09/03/98-Thursday-Today I went to see Dr. Carpenter. I have a parastomal hernia in dire need of repair. The surgery was scheduled for the next week, Sept.09, on a Wednesday. I was sent to the hospital for pre-op tests. Blood tests and x-rays. The following Tuesday, I received a call from the Dr. The surgery was postponed due to abnormalities on my chest x-rays. He ordered a cat scan of the lung.

09/11/98-Friday-I went to the hospital for the cat scan and wouldn't you know, the machine broke down. It took thirty minutes for it to get fixed. In that time, I got to tell the technician all about Jesus and my testimony. Just then, one of the nurses that I know walked in and wanted to know why I was there. When I told her, she said, you'll be fine. Sometimes these things show up just to shake the doctors up.

09/14/98-Monday-I received a call from the Drs. office. The spots on my lung were more defined and a lung biopsy was ordered and scheduled.

09/18/98-Friday-I went into the hospital for the biopsy. I had had a needle biopsy years before and it was painless. This time it was awfully painful. They went directly into the lung for tissue. I felt like my lung had collapsed. Thank God that pain only lasted for a short time and joy comes in the morning.

09/24/98-Thursday-Today is my 66th birthday. I have an appointment with Dr. Carpenter. He informs me the tissue taken from the lung are cancer cells. Because there are four spots, that is indicative of cancer elsewhere in the body. Primary lung cancer would appear in one spot. They cannot connect it to the bladder or female organs because they have been removed. Now they think that it could be in the liver, so I'm scheduled for a liver scan. He just shakes his head and cannot understand what's going on.

09/28/98-Monday-The doctor is still shaking his head in bewilderment. The liver scan was perfect as is the pancreas. So now they think it could be in the colon, but if it were in the colon, surely the first place it would show was in the liver. Hmmm? So now I'm scheduled for a colonoscopy and an EDG.

10/05/98-Monday-I go to the hospital for the test. They went all through the colon and down past the stomach into the small intestines. One polyp was found in the colon and was benign. Praise God! What a blessing!

10/08/98-Thursday-Here I am, back at the doctor's office and he's still shaking his head. He greeted me with,"I can't find anything wrong with you". Meaning he can't find where these cancer cells originated. I reminded him of what the nurse had told me previously and he said,"I'm beginning to believe it". Now I'm scheduled for a thyroid ultra sound and a visit to the oncologist for evaluation.

10/12/98-Monday-I have the results of the thyroid test. The left gland is smaller than the right and has a swollen nodule. Now I'm scheduled for more tests on the thyroid.

10/13/98-Tuesday-I'm here at the oncologist's office. He said there's no cure for lung cancer but chemo can shrink the tumors. But, the chemo can't be done until my kidneys get regulated. So now I'm off to the nephrologist. In the meantime, God has to be in total control of these cancer cells, or by the time they look at everything in my body, these cells would be growing out of control. Isn't God good? Dr.Saux said they were not aggressive and not to worry. So I'm not worried now and haven't been. Because I know that God cares about every inch of my body and counts every hair on my head. I am so happy to be a child of God and joint heirs with Jesus. I thank Him for that privilege.

10/15/98-Thursday-I went to see Dr.Simon, the nephrologist. I am now scheduled for a renal ultra sound and more blood work. In prior blood work, they found my creatine level twice as high as it should be and could tell that the kidneys were not functioning properly.

10/22/98-Thursday-Had all my blood work done again. Had the renal ultra sound done and will have a report on my kidneys on the 4th of November.

10/23/98-Friday-I saw Dr. Saux, the oncologist today. He said as long as I was feeling good, he would not give me chemo treatments. I was to wait until I showed symptoms. He doesn't want to make me sick. I'm not quite sure I understand all of this, so I am going for a second opinion. I know that God is in control, but I don't think He wants me to just sit and wait until it gets worse before anything is done. Will have more later.

10/27/98-Tuesday-Today I saw Dr. Levine, the radiation doctor. I watched a video on how radiation is administered and saw some people with very positive attitudes doing very well. The doctor viewed my CT scans and X-rays. She too, told me that lung cancer was not curable. I asked her why were they waiting to do anything. She said some oncologists are aggressive and start treating you right away and then you lose the quality of life that you have now. I asked her with what I have now, what would she estimate my life expectancy to be. She said some last for six months, some several years. I asked her if they treated the tumors now would that extend my life span and she said yes. It's also possible that it can be removed surgically. This is not my second opinion. I go to Baton Rouge tomorrow for that. Then they will all put their heads together and decide what form of treatment I'll get. But I did have a choice in being treated or not. I was listening to Oprah this afternoon and there was someone speaking. All I heard him say was, we cannot choose how we're going to die, we can only choose how we're going to live. That was a message right from the heart of God. I am going to live for Jesus and be happy all the way to heaven.

10/28/98-Wednesday- I saw a second oncologist today. Dr. Hanson, a very beautiful young man. You can see the love of God in his face and hear it in his voice. He did not give me any hope for a cure or longer life than the first one did, but he was more enthusiastic about treating me. He was very honest and open about everything, even told me I would lose all my hair with treatment. I told him I had already looked into getting a wig or one of those cute little hats with some curls hanging out the front of it. I'm not really a hat person, but you're never too old for change. He told me that some people you can deal a hand of cards to and they say what's the use and throw them down and give up. Others, you can deal them the same hand and they say, hmmm, let me see what I can do with this. He said I was his kind of people and I do think I will drive that 160 mile round trip to let him be my doctor. He is so bubbly and full of life, that in itself is an encourager. He has ordered an MRI of the brain to be sure the cancer hasn't spread there. Along with another CT scan of the chest and a bone scan. Tuesday morning I go and take a radio-active pill and then return to the hospital for the thyroid scan at 2:00 pm and then the next morning for another thyroid scan and then that afternoon I see the nephrologist again. The second oncologist said the problem with my kidneys may be mechanical and the hernia surgery would probably take care of that. Okay so now I'm right back where I started from. This is so complicated that only a sovereign God could straighten it out. Then he said the large cancer spot may not be the same as the three smaller ones. He's thinking about going into the lung for tissue and they have to put me to sleep because the spots are to small to do a needle biopsy. Now you can see why I don't fret about this, if I did I would go crazy. It's such a joy to bask in the holiness of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I find such a release and a cleansing and fullfillment and joy from all the cares of the world.

