgiving. I had my blood work this morning and I was then supposed to have my chemo at 10. It was nearing noon, and they still had or received the results of my blood work. They finally got in and my ANC was .29. Ugh!!! Remember last week it was .86 and it was too low? Well, this week even lower.

The nurse could not get in touch with Dr. Morrow to see what she wanted to do. We are in the main building this week since our normal one is closed for the holidays. Apparently weekends and especially holiday weekends are crazy over here. They still have not talked to Dr. Morrow and they must talk to her before they order chemo. They were able to administer the neupogin shot, but cannot do anything else without Dr. Morrow's approval.

We were planning on heading home to West Monroe today, but now we will just wait here until they hear from Dr. Morrow. They will definitely hear from her on Monday, but we are praying that she calls them back sooner and I can get chemo tomorrow.

I just cried and cried when the nurse told me we couldn't schedule chemo for today or tomorrow. Even a day or a few days, or a week to be off schedule seems like an eternity. The nurse told me I need to rest my body, so we are resting today and tying to enjoy some time together. Please pray that Dr. Morrow calls back soon. We will keep you updated.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Silpada Jewelry Event to SUPPORT Aly

Like myself, we are all searching for many ways to SUPPORT and BLESS Aly through this journey of her life. I would love to invite you to another event being held so that you can help make this possible! I, with the help of my dear friend Brandae Miller/Silpada Representative, am holding an ONLINE jewelry catalog order. Brandae has been blessed beyond words can say with her growing business and has been waiting for the opportunity to bless someone in return. She will be donating 100% of her profit to Aly and Josh.

If you are not familiar with Silipada Jewelry, it is handcrafted with the finest Sterling Silver and manufactured to stand the test of time with a LIFETIME GUARENTEE! To order and browse the catalog, type in www.mysilpada.com/brandae.miller as appears, making sure that you include the forward slash and period between brandae and miller or it WILL NOT pull up Brandae's home page. PLEASE make sure that at checkout, you CHOOSE ALY TAYLOR as HOSTESS so all purchases will go towards Aly's Event!! This event was initially going to be held through the entire month of November, but Will be extended until DECEMBER 4. Note, we will need to close on the order by that date so all orders will be processed and delivered in plenty of time for Christmas! Like myself, what not a perfect time to do Christmas shopping for those wonderful people on our list, and at the same time, contribute to blessing an AMAZING young woman!!!!!!!

If you have ANY questions or would like help placing the order, please contact Lee Ann Shows at 318-376-0674 or Brandae Miller (Silpada Representative) at 601-807-9343. Please get your orders in soon! Blessings to all and Happy Shopping!!!!!!!!

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Almost devastation turned victory!

Hey all! We are home from Houston...yay!!! Whew, I have so much to write. First of all, thank you so much for your prayers Thursday..they were so vital to me and God answered them. You all are amazing.

Thursday, I had my port pre-op appointments with some of the nicest ladies yet. Then, I went to get my bloodowork and had the sweetest nurse who confided in me that she was pregnant and hadnt told many people yet..so,so sweet. It is crazy how close you can feel to people that are working hard to not hurt you and just want to take it all away. She was precious.

After my bloodowork, we grabbed lunch and shopped a little and headed to an outlet mall about 30 minutes away. On the way there, we tried calling some of my nurses to see if they could tell us how the bloodowork came back. It took forever to get to someone who could actually tell us something. We finally talked to Joy in the infusion therapy department and she was able to compare my blood work from last week to this week. The part they are concerned with is my ANC count (similar to white blood cells). It is supposed to be at 1 or higher. Anything lower than that puts you at an increased risk for infection and doctors typically do not feel comfortable administering chemo below 1. Last week, my ANC was .95 and this week it dropped again to .86. Joy was nervous they were not going to be able to give me chemo, so she contacted my doctor. We were at the mall for 10 minutes when we received a call from Joy to say that they wanted to give me a shot that night to try and boost my ANC level. So, we headed back to MD Anderson! We laughed that we had driven all that way to turn around again! Thankfully, I have an amazing husband and mom that were more excited for me to get the shot than to stay and shop and get a break from the hospital.

