Headed Home

 

Sorry everyone!  I thought I had posted last night, but it’s not there.  Who knows what I did?  Mom was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon.  They drove part way home yesterday and are en route now.  They hope to be home later today.  Mom is still sick so I think it has been a long drive.  Hopefully her nausea will end soon.  Dad said she cannot eat or drink today.  I’ll update more later.

Simply Sick!

 

I think mom's body is making a statement..........enough!  She is very sick today and unable to keep anything down.  Therefore, she will be spending another night in the hospital.  She remains on her IVs and oxygen.  However, we did receive a preliminary blessing.  The surgeon stated that the official pathology report is not ready.  However, he does not think that any pre-cancerous cells were in the uterus or ovaries.  He feels that the polyps that were previously removed from the lining of the uterus were the only areas affected.  Great News!  Hopefully the pathology report will confirm his opinion.  Thanks again for praying!  My suspicion is that dad is probably keeping the DQ across the street from the hospital busy.  He is the only person I know that still loves to eat ice cream in the frigid temps.  Dad said Rochester is expecting freezing rain overnight.  Hopefully mom will perk up tomorrow. 

Trying to Rest

Mom stayed in recovery most of the day.  They put her in a regular room around 2:30 p.m.  Dad stated that she is a little nauseous and uncomfortable, but overall things went well.  They were able to do a complete hysterectomy.  She is projected to be released to stay at the hotel tomorrow night.  Dad said she is dozing on and off.  She struggles to talk due to her throat being sore from the anesthesia tube.........three surgeries in three months takes it toll.  Thanks so much for your prayers.  We are all looking forward to reading a post from her.  Hopefully we will have one by the weekend.  I know that God is her strength.........keep them both in your prayers as they hope to begin the trip home Thursday.

 

Still Waiting!

Mom did have her surgery first thing this morning.  As of 2 p.m. dad is still waiting for her to come out of recovery.  He has not spoken to the surgeon yet so we are simply waiting to hear how it went.  I promise to update as soon as I know something.

 

Surgery Tomorrow!

Mom and dad arrived safely back at Mayo yesterday (Sunday 1-17-10).  It was a long day of travel, but we are thankful they arrived safely.  Mom stated that they made it without a hitch, but added that after five trips they would not be admitting if they made a wrong turn because it should be expected that they know their way by now. HA!  Mom's spirits were very high this morning after meeting with her new surgeon.  Not only did she feel that he was very competent, but added that he is also young and handsome.  He will definately be operating tomorrow morning.  Dr. Dowdy feels that he can use the less invasive proceedure to perform her complete hysterectomy, but stated that she will have a minimum of a six week recovery time.  Mom will check into the Methodist Hospitial tomorrow morning.  If things go well, they can start home Thursday.  The complete pathology report will take awhile as they use the same proceedure as the two previous times to examine the tissue.  Dr. Dowdy was very reassuring that mom will have a great outcome.  Dad feels confident that he has the hospitial routine down pat.........they are both looking forward to having this proceedure behind them.  Please continue to keep them in your prayers!  We thank and love you all.  I'll update you tomorrow.

OOPS!

I sent the last update before proofing..........sorry for all the typos!

More Surgery...........Ugh!

Mom did not get the New Year's news that we wanted.  Her surgeon called this afternoon and wanted her back at Mayo's on Monday for a complete hysterectomy.  Mom was able to put him off for two weeks.  She is really sore and weak right now.......not feeling up to the trip after just getting home late last night.  The surgeon stated that four of his colleages are currently reviewing her results.  As of now, he expained that this is a different kind of cancer.  However, he still considers it in the precancerous stage and feels confident that a complete hysterectomy will result in a positive outcome for her.  A different surgeon will take over from here.  She will meet with him on January 18th......the earliest that the surgeon could get her to agree to.  I think she is getting more assertive at this point.  Please keep her in your prayers.  I know it has only been a couple of days, but she is not bouncing back as quickly as she did the last time.  However, I know her strenghth and I know God will  prepare her for the challenges ahead.