11/03/98-Tuesday-Went to the hospital for a bone scan and another CT scan of the chest. Because of the radio-active shot I had for the bone scan, my thyroid study was moved from the 4th and 5th to the 5th and 6th. Thus moving my visit to the nephrologist up a week.

11/05/98-Thursday-Well, I swallowed my 3 radio-active capsules and went back that afternoon for part of the thyroid study, have to go in the morning for the rest of the study.

11/06/98-Friday-Finished with the study, at last. Dr. Levine from Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center called with the results of the bone scan. Negative, thank God. She couldn't tell if the spots on the lung had grown or not. She couldn't get a good measurement. She reccomends that Dr. Saux give chemo treatments. First I have to see Dr. Pittman, the urologist and Dr. Simon, the nephrologist, before anything else is decided.

11/11/98-Wednesday-I went to see Dr. Pittman,the urologist. It's been almost five years since I've seen him. He said the hernia I have has nothing to do with my kidney functioning. He said as far back as November of '94, my kidney functions were not so good. He did order a nuclear study of my kidneys and I go for that on Friday. So now that that was settled, he did a urine culture and found that I have E. Coli. Don't know where I got it from and didn't know I had it. I must be immune from symptoms, 'cause if I don't go to a doctor I never know what I have.

11/12/98-Thursday-Today I saw Dr. Simon,the nephrologist, who only confirmed what I was told yesterday. They only can tell the progress of my kidneys by doing blood work. I go back to him in two months for that. Praise God, the visits are getting further and further apart.

11/13/98-Friday-Today I went to the hospital for another nuclear study. This was on the kidneys. I won't know the results of that until next week. One thing I've learned thru' all of this, is that God used a beautiful array of colors when He created the inside of the human body.

11/19/98-Thursday-I saw Dr.Carpenter today and he arranged for surgery to repair my hernia. Since the oncologist said they didn't want to treat me until I was symptomatic, I thought I would take care of what was bothering me now.

11/20/98-Friday-When I went for the pre-op work, lab and EKG, the nurse asked who my cardiologist was. I told her I didn't have one and asked why. She said the machine said that I had a heart attack. If I did, I don't when and I didn't feel it.After all that, the oncologist then decided the hernia wasn't life threatening and want to start me on chemo next week. So, guess what, for the third time, the hernia repair has been cancelled. Maybe God is saying to leave it alone. Dr. Saux said after I finish the chemo treatment, if my immune system is up, then I can take care of the other. I'm not sure I want to.

11/24/98-Tuesday-Today I went to the oncologist for chemo school. My appointment was for 12:30 pm. When I got there, the receptionist said your appointment was for 10:45 am. I said someone called and said the regular chemo nurse was bogged down with patients and I would have to see another nurse and could I please come in at 12:30 pm. I saw the nurse and she said, I can't instruct you about anything because I know nothing about your treatment. By then, I said if you send me home, I won't be back. And in my chart, the doctor expressed that he wanted to see me before I saw the nurse and he wasn't even there.I began to wonder about the doctor and maybe I should find another one. I asked Jennifer, the receptionist, how good he was and she ventured to tell me good things about him. But he is overloaded with patients. Then her phone rang and I listened to her conversation. She was talking about the doctor and how he was treating someone who couldn't afford it and wasn't charging them. I asked her what doctor she was talking about, because there are three in the same office. She was talking about my doctor, what a godly quality. Just then a man walked in and gave Jennifer some calendars. He said this is the least I can do, you saved my wife's life. Praise God for His messengers. Through these two people, I learned of my doctors love and compassion for his patients. And God said, be still and know that I am God. Your trust is in Me. I will never fail you. What a mighty God we serve! I start my first chemo treatment on December 3rd. I was told that I would lose my hair after two weeks, so I guess I'll go shopping for a wig.

12/3/98-Thursday-Today I went into the hospital for my first chemo treatment. I got A+ in my vital signs.My blood pressure was 105/64 and stayed that way all day. The whole treatment took six hours. I had no side effects-no nausea-no pain-nothing.Everything went beautifully. I had a wonderful nurse who spent the whole day with me and is a lovely christian lady. I praise God and the people from all over the world who are praying for me. I have received prayer from as far as Africa, Viet Nam, Australia, etc. I thank God for all the ladies in the two groups that I belong to. Annie's EE Encouragers and Ladies of Faith. who were so faithful in lifting me up to the foot of the cross. Knowing that I was covered by the blood of Jesus was all I needed. I worship you, Lord. Thank you Heavenly Father!

12/24/98-Thursday-I went for surgery today to have a portacath implanted in my chest. That took about 35-40 minutes and then I went for my chemo treatment. That lasted for six hours. I went home and rested and then about 7:00 P.M. went to my daughter's house for a family gathering. Wouldn't miss it for anything, I have a very special family. Today is Christmas day and still no after effects but am staying home to rest. God bless all of you who pray and stand with me in my claim for VICTORY over this cancer. The cancer is the victim, it surely will die, not I. And I give all praise and glory to my Heavenly Father.