Cary, I love you!

My little brother, Cary, has started a 24/7 prayer chain for me called "Laura's Symphony of Prayer."  He is hoping to fill up 10 minute time slots around the clock of people around the world praying for me.  If you are interested in being a part, you can find it on Facebook, or you can email your chosen prayer time to cary@dirtdevelopment.com.

I have the two best brothers in the world!  Thank you God for family!

Good News!

After several days of progressive bad news, we finally received good news today!  The PET scan did not show any spread of the cancer!  The cancer was seen in the one tumor and in only one lymph node beside it!  This is amazingly good news!  It is still considered a stage 3 cancer and will be treated with the three prong protocol of radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery.

We met with the radiation oncologist today who explained all about radiation therapy to us.  I'm not sure how much of what he explained I actually absorbed, but here is what I know so far.  He plans to do 28 days of radiation combined with chemotherapy.  Monday through Friday, five days a week, for 28 days.  There are some common side effects of this treatment including fatigue, nausea, cramping and diarrhea.  He told me to invest in Gatorade.  This all sounds eerily similar to my experience with the colon cleansing project!  I'm looking forward to some fun days ahead!  

We will meet with the medical oncologist tomorrow afternoon to learn all the fun facts about chemotherapy (said with a small dose of sarcasm).  

Following the weeks of radiation and chemotherapy I will get a 4-6 week break to heal and then have surgery to remove the tumor.  Everything we are doing now is to decrease the probability of a recurrence of cancer in the future or the "seeding" of cancer cells in the surgical site.  The idea is to kill the cancer cells before the surgery.  

The good news is I am now the proud owner of a "Radiation Therapy Parking Permit" and my very own Radiation Therapy bar code check-in card!  Not everyone can say they have those!!  

The bad news is I will not be able to swim or sit in the jacuzzi during the weeks of radiation treatment!  How will I survive a Houston summer without the pool?  

Song in my head today:  "All my delight is in you Lord.  All of my hope, and all of my strength..."

"But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head high.  I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain.  I lay down and slept.  I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me...Victory comes from you O Lord.  May your blessing rest on your people."  Psalm 3

A Symphony of Prayer

One of the most amazing things has been to watch the Body of Christ in action!  So many people are praying for me around the globe that God is probably tired of hearing about me!  : )  Thousands of people have heard my name or read my story in the past week.  New friends, old friends, and people I've never met are praying for me.  Adults are praying for me, students are praying for me, children are praying for me.  How amazing is that?!  Tens of thousands of people are praying for me.  Wow!  Thank you, God, for the way you designed your body, the church, to work!  

So far, I know that I am being prayed for in Australia, Korea, London, Afghanistan, Burundi, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Canada, and the United States.  A constant intercession on my behalf!  Don't you know that God is going to do incredible things in answer to your prayers!  I am humbled by your kindness and grateful for your faithfulness.  Thank you for being a part of the symphony!

I read this verse today:  "I created you and have cared for you since before you were born.  I will be your God throughout your lifetime - until your hair is white with age.  I made you, and I will care for your.  I will carry you along and save you."  Isaiah 46:3b-4

Waiting...

No news today.  I had the PET scan done and we are waiting for the report.  It is interesting to enter a small room with a huge radiation warning sign on the door!  The technician mixes the glucose injection in a huge lead box.  He comes to me with a syringe surrounded by an inch thick lead casing and proceeds to inject this substance into my body.  Makes you wonder...if I didn't have cancer before, I will now!!  

As a cancer patient, I have some new accessories I want to share with you...

My "I'm going to beat cancer" socks (Thanks, Courtney!) to be worn in freezing doctor's offices and treatment rooms.
My chemo sweat band (Thanks, Ashley!) to be worn while receive chemo treatments...I'm not exactly sure why...???
The ever-present blood draw bandage (Thanks, LabCorp!).

And beautiful flowers to make me happy! (Thanks Nikki and Pam!) 

I want to thank all of you for your comments, emails, texts, and messages!  I can't respond to them all, but please know that each one has been an encouragement to me and has helped to lighten the load!  I have the most amazing family, friends, and church in the world!

"But I'm going to Africa!"

I am one of those people who like to have a schedule, like to keep a calendar, like to make lists and check things off. I can see you smiling already because you know what has happened to my plans! Obviously the past week has really blown my schedule to pieces!

The first thing I said when I was told of the tumor was, "But I'm going to Africa!"

