Back Home!

We thank God we had a safe and good trip to Moffitt. We stopped and had a great meal at Bonefish in Gainesville on the way. When we arrived in Tampa we went to see the Sanders at their new home on Davis Island. We found out how easy it is to get lost in downtown Tampa when you GPS goes crazy.

Jana's surgery was as planned at 8:15 a.m. and went very well. The surgery was finished before 10 a.m. The surgeon was very pleased with how it all went. Jana was in recovery for about an hour, then we headed home. Her recovery is going well. She has pain and tires easily, but it is much better than the first surgery. We are truly blessed and have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!

Surgery Scheduled

We had a good visit with Dr. Smith, the plastic surgeon, on Wednesday, September 2nd. He was pleased with Jana's progress. We now have surgery scheduled November 23.

Jana & Doug North GA Mountains

We were blessed to be able to spend a few days at the Kuhn's cabin (a really nice house!) near Ellijay on Eagle Mountain. While Samuel and Lindsey were at StudentLife Camp, Jana and Doug were able to have a delayed 25th anniversay celebration.

Carter's Lake

Fort Mountain Overlook

Along Hwy 52

Amicolola Falls

We celebrated our 25th at a Japanese Steakhouse in East Ellijay

The News We Prayed For

Had a great visit to Moffitt on July 27, 2009. We were able to bring Samuel and Lindsey for the first time and stayed at a hotel Sunday night before our visits on Monday. We knew it was going to be good when we saw an amazing double rainbow entering Tampa. Appreciated the knowledge of the Oncologist, Dr. Loftus. She was very knowledgeable and helpful in answering our questions. Although her cancer was estrogen positive and progesterone negative, the Oncologist said she will not need Tamoxifin, chemotherapy or radiation! She wants to see Jana again in six months. And although very painful (like right after surgery), the saline injections went well. Our next trip to Moffitt will be on August 10 for followup with the plastic surgeon.

Fast Trip to Moffitt

Leaving at 4:10 a.m. we headed down to Moffitt in Tampa. Except for a rolling roadblock just south of Ocala on Interstate 75 due to a bad pile up, we had an uneventful trip to Moffitt (prayerful for those in the accident, but thankful we were not there just an hour earlier!). Made it to Moffitt in time and was blessed with having the two doctors visits done right away. We made it out in an hour! The pathology report was good, but due to a few cancer cells found in a lymph node, Jana will have to see an Oncologist at her next visit on July 27. We are also waiting on a final pathology to see if Jana's cancer is estrogen receptive or not. If it is, then she will have to take Tamoxafin for five years. If it is not, then she will not have to take it.

Awesome prayer answers

Sorry for not updating sooner, but we have been celebrating since Thursday! The preliminary pathology report is this: although the cancer was extensive, it was all contained and all margins were clear. We will get the full pathology report on Wednesday, and know what the next steps are for us when we return to Moffitt for my follow up visit. We will leave Tallahassee around 4:00 am and hope to return around 5:00 pm.

What a difference a week makes!

Well, it's been a week and a day since my surgery, and we have had a wonderful week of blessings in every way! We have enjoyed great food, good friends and spending time together with family. Lindsey seems to always win at Rummy, Go Fish, Clue and all the other games, but Samuel is the Stratego Champion. I can't convince them to let me win, even out of sympathy. I blame my losing streak on my pain meds, but I am taking less every day, so watch out family-get ready to lose! I'll post more soon on my preliminary pathology report, which I will receive today. This recliner chair in the picture (which I sleep in at night) is one of many answered prayers (we prayed for one, God provided two!). God answers prayers in awesome ways!!! I can't wait to post more.

Recovering Well at Home

Jana is glad to have family here to help. Doug's Mom, Dad and Sister are here helping with everyday stuff and enjoying meeting friends from church and the neighborhood. We enjoyed a great dinner from Katrina last night and had a sphagetti lunch from the youth fundraiser. Her recovery is going well as she slowly reintroduces everyday tasks and the new ones as part of her healing. God has blessed with the incision site healing well, the drains working well and her mobility is increasing more each day. Your prayers are making a great difference.

Home at Last!

Thank God! We are finally home after a four hour plus trip and and hour plus wait at Walgreens for much needed pain medicine. Thanks Joann for the great meal waiting us! Jana is asleep now but doing well. The home healthcare nurse is coming tomorrow.

This picture was made at Moffitt and shows off the beautiful flowers the Bohons sent Jana, the two heart pillows our nurse's 87 year old mother made and the Teddy Bear (support pillow) that our surgeon gave Jana. (We hated to have to leave the lovely hospital gown)

Good Morning to Go Home?

Had a good night's sleep (from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. undisturbed). Dr. Laronga just came by and gave us final instructions. Waiting now on the plastic surgeon's team and final discharge orders. Hope to get out of here sometime this morning.

Words from Jana

Thanks for your prayers! They're making a difference. I just got my IV out and should be going home tomorrow. Have sat up in the chair all day, except for a few excursions down the hallways. Enjoyed visits from Lisa Sanders and Carolyn Ward's sister, Dorothy.

Good Morning!