Soooo, we headed back! Traffic was crazy and we moved about 10 miles in an hour, but we made it:) I got the neupogin shot and it went well. It burned pretty badly as it went in, but other than that, it went well. Esmie, my nurse, said that it could cause some bone pain, but so far, so good!

Joy informed us at the time of my shot that we had to wait 24 hours to get chemo for the shot to be in my system, so, at that point my chemo changed from this Friday morning to Friday night. We planned on leaving this Friday afternoon, but then we learned my chemo changed, so we thought we would have to stay the night, but no, God is bigger!!!

I had my surgery this Friday morning and it went well. It took about an hour and I am really sore, but it went well. I said some pretty funny things and did some crazy things...that provided some entertainment:) My collar bone and neck just hurt badly! It hurts to talk! It should go away, but this catheter is in my jugular and is just very uncomfortable. It will get better as I get used to it though.

Now comes the good news!!! They took my blood through my port during surgery and remember my ANC was at .86 Thursday? Well, Friday it was at 8.11!!!! Yes, crazy high!!!! All it had to be at was 1 and it ws 8! We were thrilled and so thankful. It is amazing how the Lord orders our steps.

Because of this, we could have chemo whenever and didn't have to wait until Friday tonight. So, we had chemo around 12! Talk about change of plans..God's plans are so much better than our own. Because he knows the future and just because of who He is, He goes before us and knows what's best. He knows the end of my story ends in victory. He just wants me to trust Him, and I will trust him- no matter what.

I am standing on His promises! It has really hit me in the last few days just how long this process will be. I am such an organized person that wants to check off dates and move along, and that will happen, but it will take a while. I will wait patiently for the Lord. Praying this moves along quickly, but I will wait as long as He has me wait.

"Rest in the Lord asnd wait patiently for Him." Psalm 37:7 "But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint?" Isaiah 40:32

He will save me. I will live and declare the works of the Lord!!!

"I will not die. Instead, I will live to tell what the Lord has done!" Psalm 118:17


 On the way to Houston on Thursday morning.

 Shot on Thursday night.
 Ready of my port surgery Friday morning.

This creeped us out a little when they put this on her foot. Josh asked why and they said to identify me during surgery so that they do not have to interrupt the "sterile" zone near the actual surgery site.

Still a little odd.
Round 4 in the books. Again, for whoever blessed us with the iPad2, please look on my lap and you will see just one more time we have used the iPad. It has been a blessing.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Port surgery

Aly just went back to get her port put in. We were with the doctor and they asked if she wanted complete sedation or just enough for her to not actually be in pain and of course in classic fashion Aly says just give me the lesser one because we have some stuff to do today when this is over. I literally am in awe of her ongoing strength because let me tell you that I ask for the gas at the dentist office to get my teeth cleaned. Needless to say they would have to knock me out just to make me stay still, this woman is crazy strong.

The lady asked her what is your pain tolerance and said on a scale of one to ten when would you be uncomfortable and to that Aly said 8. The lady looked at me expecting me to say something different and the only thing I had to say different was I don't think she feels pain.

Today's Proverb is golden, especially Verse 22: the man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the LORD.

I now know why Nic Cage called for advice on treasure hunting when they were shooting National Treasure. Anyone could look and see I have quite a jewel....that is my sad, bad attempt for the day.

We will post later on when we a actually getting round 4 of chemo and how the surgery this morning went, as of now she should be out of surgery in 15:05seconds.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Prayer request

Hey guys, just wanted to send a quick prayer request. I am getting my blood taken today and I need my white blood cell count to be high enough to be able to get chemo tomorrow. I am believing that it will be, but since it was low last time and they had to get permission from Dr. Morrow to administer the Taxol, I am concerned, so please pray! Also, they said my potassium was high, so please pray that lowers as well.