My all important question for the surgeon yesterday was not a medical question. I asked him, "I am supposed to leave for Africa next week and be gone for a month. What do you think about that?"

Of course he smiled and said, "You need to just go ahead and cancel those plans. Let's get you well first."

I don't take kindly to having my plans messed up! In fact it made me a little angry! I was having a conversation with God about this situation the other day and it went something like this:

"I am supposed to go to Africa in June! And I'm going with the group to Costa Rica in July! And I'm going to my nephew's wedding in August! And we're moving Ashley to college soon. You can't just come in here and mess up all my plans! I mean, who do you think you are anyway? God??"

- silent pause -

"Oh, yeah, you ARE God. I guess maybe Your plans are better than my plans."

This revelation led to the exchange of my calendar and my plans for God's. I know His plans for me are perfect.

My sweet friend, Dave, wrote this recently and it stuck with me: "So many times God has denied me the desires of my heart only to provide me with the needs of my soul." And I think that's what He's doing now in my life.

We received the report of the second biopsy today. They found cancer cells. I will have the PET scan tomorrow to check the rest of the body for cancer cells. I will go see a radiologist and oncologist the end of the week.

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'" Jeremiah 29:11

Night watch...

4:30 a.m. Music in my head: “Yesterday, today, and forever, you are the same, you never change. Yesterday, today, and forever, you are faithful and I will trust in you!” (Sung in Robin’s voice, of course!)


I keep waking up early in the mornings. I decide to use this time to pray for my cancer partners – Mary, Bruce, John, Kevin, and Roosevelt. God please bring miraculous healing to their bodies. Please meet their physical needs today as they endure medical tests and procedures, receive radiation, chemotherapy, and recover from surgery. Please strengthen their immune systems; please give them your wisdom as they make decisions about their doctors and treatment. Please help them choose to trust you today. Please meet the needs of their family members and those who love them. Please give them your supernatural peace and strength., and courage for whatever the day holds. Help them to recognize your presence today, and to hear your voice. Wrap them up in your arms. Teach them, grow them, make them, stretch them, use them. Glorify yourself in each of these sweet friends, so that they, in turn, may glorify you. God heal them.

Note to Self...

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2009

It feels like there are two of me – the “Normal Laura” that performs the everyday tasks of life, and the “Cancer Patient Laura” who is consumed by doctor appointments, medical procedures, phone calls, waiting, and fear.

Monday morning I go into “Cancer Patient Laura” mode. Fear is a constant companion. It permeates everything, just under the surface. Fear of the unknown. Fear for my children. Fear of the future. Fear that I won’t be able to handle what comes my way. But then I remember that faith is not the absence of fear, faith is choosing to trust God in spite of the fear I feel. That’s it – Faith is a choice.

How many times have I taught that lesson? Faith is a choice. Choose faith today, Laura. I look back at all the Ladies Bible studies I’ve taught just this year. Every one was centered on the fact that we have to choose. God gave those lessons for ME!

May 14, 2009 Women of COF – These are some of the verses that I shared:

“Pour out your heart to God, for He is our refuge.” Psalm 62:8

“’In my distress, I said, God cannot see me!’ But You heard my prayer when I cried out to You for help.” Psalm 31:22

“…We saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for He can even raise the dead.” 2 Corinthians 1:9

“So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.” 2 Corinthians 4:16


Today we visited the colorectal surgeon. Wow, was that fun! He took another biopsy of the tumor, and sent me downtown to have another ultrasound of the tumor.


Note to self: Always bring an extra pair of pants when you are going to visit the colorectal surgeon…just in case!


Unfortunately, the news was not very encouraging. The second ultrasound seems to show that three lymph nodes are involved and that one piece of the tumor has already broken through the wall and grown into the fat tissue surrounding the rectum. If the biopsy shows cancer cells, then we are looking at chemo and radiation in the near future, and surgery within the next three months. If they don’t find any cancer cells then it will be a very unusual tumor and they will take out larger sections of the tumor to be able to study it more. I have a PET scan scheduled for 1:00 Wednesday to check the whole body for cancer cells.


Please keep praying for a miracle! Thank you to all of you who have left encouraging notes. You are holding me up!


This is one of my favorite quotes by Mark Buchanan, “Faith is finally this: resting so utterly in the character of God - in the ultimate goodness of God - that you trust him even when he seems untrustworthy."


“…not a day goes by without his unfolding grace.”


Love you all!