We had a good night's sleep except for the mandatory vital sign checks every few hours. Jana has been up several times and has walked the halways twice. She has been sitting up this morning and ate half her breakfast. Both of her surgeons have been by with glowing reports of how well she is doing. She still tires easily, but with some pain medicine has been doing well. We look forward to going home tomorrow.

Jana is in Room 538

They brought her in about 5:30 to room 538. She is looking great (as always), though in and out of being awake. She had some nausea in recovery but nothing out of the ordinary. The nurse says she is doing great. Our nurse's mother made heart shaped pillows for Jana to use to prop her arms up. We have a corner room on the top floor with a good view.

She's out and in recovery

At about 2:45, the recovery room called and said she is out of surgery and starting to wake up. I'm still waiting to talk to Dr. Smith. They will call back with a room number soon.

She almost done with surgery

Dr. Loranga just came out to meet with me. She said the surgery went well and that Dr. Smith was over halfway through. So she should be out by 2:30 EST!

She is in surgery

Jana went in about 11:30 EST for surgery. She is scheduled to be finished about 3:45 EST. She was in good spirits and ready to go. Lisa Sanders is her waiting with me and she brought me some Starbucks coffee!

Still waiting

We are both in the pre-op holding area. And they let us get on their computer! Cell phones and lap top are off for the moment, but hopefully they will come and get Jana any moment now. I will call and update soon.

Waiting

We checked in at 6:55 a.m. and went through the check in process. They just took her back in nuclear medicine for the radioactive tracer procedure that should take about 30 minutes. Then we go back to the surgery area and wait for them to take her back. Thank God they have free wireless, tea and coffee! I'll update this blog as information becomes available.

In Tampa and Ready to Go

We made it to Tampa about 5 p.m. after stopping to see the Manatees in Homasassa Springs (and many other wild animals). Going out tonight to celebrate Doug's birthday. And we want to make it good since is was going to be Jana's last meal for a while.

Miccosukee VBS & Family News

We had a great week in Miccosukee doing Adventure Week (VBS). We met in a small community center in this area just 13 miles north of our church. Lindsey shined in the Shine Squad (led worship), Doug led the week and did the Bible station, Jana helped get kids registered and with snacks and Samuel helped with recreation on the days he was able. We had four kids accept Christ and where able to give each child a backpack that children at our church had collected to give them.

Doug and Jana will be leaving Monday morning for Tampa. Samuel and Lindsey will be enjoying havin Grandpa and Grandma staying with them for the week! Jana's surgery will be Tuesday morning and last until the afternoon. She then be in for about two to three days. Thank you for your continued prayers. If internet access is available (should be able to connect), we will post updates on this blog.

Family Update

Lindsey in the "Shine Squad" for Adventure Week

June 7-11 - It has been a busy, but great, week. Give God the glory. Started off with a great Starting Point Class from which God led 13 to join our church family (4 by baptism)! Since January we have had similar results each month. All of us worked in Adventure Week which was a blast with 300 kids. I was able to conduct the Bible station and was thrilled to see 15 pray to receive Christ and many indicate they wanted to know more.

Monday, June 15 - Samuel's summer job with the Summer Camp starts. He'll be working 1:30-5:30 p.m. each day doing recreation with children.

Wednesday, June 17 - Jana and Doug will go to Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa for some pre-operation visits. We will talk with the anesthesiologist, the plastic surgeon and have some blood work done. We will leave early Wednesday and return late that same day. Psalms 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.”

Sunday, June 21 - Father's Day Car Show will begin after our second service. We are expecting well over 100 cars to be shown, a lot of good food and fun. This has grown to be a community event that we co host with another church.

Monday, June 22 - As a family, we are excited to help lead our mission VBS to the Miccosukee Community, 12 miles north of us. It will use the same materials we used at our church's Adventure Week (VBS) It will last four days till Thursday.

Tuesday, June 30, is the scheduled date for Jana's surgery. Doug and Jana will be going to Tampa on Monday. Sentinel node biopsy will be at 8:00 a.m. with surgery scheduled for 10:45. The doctor indicated that she will be in two three days after surgery.

Marvelous Moffitt

We had a busy, but productive morning at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. After talking with Dr. Laronga and her staff, we felt confident this was the place we needed to be. Because this kind of cancer and surgery is all that they do - all the time, we knew they could give us the best information. One good surprise they shared is that the cancer is stage ZERO! They also opened up some new possibilities in surgery.

We have decided to change plans and have Jana treated at Moffitt. So we have scheduled for Jana to have her pre-operative visit with the anesthesiologist and plastic surgeon on June 17th and the actual surgery on June 29th (tentatively). She would stay in the hospital for two to three days afterward.

We were thankful to God for a good visit that answered many of our questions and gave us a clearer path to take. The rest of the day we explored and shopped in Tampa and in the evening went to Clearwater Beach to enjoy seafood at Frenchy's and a beautiful sunset.

Possible Surgery Date Scheduled

God continued to provide by getting us in to see the surgeon quickly on Monday, June 1. Dr. Harper took his time to skillfully explain all our options. He said he was a man of faith and prayer! Dr. Snyder and Dr. Harper's offices have coordinated to set the surgery date for June 15. Both encouraged us to get a second opinion, as we have scheduled, for this Friday at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. Also on Monday we were able to pick up Jana's MRI images on a CD to send or take with us to Moffitt.

