So now we finally know when my CT will be. Next week Thursday, the 7th, in Selkirk. A week after that we meet Dr. Wong for the results of the CT as well as the Mugga. Earl & I are glad to finally have these dates but we are very disappointed that they're not sooner. We really feel an urgency to move onto the next step. We know that my cancer is an extremely fast growing cancer and what's not to say that my tumors are rapidly growing again??? Earl is spending a lot of time today calling doctors and nurses in Mayo and St. B. to see if this really is the best they can do or if it's wise.....
So that's what we know as of right now. Our prayer is that these tests and the results could happen much quicker so that we can get rid of these tumors the sooner the better.
For now
Ramona

Just a note to say that we don't really have that much to say....we talk to our nurses and they say they are doing what they can to make things happen...we still don't know about the CT scan.........i asked questions about Toronto and surgery and things...she reminded me not to have my cart in front of my horse...i'm not much of a farmer...but i think that means....stay calm...or don't reverse your horse....or something...those nurses really baffle me sometimes...anyway...medically speaking there is still not guarantee of surgery...so we pray and wait...for now....earl

Just a quick little note to let you all know that the Muga Scan went alright. The technician who did my scan gave us a preliminary on the results. (even though she wasn't supposed to) My heart has gotten weaker since the Muga that I had in July. However, it is still within the normal range. I guess now Dr. Wong has to see the results and ......
No info. on the CT. Seems that the waiting list is super long. They've faxed my info to Selkirk, maybe I can get one there sooner.
Thanks again for your prayers
Ramona

Just a confirmation that we are heading to Winnipeg today. Ramona's Mugga Scan (heart test) is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.. And we still don't know when the CT Scan is going to happen. Got to go...Thanx again for praying...earl

Wow. It is encouraging to be on the blog again. In the last couple of weeks I've been moving houses and actually working again...and as we speak I hope my boss isn't online...he thinks i'm sick...(i hope you can tell i'm attempting humor again (this site does not promote lying (even if it helps you get time off work)))...anyway...we are nearing the time to go back to St. Boniface for the tests. We are talking to the nurses and Ramona's heart test has been scheduled (except we don't know when) and the CT and Bone scans are not scheduled (as of yesterday)....soon i'll quite these (stupid) bracket things...thank you so much for praying for us...Ramona and I have struggled with many things in the last few weeks and are thankful for the friends we have that care about us and pray with us and help us refocus on God...Many people have thanked us for being honest on the blog...and ya...honesty is important...important within a relationship...there were times when i would write the blog...and only later people who had been with me at the time realized i was angry....a blog is an easy place to spill many things...and then just go on feeling better (or worse i guess)...blogs don't keep people accountable and they don't really care...i am interacting with a computer right now......all this could be my sermon illustration some day (helpful for me atleast)....if praying feels like blogging...that is a problem...God is very relational.....anyway...i'm going to go hang out with Ramona...we'll try to keep everyone posted on how life is going and specifics to be prayed about and stuff...Ramona and I are going to steinbach this weekend for the Evangelical Mennonite Cup (hockey)....for now...earl (another not funny story in brackets...Ramona and i haven't check our emails for so long we lost all our emails from 2.5 years of dating)...later...earl

Yes, I am now another year older. Twenty-three it is. Thanks to all of you who wished me a Happy Birthday. I can truly say I had a good birthday and I'm super thankful about that.
I know Earl & I have not been faithfully updating the blog. In a way I guess you could say that's a good sign. Nothing too tramatic has happened. I came home from my 5th round of chemo a week ago, Monday. Saturday night I got a fever and consequently spent all of Sunday in emerg. I was devastated as my family had planned to have a family birthday lunch with me that day. However, my family came out the city and celebrated with me in emerg instead. Because my white blood counts were so low I was in isolation, so I had my own room. Earl worked his magic and the nurses let my whole family in the room (but they all had to wear awesome yellow gowns). We had balloons hanging from the IV pole and streamers held up with medical tape. Because we didn't want to alert the fire department we didn't light my candles but instead I just did a fake blow. Even though I hated that I couldn't be at home, it was really special to be able to make the best out of the situation.
Monday morning at 7:30, Dr. Wong entered my room with some hopeful news. He had been at a meeting in Prague over the weekend and had talked to a sarcoma expert. He talked to a surgeon from Toronto who has agreed to do my surgeries for me IF the CT scan shows that my tumors have shrunk some more. I asked if we would continue with more chemo if the tumors showed that they'd shrunk and Dr. Wong said, "No". I'm excited and yet I know that Dr. Wong seems to change his mind all the time and so I'm holding on to a glimmer of hope. The next 2 1/2 weeks need to be filled with lots of prayer that the tumors have shrunk significantly again. And I remind myself that why not pray radically that the scans show that the tumors have disappeared and that surgery isn't even necessary. I can see my tumors every day and so sometimes I think that it's not possible that the CT could show that they're gone, but I know that God could make them disappear any second. Whatever His plan is, I pray that it will be done.
So that's an update again. I hope to head off to the school where Earl's dad is principal and see if I can help him out with some stuff. I'm hoping to do some of that in the next few weeks.
Thanks again for your prayers
Ramona