Almost done with all my pre-op stuff and then to get my blood taken, which is why I am having you pray..then surgery and chemo tomorrow. Love you all!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Port Install- New Support-

Well this week we will leave from the Monroe airport at 8am and be in Houston at 9am and have a short drive to the airport for Aly's pre-op visit. We cannot say thanks enough for the help that is being given to us  tomorrow. Needless to say for us to only travel for 1 hr and be in Houston instead of 6 hours is a huge blessing. Thank you.

Aly will have her port installed Friday morning. This will be a minor surgery but still a surgery that involves anesthesia. Aly will then have her 4th round of chemo following the surgery. We ask for your prayer that these go well.

Last night our dog, Bella was acting really frustrated and we finally found out why. She had an idea and we weren't listening, after listening to her we did as she said and we now have new support for Aly's fight.....


Yes, that is the cancer ribbon cut into our dogs hair. She is excited to support. Please don't report us to PETA.

Today Aly went to get a little haircut from Stephanie Noland at Salon 7.






Aly looks as beautiful as ever. Once again I was able to see my wife go through something that by all accounts should be quite traumatic with shocking style. Yes this haircut looks amazing but as Stephanie washed and then brushed Aly's hair it was as though all the hair was just falling out.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Faith

As the chemo begins to show it's physical signs in my wife I continue to have the opportunity to see God move in ways that are unreal. Many of the moments that are the most moving are very quiet, personal moments that allow me as a husband to have the opportunity to admire my wife and God working through her.

When we started chemo and came to understand some of what the side effects could be I came to value some things that I may have taken for granted. My wife has the most beautiful hair in the world and for the last 3 weeks when I could, I have helped dry it for her. This seems even odd to write but let me say for me to be able to serve her was also an opportunity to be with her. Well over the last few days the chemo has shown up and those beautiful blonde hairs are beginning to be lost. As I was drying her hair i just stopped and hugged her and told her I was sorry this was happening to her.

This is one of the moments I will never forget, Aly looks at me and says, "thats just the cancer falling out".

Richard Richardson spoke this morning about Standing at edge of Canaan. There is no doubt that Aly would give a report that the land is great and is truly ours ready for the taking. Lord help me to truly be the Joshua she needs in this fight as a husband because in these moments where you are watching your wife go through things you wouldn't wish on your enemy, much less your wife, it is very hard to not get caught up in the little things.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Treatment 3 done!!

We are almost home from Houston and have had a great couple of days. My mom, Rachel and Lee, and Darren and Candace came to Houston with us and it has been so great to have them here.

Josh and I came here on Thursday in time to visit with Ms. Vanessia, Misty, and Cassie. We had a great time with them and as of Friday, Ms. Vanessia is officially in remission!!! Praise God! I can't wait till I will be able to join her, but I can't tell you how thankful and excited we are for the West's. They are so special to us and to have this great news makes us so so happy.

I had my bloodwork and chemo yesterday and all went well. We had to wait for forver to get my chemo and were wondering why, because that had never happened before. Well, my white blood count had dropped so they were awaiting approval from my doctor to make sure that I could get my 3rd treatment. She said yes and we got started! No problems after that. I just am supposed to stay away from sick people:)

I felt great after chemo and am still feeling great. We had a great time eating and at the mall last night and did some shopping as well today. It is so good to spend time with family, and it doesn't hurt to have family that you are really good friends with. That is what we have. We are so blessed.

The next things that are coming up is my port installation and a possible BART test. Hopefully we will be able to get the port in soon so I will stop having to get poked! It is crazy the amount of nurses that cannot find my veins...I have gotten used to it now and it hurts less because I know what to expect. Nevertheless, we are ready for that port. It should be installed either before or on December 1st. It will be a surgical procedure, but should be fairly short.

The BART test is another genetic test that apparently catches the things that the BRCA test does not catch. I am supposed to meet with a genetic counselor soon to talk about scheduling the blood test. Please please be praying that test comes back negative as well, as it would have many of the implications that the BRCA would have had, had it been positive.