 

As you are learning, the Bryant's tend to face difficult situations with humor.  Here is the fun update:  After surgery, mom stated that she felt like Chevy Chase's aunt-in-law on National Lampoon's Vacation.  To refresh your memory, after she died they tied her on the roof of the vehicle to cart her to her son's house.  Mom said that she felt like death after surgery and dad followed Clark Grizzwald's lead in how to get her home.  As soon as she came to and was able to set up, dad put her in the car and said hold on!  Regarless of her pleas to stop, he drove straight home. 

 

I think I mentioned on the last post that mom got her prosthesis.  Well, after surgery mom has been walking a little slumped over.  In her defense, I thinks she is just giving into the pain of having half her torso removed, but my loving father keeps reminding her to, "stand up straight!"  Dad picked up mom's prosthesis and reported that they are pretty heavy.  He instantly declared, "Great! You need to wear these backwards.  The weight will help you stand up straight!"  I think mom had a few choice words for dad, but she was laughing too hard.... but she did add that she knows how a horse feels when you put a saddle on it!  I don't know if she'll wear her new boobs or not.  We'll keep you posted, have a Happy New Year!!  We're praying for health in 2010!

Surgery Complete

 Mom and dad left for Rochester last Sunday (December 27th).  It was a snowy trip for them, especially around the Champaign area, but thankfully they had safe travel.  They stopped for the night in Wisconsin and stayed at a new Marriott so day one was a success!  On Monday, they arrived in Rochester and mom was able to start shopping for her prosthesis.  On Tuesday morning they fitted her with her prosthesis and that task is now complete.  At noon on Tuesday, mom entered the hospital for her surgery.  The doctor completed a hysteroscopy biopsy........basically he removed one large polyp and two regular sized polyps from her uterus.  Then he completed a dilation & cyrettage of the uterus.  The surgery lasted exactly one hour and was more involved than mom was anticipating.  She came out of recovery around 5 p.m.  Thankfully the surgeon feels that everything looks good.  A complete pathology report will be ready Friday to verify his findings.  Unfortunately, mom was very sick after surgery (worse than the first surgery).  I think it was a combination of the anesthesia and medicine.  However, this morning she is feeling much better and is going to try to eat something.  Depending on how she feels, they may start the journey home today.  She is the toughest person I know.  Knowing dad, he will load her up and head this way ASAP!!  Thanks again for all of your prayers, we know God is good and has taken care of us through this journey.  Keep praying for a clean pathology report!

Come Celebrate with Mom & Dad!

Together they have found a friendship, raised a family and built a beautiful marriage.  You are most warmly invited by the children of Lynda and John Bryant to participate in the celebration of our parents’ 50^th Wedding Anniversary.  A come and go reception will be held on Saturday, the 19^th of December between the hours of one and four o’clock in the afternoon.

 

Emmanuel United Methodist Church

700 3^rd Street

Carmi, IL

 

Your love is a treasured gift, we request no other.

 

After all of our answered prayers, we look forward to sharing a day with you in honor of our parents.  Hope to see you then.

 

On the Road Again!

As you know, our schedules have taken some twists and turns the last six weeks.  Some have asked about an update on my health situation.  John says I’m falling apart and wonders if I’m still under warranty?

 

After returning home from having the double mastectomy, I developed a cold and a terrible cough.  I coughed and coughed.  Nevertheless, I made a remarkable recovery.  (Don’t get me wrong—I’m still a bit sore).  It was heartwarming to receive so many beautiful cards.  Everyone was so nice to bring me food, flowers, and gifts.  Thank you so much for your many acts of kindness and especially your prayers.

 

About the same time I learned of my breast cancer, I also learned about some possible polyps in the uterus.  When I left the hospital at Mayo’s, the doctor emphasized the importance of me keeping an appointment on December 1^st.  Now that would make three trips to Mayo’s.  Eric had to take us the first time and Amy had to stay with us and help drive us home after surgery.  I decided to cancel but being the good patient I am, I decided John and I would try to get to the big city by ourselves (all 600 miles).  After opening an early Christmas present, we knew we could do it.  He received a GPS that was sure to get us to our destination.  Oops!  You mean the thing has to be programmed!  Thanks to Eric we were on our way – Destination—Mayo Clinic.  Ours is a TOMTOM and it really works.  We highly recommend it.  It’s hard to believe but it told (yes, actually talked) us every turn to make.