Thank You God

Our prayer is that God will heal Jana of this Breast Cancer!
He is at work providing for her needs:
1. Early diagnosis.
2. Quick action to get her in for tests, consultations.
3. Living in Tallahassee with many resources within range.
4. Having a totally fun Memorial Day weekend with friends before getting the diagnosis.
5. Being at Celebration with a support group and many who can empathize. The monthly group had it's May meeting the day after Jana was diagnosed.
6. Wonderful guidance from Carolyn Ward, Melanie Stowers, Donna Reeder, Dr. Forester and many others.
7. Being able to get copies of the pathology report at short notice without any trouble.
8. Getting in to see Dr. Snyder on short notice, and his great counsel.
9. Getting an appointment for Friday, June 5, with a leading doctor at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, just a week after diagnosis.
10. Getting a good hotel near the hospital that was recommended at a discount, and for providing a place for Samuel and Lindsey to go while we are away.
11. For 90 Year Old Aunt Peggy to call and share her story about having the breast cancer surgery just a week ago. She was in the hospital for just a day and back to work soon after.
12. For the many prayers and support from family & friends in Tallahassee, Columbus, Pensacola and all over the country.

God's Provision for Jana

A little over a week ago, Jana went in for her regular mammogram not suspecting the events that would unfold before the month ended. The results prompted biopsies of 3 areas and a diagnosis of breast cancer followed (just this past Wednesday 5/27). Within hours of the news, God provided so many wonderful ladies from our church family who could empathize, guide her and give her resources. On Thursday we were able to talk with a Doctor who is a trusted friend and church member. Upon his advice and his request, Jana was able to get a last minute appointment with the best and most experienced surgeon in Tallahassee on Friday. The surgeon was very knowledgeable, straightforward and explained it clearly. The cancer is confined to multiple ducts (in situ) and has not invaded other tissues. Keep praying for Jana and our family to receive from God what we will need for this journey together. We still need to meet with one other surgeon, and possibly get a second opinion. Pray for wisdom for us, as there are so many decisions to make, and praise God with us for the care He has already shown our family!

Memorial Weekend 09

We had a great time at St. Teresa with the Wilders for Memorial Day Weekend. So great, we forgot to take pictures! Although the weather was forecasted to be stormy, it was perfect. We couldn't ride the boat in the gulf, but enjoyed the boat in the bay. Fishing, delicious seafood, crazy dance competion and other fun activities made for lots of memories. Doug went back to Celebration for services on Sunday, while Jana, Samuel and Lindsey joined the Wilders at the St. Teresa Church where Fred gave the sermon. Thanks Fred, Terry, Shannon and Mr. & Mrs. Wilder - Fred's Mom & Dad!

FSU Marine Lab Open House & Bald Point Beach

We spent most of the day enjoying the FSU Marine Lab Open House at their facility in St. Teresa. Lots of displays, demonstrations, hands on areas and good seafood! We couln't help but

go back by our favorite little beach area at Bald Point State Park till we had to go back to Tally.

Lindsey's Birthday - Wild Adventures

We took Lindsey to her favorite Amusement Park: Wild Adventures! She loves roller coasters and crazy rides. Samuel and Lindsey are about to ride Hangman - again and again... Lindsey did

n't Jana to ride the scary rides more than once, but they did find some tamer rides to enjoy together.

Happy Easter 2009

Easter Lunch

Enormous Easter Egg Hunt (Race)

With almost 700 racing after 5,000 Eggs, the Easter Egg Hunt at Church was a blast.

Bald Point Beach

We had a great beach day at Bald Point Beach (about an hour from our house). Of course, Samuel spent the whole time in the water with his nets and collected a lot of corals and sponges from the shore and water. Lindsey, of course, was looking for "photo ops."

Lindsey's Birthday

Lindsey woke up to a pile of gifts and a Cracker Barrel style breakfast!

Samuel's Aquarium

Fire Fish Goby

Coral Banded Shrimp

Zoanthids

Green Chromis

Leather Toadstool Coral

One of the two Clownfish

Yellow Tang

Wakulla Springs and Gulf Specimens Lab - Feb 8

Although the morning started out cold, it warmed up quickly. There was hardly anyone at Wakulla Springs. We watched divers go into the crystal clear waters in the deepest spring in the US. Not only could you see the mullet in the water, they were jumping like popcorn all over the spring. We saw lots of birds, fish, gators and other wildlife on the Riverboat Tour. At the Gulf Specimens Lab in Panacea, we enjoyed live salt water creatures of every variety (some even Samuel did not know the name of) and a lot of them you could touch.

Christmas in P-Cola

We took Gramps and Mimi out to Cock of the Walk to celebrate their 64th Wedding Anniversary on Christmas Eve!

We spent time with Bob & Deb, Nicholas, Natalie & Nicole

We celebrated Christmas at Grandma & Grandpas including Jim & Denise, Paul & Jeanne Marie and Jamie.