God is so good to us. I was able to go back to work this week a little bit and besides a few little things, I have been feeling great.

Josh and I at some point hope to tell all the stories of how generous people have been to us. One story that is on my mind in particular has to do with my hair. Here in the next few weeks, I will start really losing my hair and of course was anxious of how to handle all of this. Do I wear scarves, hats, wigs??! I mean, who would have ever thought I would be contemplating all of this! Anyways, I looked at wigs and of course the good-looking ones were fairly expensive and we didn't know what we would quite do. Well, to make a long story short, my friend and hairdresser, Stephanie Noland, showed up at the Taylor's with a card that contained enough money for us to get a great wig. Several people from our church contributed to this and we were just overwhelmed at this gift.

The Lord has impressed upon us such a strong desire to help others like we have been helped. We want to be half as good to others as you have been to us. Thank you for being the example to us that we strive to be like. Christ has been shown through all of you. Besides feeling God's presence more than ever, we see Him in all of you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.








I will be rocking my wig soon:) Thank you to all who contributed-you are amazing and we love you!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Buy a T-Shirt to support Aly


This is a guest post by Lee Taylor

I, like all of you, love Aly and Josh so much and feel blessed that they are part of my family. I want to begin by apologizing about any confusion with the t-shirts because I did not get Josh all of the information.
A group of us have had a shirt designed that we hope will show support for Aly and help get more people praying for her situation (I also believe it will be an amazing testimony as they see how she handles this process).

T-shirts will cost $20, with all proceeds above cost, going to help Josh and Aly cover the increased expenses that come along with a situation like this.

There are always so many questions about shirts, so I hope the following information will answer most of your questions. If you have any further questions about sizes or orders, please email the t-shirt team at alysfight@gmail.com . We are all volunteers who have jobs, so please give us 24 to 48 hours to respond.

Ordering Process
Please follow the link below to download and print a t-shirt order form. These forms, along with payment, can be dropped off at a designated location or mailed to the address below. (Those wishing to pay with PayPal or credit card, which is the easiest option, please refer to the directions at the bottom of the page.) Checks need to be made out to Lee Taylor.

Locations to turn in order forms
Claiborne Christian School
Family Church
Salon 7 on Hudson Ave. Monroe, LA

Orders can also be mailed to:
Aly’s Fight
435 Kendall Ridge Ct.
West Monroe, LA 71292

The t-shirts are fitted and may fit smaller than a normal athletic t-shirt. It is also important to note that girls and guys shirts fit differently. The shirt printers advised anyone questioning about the right size shirt, to go up a size more than they normally would wear.

The first order will be made on Friday, November 18th, so get your order in as soon as possible.
PayPal and Credit Card instructions

1. If you wish to pay with PayPal or a credit card, please follow the link and enter the donation amount which covers the cost of your shirts. https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=S6ETLSY73DS7Y

2. The second step is to email/forward a copy of your Paypal receipt along
with the shirt sizes desired to alysfight@gmail.com , and we will get you a
confirmation for your order.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Pictures from Round 2

Here are a few pictures from Round 2 last week...

Aly showing off her haircut...

Here is Aly getting her IV put in for the MRI and the chemo.

Here is Aly getting round 2 of chemo.

 We will head to Houston tomorrow around lunch and get to Houston around 6pm. We are excited to get to spend some time with Martin and Vanessia West, Kirk and Misty Frantom and Matt and Cassie Remington.

We are praying that Mrs. Vanessia gets a great report Thursday and Friday.

Friday, November 4, 2011

More good news!!!

We are on our way back home! Yay!!!! It has been a great couple of days, but we are tired. God has been faithful in giving us rest and great results this week.

Yesterday, as I was having the MRI on my abdomen, Josh received a call from Dr. Babiera saying that my MRI on my right breast came back clear!! Praise God! In case you don't know or don't remember, they saw some calcifications on my right breast on my mammogram and wanted further testing. Even though I trusted God on all of this, I was concerned when they were concerned, and to know that came back clear brings me HUGE relief.

