Heaven on Earth

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog and get updated on the weekly statuses of my mom! Last week she was able to enjoy three wonderful days with some old friends from high school. It took her a full hour to tell me all about it and she could have kept talking about it! she had a marvelous time! Below, one of her friends, Shannon Skinn, wrote a little something about the weekend. Thanks so much for sharing, Shannon!

What circumstances would prompt to say that you felt like you were living in heaven on earth? Would it be that you were recently diagnosed with 4th stage lung cancer that had already metastasized to your brain? Or maybe that you had completed 14 radiation treatments to your brain, and were in the middle of an aggressive chemotherapy regimen? How about if you had to learn to adjust to the complications of a wretched disease AND the side effects of the treatments & medications that altered your physical and mental capabilities in uncontrollable, unpredictable and difficult ways (not the least of which is the life-altering side effect of not being able to drive)?  Maybe it’d be the challenge of having just moved your family and your belongings into a home that is half the size of the one you left a year and a half ago, and 1000 miles away. Maybe it’d be that you were parenting a daughter in high school and a son in middle school and a daughter attending a university in another state. Or perhaps you were supporting your husband in a necessary career change that required uprooting your family from the friends and community you enjoyed for over two decades. What if the responsibility to quickly and completely transition the multitude of tasks associated with your job were forced upon you? Would any ONE of those circumstances cause you to tell people you felt like you were experiencing “heaven on earth?”   What about ALL of them at once?  Hard to even imagine, right?  Yet, it’s just a glimpse into Judy’s life, and she walks around saying she feels like she’s living in heaven on earth!  She is glorifying God every step of the way on this treacherous journey, and I highly recommend spending some time with her.  It is nourishment, actually a grand feast, for the soul!

Throughout our brief visit, Judy astounded and blessed us with her constant state of peace that passes understanding, her awareness of God’s abiding presence, her complete surrender to her Creator, her sincere love for others, her generous heart, and her appreciation for fun, fellowship, and beauty.  We went to Naples for the purpose of blessing her, and instead received blessing upon blessing FROM her.

Although most of us hadn’t seen each other even a handful of times since we graduated from high school, we enjoyed a deep sense of unity.  We had a blast, walked the beach, ate good food, drank good wine, told good stories (including some that will never be printed in a blog), had deep theological discussions, and were entertained by strangers brave enough join us by the poolside fire (actually, one stranger was completely silent, one was completely inebriated, and one was maybe marginally brave).   Most importantly, we prayed together.  Thanks, Susan, for initiating that - your heart is a treasure!

At Stephanie’s request, we showed up with mementos from TKA Class of 1979 and current family photos.  It was fun to walk down memory lane aided by Susan’s hand-written Senior Trip journal!  Carol had some great photo albums that captured treasured memories off campus - usually surrounded by water!  If you ever attended TKA, we probably saw a picture of you & shared a fond memory of you. Bev shared some great photos of the entire Anderson Clan, including their three generations of missionaries to South America.  It was great to see everyone’s photos of their beautiful and talented kids.  Tim provided a major highlight of our trip when he showed up at the hotel with Jenna and Austin.  Judy and Tim have precious, precious, talented, gorgeous kids!  We missed Tess, but heard lots of stories about her.  Maybe we can plan a future trip around one of Tess’ visits to FL, soon!

There’s so much more I could say, but I’ll summarize it by saying this - if your soul needs some nourishment, go see Judy.  Christ joined us together in his body, and when we are with each other in authentic relationships, the Holy Spirit can transform us more into Christlikeness.  If you yearn to hear your Heavenly Father say to you, “this is my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased,” go see Judy (I can’t explain it, it’s part of the mystery).  If you need to see what life looks like when you live it with a grateful heart, in complete surrender to the Lord, go spend time with Judy.  Go alone, or grab a few friends, just go.  She is one tough warrior in an all out cancer battle, yet is full of grace and joy.  Go figure.  Go see her.  It’s not something to just read about, it must be experienced.  Go.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gifts, especially Judy, Tim, Tess, Jenna, Austin, Keeler and family, and Rhonda and Jeff.  I give thanks to God for each of you, and join you in expecting God to grant that full pardon for Judy with a complete removal of cancer in her body, while we are on this earth, in this life.   Thanks also to Susan, Stephanie, Bev and Carol for quickly rearranging the demands of your daily lives & joining me on the inaugural visit to “love on Judy” a little bit.  Let’s do it again (& again, ...).

With much love,

Shannon

Judy's status

I want to provide a brief summary and timeline for clarity. On December 17th
an MRI indicated multiple brain tumors that were causing swelling within the
brain. This swelling was causing partial paralysis to the left side of the
body. It was also causing excruciating headaches and other symptoms. The
neurologist suspected that it was cancer and very likely secondary. Further
tests and a later biopsy confirmed that Judy had stage IV Lung Cancer. It is
officially NSCLC or non-small cell lung cancer. On January 3 she began 14
treatments of whole brain radiation. These treatments are designed to kill
the active metastases and tumors in the brain and relieve the symptoms and
swelling being caused by their presence. She completed those treatments and
has moved directly into systemic chemotherapy. This involves 2-3 different
drugs administered by intravenously over a two hour period once every three
weeks. She has had the first and receives the second on February 13. There
will be a total of four at a high dosage. These will be followed by reduced
dosage every three weeks as maintenance. There will be additional scans that
will be completed in about 4 weeks. These will provide a benchmark for how
the treatments are working and if there needs to any modifications.

We are so fortunate to have so many wonderful friends and family. The cards
and prayers provide support that feels so local even though many miles
separate us. We have also met many great friends in Florida that are
providing that local support network. Judy's care givers have been amazing.
Their compassionate bedside manner could not be better. Judy has regained
full use of the left side of her body that was lost. The strong steroids she
was prescribed were limiting her to one hour of sleep per night up until a
week or so ago. They have taken her off those and she is now sleeping 6-8
hours per night with a light sleep aid. This is a great thing. She is
feeling more fatigue without the steroids. Overall she has done very well
with the treatments and we will continue to update everyone on her progress.


One very bright note is that five of Judy's high school friends came into
Naples yesterday. She has joined them at The Edgewater resort for two days
of relaxation and reflection. The years fell away when they sat down and
started talking about all of their memories. What an amazing thing to
witness. More to come......


Tim

It has been six weeks or so since we were told that Judy has Lung Cancer. This was such a shock for anyone that knows our family. We absolutely do not allow smoking in or around us. Judy has never smoked. That is the first thing every doctor asks. How long have you smoked and when did you stop. I get so frustrated when I see so many young people smoking. I look at Judy's diagnosis. It's as if someone you love is being convicted for a crime they didn’t commit. Now, the fight is a physical one instead of a legal one. We are praying and battling for a stay or continuance. Our ultimate goal is that God will grant a full pardon for an innocent victim. We pray with expectation. We cherish good days and ones that aren't. Judy is doing great. She is sweet and stubborn, funny and direct. Our biggest challenge is getting her to rest. She was always busy doing something. More to come……

P.S.  Please ask your loved ones to stop smoking if they do. Why raise the risk?

Tim