The abdomen MRI yesterday was interesting. I had to do several breathing exercises during the test by holding my breath for certain periods of time on and off. It was intense and not the most relaxing of tests; however, thus far I have really enjoyed my cat scans, bone scans, MRIs, xrays, mammograms, ultrasounds, etc... I spend the majority of the time praying, singing in my head, and claiming scripture. These are also times when it is quiet and doubts fill my mind and I get to put into practice taking my thoughts captive. Yesterday, while in my MRI those doubts started filling my mind and this is the scripture I kept claiming over and over.---

 "Lord, when doubts fill my mind, when my heart is in turmoil, quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer." Psalm 94:19

And taking every thought captive-- " We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets up itself against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."  2 Corinthians 10:5. God has truly used this time for me to trust in Him and His word.

Here's the thing though- had these tests not been good, I would still be trusting in the Lord. I am so thankful for these test results, but it is not human wisdom or tests in which I trust. It is God. For all you "Family-churchers":)- if you read your proverb yesterday, it told us to not be impressed with our own wisdom or wisdom of others.---

"Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones." Proverbs 3:7-8

I've told God many times to use whatever He may to bring me and my family closer to Him. Sometimes, that means hardships, and I've questioned telling Him to do whatever it takes:) But, regardless of what happens, I choose to praise Him and trust Him. Ok, now I'm rambling!

We visited family here (Ms. Lynne and Mr. George- Ms. Nancy's mom) and stayed with them last night. We had a great time, ate good, and we were so thankful they let us crash their house.

I had the second round of chemo this morning and it went wonderfully. We had a new nurse this time, Grace, who was great and I still feel nothing:) We were back there 4 hours!! It takes about 2 hours once the medicine actually begins being infused.

I am so excited!!! We went to whole foods today, because I have completely changed my diet over the last 2 1/2 weeks to eating extremely healthy and eating recommended "cancer-fighting foods." It was amazing. We stocked up on some stuff that I am excited to try and eat... I am SUCH a foodie with a HUGE sweet tooth, and yes it deserves all caps:) So, needless to say, this has been a struggle for me, but I am in for the ride. It was exciting to find some foods I can eat:) We bought all this food with gift cards we received from so many wonderful friends- I can only try to repay all of you--thank you so so so much.

While we were there, we got a call from my sweet nurse, Aimee, to tell us that my abdomen MRI came back clear. Once again, praise God! I told you I knew the good news would keep on coming!!! They will do another MRI on the abdomen in 6 months to re-check, but everything looked good.

2 treatments down and 14 to go!!! Woohoo!!! Love you all...thank you for your specific prayers yesterday.

Oh, and here is a pic of me and Josh eating after chemo today with my wonderful mom:) I cut off some of my hair to get ready for the hair loss...I typically am a picture-picky person, but for the sake of my journey and for all of you, I've lost all inhibitions...not the best pic (4 hours in a hospital bed!), but just wanted to share one of me and my man today!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Prayer requests

Hey guys! So, we are on the road again:) I know Josh updated you all about the negative BRCA test...to say I was the most excited and thankful person on the face of the earth is a complete understatement. Not only were the results given sooner than expected, but the result was negative. I literally jumped up and down for 5 minutes and thanked God over and over and over and over! He is so good to me.

This does not necessarily change the course of treatment, but knowing I do not have that gene means my ovaries do not have to be removed and my chance of cancer reoccurrence is no higher than another breast cancer survivor...I still get chills even when I write it right now. This good news will be followed by more good news- I just know it. So thankful to be trusting the One who holds my future in His hands.

Ok, so now for the point of this post- I have an MRI today on my abdomen because they saw a teeny tiny spot on my liver (only millimeters) that they suspect to just be a cyst, but because it was there, they wanted to have this MRI today. Please pray that the MRI comes back clean. Also please pray my second round of chemo goes well tomorrow. I have had very little side effects thus far. It is amazing to have poison in your body and feel amazing...My God is taking care of His girl.

I will update more tomorrow and tell some awesome stories, but just wanted to send specific prayer requests today. Love you all and thank you for being trusted prayer warriors.

"I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death." Psalm 30:1-3

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

BRCA Genetic test NEGATIVE!!!!!

We just received a call letting us know that the genetics test (BRCA) which determines if Aly is at higher risk than normal to get cancer came back negative. This is a great piece of news that has made our day.

Had this test come back positive then it would have made the bi-lateral mastectomy a must and then also would mean that the ovaries would also have to be removed. Then thinking further down the line it means less worry for our children.

The prayers are without a doubt being heard because every doctor that looked at Aly's family history has all but guaranteed that she would come back positive for the genetic mutation.

By no means the only positive we have experienced but to date one of our biggest victories in the fight we will win against cancer.

We love you guys and thank you, remember if you want to receive updates when we update the blog just enter your email to the right.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Round 2. Aly's Fight T-Shirt

Well round one of chemo is almost over and we are prepping for round 2. Aly had a rough spot yesterday but is feeling much better today. We will leave for Houston and round 2 on Thursday. Aly has an MRI on Thursday and then will receive chemo Friday morning.

There have been a ton of questions about the T-Shirt that has been on Facebook so Lee Taylor, Stephanie Noland, Krista Richardson and some other friends asked me to let you guys know that we are having a shirt designed that will be available to order next week. the shirt on Facebook was one that was online and was put on Facebook by a great CCS student who wanted to help, thank you so much Triston.

Well from that, this idea was born and there will be a completely custom T-Shirt design just for Aly's Fight.

Thanks again for all the support and remember if you would like to know when we update the blog just subscribe by entering your email to the right of this blog and each time we update the blog you will be notified.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Pictures from MD Anderson

This is the first round of Chemotherapy.


This is the ultra-sound/ lymph node biopsy. 


Bone Scan. For 20 minutes Aly was told to not move. This in and of itself would make me crazy.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Wow- what a week!

Hey guys! It is Aly again and we are on our way home- praise God! So thankful Josh has kept you all updated so that you can be praying specifically each day. I will fill you in on some more details, or I will try. We just got so much information, and it can be very overwhelming.

Oh by the way, I am writing to you all and Josh has been writing on our new IPad 2. It has been an absolute gift from God. Someone anonymously donated it to us, and to say it has been a blessing to us is an absolute understatement. We have gotten Internet everywhere which has helped us with directions, Josh being able to post to the blog, email, Facebook, etc... The most helpful thing has been being able to use it for my mymdanderson.com This is a website that each patient gets that has their schedule on it, along with messages and reminders. To be able to pull up this information on the iPad in a quick way has made a very hard and overwhelming thing become quite easy. To whoever did this, thank you. God has used you to help us feel connected and have a tool that makes this process easier and even fun at times. We are blown away at how God gives us exactly what we need when we need it.

When we got to MD Anderson, all we knew was that we were having a few tests run Wednesday and we would meet with the surgeon Thursday. We had absolutely no idea that we would be doing test after test, literally from 8 in the morning till 7 at night, and definitely did not think we would be doing chemo before we headed home. So, to say the least, it has been completely different than we expected it to be, but we know God goes before us and he determines our steps.

Thank you to all who prayed for my mammogram...little to no pain at all!!!!!!! God is so good and he heard the prayers of his people- thank you to all who prayed for that specifically. After my mammogram, I had an ultrasound and figured it would just be a routine ultrasound, only to find out they saw inflamed lymph nodes, and literally did a needle biopsy within 15 minutes. It was a blessing to have it all done so quickly, but just caught me so off guard and that was very emotional for me, and as you know already, that biopsy came back positive for cancer. Of course, this was not good news but so thankful to have it, because this is just the information the doctors needed to know how to treat me in the most effective way.

We met with a physician's assistant (Pier Tansey) and our surgeon (Dr. Babiera) the following day. All along, we thought I would first have surgery and then chemo, but because of finding out that cancer was in my lymph nodes, the wanted to go straight to chemo to kill as many cells as possible and see how I react to chemo. They got us in to a fertility specialist since there is a chance that chemo can affect fertility and wanted to start chemo right after creating embryos. After chemo would come surgery (bilateral mastectomy), then possible radiation, then reconstruction. So, needless to say, a lot of information in one sitting! For the time it would take to do all of the fertility stuff, it looked like I would start chemo around November 17. We obviously were overwhelmed, but felt like a plan was in place. The surgeon scheduled an appointment with the medical oncologist that very same day to go over what would be involved in chemo.

So, we meet with the medical oncologist who is an absolute God-send. Dr. Morrow is amazing with such a gentle and kind spirit, and she is the one who diagnosed me at stage 3 breast cancer because of the spreading to my lymph nodes. Also, by looking under the microscope, it scared her because by running a test, with 100% being the highest on the scale for the propensity of the cancer to grow, mine showed a 98% and this scared her. Because of this, she felt like chemtherapy needed to be done right away; however, we had just set up appointments with the fertility specialist. We were faced with the question of do we wait for the chemo to have our fertility taken care of, or do we take the doctor's advice to start immediately? Um, yes, the hardest and most difficult decision thus far. Josh and I cannot wait to have children and this was breaking our hearts. We prayed, cried, prayed, and cried some more and finally decided to start chemo immediately. We are trusting God with our future and our ability to have children. He tells us not to worry about tomorrow, but pray about everything and this exactly what we did and are doing. His promised always prove true. Psalm 128.

So, we started chemo yesterday with many, many other tests. I felt great as it was being administered and am still feeling great. God is proving himself to be who He says He is time and time again. Aside from a headache, I am feeling wonderful!!!

I hope this gives you all some more detail. I pray that every time I cross your mind, you pray for us and my complete healing. It is odd for me to post things like this for the whole world to read, but if I know that every person that reads this is praying for me, I will post anything:) Thank you for the specificity in your prayers and truly being the body of Christ to me- hurting when I hurt, crying when I cry, rejoicing when I rejoice, and crying out to the Father on my behalf.

3 of my best friends in the entire world have been with me this entire week (Kel, Ainsley, and Margot), and they have been the biggest blessing I could imagine. Of course, my mom and Josh's parents have been here too, and all they are doing for me and continue to do are amazing.

Once again, thank you for every message, call, and text. I could never express how much it means to me. Also, many funny things happened I will share at some point to have some posts that wil make us all smile. God gave us laughter and joy among the craziness. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! We will keep you updated!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Chemotherapy round one.

Yesterday Aly had a bone scan performed where they put radioactive material in her and try and see if there is any cancer in her bones, today it cam e back negative, GREAT.

Today at 3:30 we started the first step of the physical war with cancer.

Aly has had her blood pressure measured at least twice in the last two days that I remember specifically. Each of those times it was 128 and 134. As we were preparing to have the first round of chemo administered we were told that Taxol commonly causes a spike in blood pressure. The administering nurse, April, warned us of this, so needless to say our expectation was that Aly's would spike also.

After all the rush and hurry and Worldly fear that should have only helped the Taxol spike Aly's blood pressure,the nurse took her first blood pressure after 7 minutes of Taxol and she saying don't worry when it reads higher. She then took her blood pressure and it came to 108- that is lower than it was pre-chemo. She then measured it again 20 minutes later and it came back 105.

At this point April, our nurse just looked at Aly and said no one does this, you're good. Aly is good, but that was God.

All your prayers are working-at times in this fight there will be wins and setbacks.

I'll take my 3 letter word GOD over their words, cancer, pain, blood pressure, heart rate.

Cancer: today my wife begins physical war with you, this is not a lady you want any part of-fierce, determined, steadfast, persevering. I look forward to watching her beat you.

We will stay in Houston again tonight and come home tomorrow. Right now Aly feels good, but we understand the next few days could have some interesting moments. We believe God to heal her and also help limit the unfunny nights and days along the way.

We will return to Houston on Thursday for an MRI and then round two of chemo on Friday.

We look forward to being home with our friends and family.

Steriotactic breast biopsy, MRI, and Chest x rays and chemo round 1

Our request this morning is that you pray that the biopsy they perform on Aly's right breast comes back negative. They saw a few calcium deposits on the mammogram and want to verify what they are.

Also please pray that the chemo goes well. We were unable to get the permanent port installed before this first injection so it will be through an I V. At this point Aly has had more than 15 attempts to get blood, needless to say the arms are hurting.

Pray for Aly to have strength and peace today as she gets to take her first true opportunity to fight against the cancer physically.

Thank you for all the support, please keep it coming.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Meeting Dr. Babiera and PA Pier Tansey

Today was an action day, so far. We have seen two doctors, two PA's and been stuck with a needle already.

Yesterday Aly had an ultrasound that revealed there were five abnormal lymph nodes. They performed a needle biopsy and the result came back cancerous.

We met with the surgical oncologist this morning and the results of that meeting was that we were going to an oncologist. We met with Dr. Morrow who gave us quite a bit of info, first of which is that at this point with a lump with cancer and lymph nodes that Aly would currently be listed as a stage 3 cancer.

Dr. morrow made it clear that she felt time was of the essence due to the aggression and Potential growth rate of Aly's cancer. The cell cycle can be rated 1-100, Aly's is currently a 98 which means that it's propensity to spread and grow is high.

After meeting with Dr. Morrow our thoughts about how much time we had till we needed to start Aly's chemotherapy treatment were drastically changed. Due to time and the need to treat Aly's cancer quickly and aggressively we will do what we can about fertility and preserving eggs but as of now it looks as though that will not be able to happen.

We believe God when he says is Psalm 128:

Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine,
flourishing within your home.
Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees
as they sit around your table. (Psalm 128:3 NLT)

Today we have dealt with the issue of bi-lateral mastectomy and reconstruction and then also with the possibility that chemotherapy could affect ability to have children.

Lord Jesus I believe in your promises but my heart is broken for my wife, please work on our behalf. Please restore our fortunes, Jeremiah 29:11.

The God that put us here will deliver us, Lord please make me the man that you called me to be for you but also my wife.

Tomorrow chemotherapy begins.

The doctors here are already calling her an angel, didn't take Aly long to win these people over either.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Thank you so very much!

Well, Josh and I decided it would be good for me to contribute to the blog, but I'm not quite sure of where to start. I know I want to start with thank you. The love, support, and prayers have been completely overwhelming and amazing. Outside of God, that is what has sustained us thus far. The texts, calls, emails, Facebook messages, blog messages, etc...have been appreciated from the absolute bottom of our hearts. I am trying to respond as much as possible, but if I don't respond, please know that it is only because of lack of time and the craziness that is right now.

I will write more on the blog as time allows, but as far as an update is concerned, we are waiting to go back for a mammogram, and then after that we will have an ultrasound done. Please pray that the mammogram is as painless as possible as I am nervous because of the surgery that was a week and a half ago.

We will see the doctor tomorrow and I am very anxious and excited about that to have a plan in motion. My doctor's name is Dr. Barbiera so that many of you can be praying for her. She is a surgical oncologist, as we have learned that some type of surgery is our next step.

Josh and I can feel the Holy Spirit's presence with us and He has not given us a spirit of fear...He is so good. This is the beginning of a journey that will change us forever. We are believing and expecting great things, and we know so many are believing, praying, and standing with us.

"Lord have mercy on me. See how my enemies torment me. Snatch me back from the jaws of death. Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem's gates, so I can rejoice that you have rescued me." Psalm 9:13-14

I can't wait until I can rejoice when He rescues me! More posts to come...I cannot say thank you enough. Oh, and of course, this goes without saying, isn't my husband amazing?!?!!!