 

December 1^st I had a hysteroscopy at the Rochester Methodist Hospital.  Basically, they look inside your uterus with a hysteroscope.  Since they don’t give anesthetic, I was able to watch on a screen, but didn’t know what I was seeing.  The gynecologist told me I had a polyp just inside the uterus that extended all the way to the back of the uterus.  There were also two other “things” of some kind that didn’t belong.  The gynecologist said they all need to come out.  I guess we’ll make trip number four before the year is out.  They have scheduled me for surgery on December 29^th. 

 

They have asked me to participate in a research study at the Mayo Clinic.  The research is being done to look at both the cause and the outcome of breast cancer.  I am happy to consent to giving blood and tissue to be used.  I also have to fill out questionnaires from time to time and release a lot of past medical records to them.  This is a long term study and I hope they gain information to help others in the future.  I met with one of the team members to get the process started while at Mayo’s.

 

John had to go around and visit with some friends he met on the first two visits.  He ask the man at the Dairy Queen if he could apply for a job.  He said he’s at Mayo’s enough to help out if they are short handed.

 

I did not experience any of the side effects that they said I might have so we started home earlier than planned.  Guess what – I figured out how to program that thing to Carmi, IL.  In fact, I got so good at running that new fangled thing that I asked it where to sleep.  It said to stop at 4.2 miles and stay at the Comfort Inn.  It was a rather new and very nice place to stay.  John said he wouldn’t trade his present for a farm in Georgia.  We might take to traveling after all these years.

 

I plan to get some extra rest and enjoy Christmas.  Two sisters were out playing.  One girl came in and cried, “Oh, Mommy, I’ve made a terrible discovery.  All of the roses have thorns!”  The second daughter came running and her face was beaming.  “Oh Mommy” she said, “Come and see!  All of the thorns have beautiful roses!”  Whether our roses have thorns or our thorns have roses depends largely on us.  Let’s look for the roses and give God the thanks this Christmas season.  Merry Christmas and remember me in your prayers on December 29^th.  I’ll update the blog on December 30^th. 

 

Hello From Lynda:

I’m hoping Amy will post this blog for me.  Maybe God has slowed me down so I can catch up on some of this modern technology. 

 

First, I’d like to say that our family has been saddened by the sudden death of the Rev. Dennis Buttery.  Dennis had posted two encouraging blogs on my Health Updates.  Dennis and I had many good times together as we attended a one room school named Moccasin.  He married a good friend – Wanda.  (Wanda is my Aunt Vonda’s twin sister).  Dennis was an outstanding speaker and leader for the Georgia Church.  Please pray for the family during this difficult time.

 

I continue to be astounded by all the kindness and offers of help that have been extended to me and my family.  I thank God for blessing me with exceptional friends and family.  I’ve had the assurance that you would understand if I became discouraged and you’d share my laughter when I tried to find some humor in this serious cancer journey.  Thank you for the scriptures which reminded me of God’s promises.  Thank you for the cards, food, calls, and prayers.  Your prayers kept me from fear and discouragement.  They gave me peace and strength as I waited for surgery and the final prognosis.  I’m thankful that words like aggressive and invasive were no problem for my God.  My prognosis is very good.  Praise God for His healing power.  I ask that you continue to remember me as I follow up on other doctor appointments, have drain tubes removed, and regain my strength. 

 

I have a few tidbits of information I’m still wondering about:

 

1.       On Monday (before scheduled surgery on Tuesday) they took me to the nuclear medicine section and gave me four very painful shots in each breast (that’s 8 total).  Now why would you try to repair something you were going to cut off the next day?  (Be informed about nuclear stuff)

2.       After surgery, I tried to raise my arms to eat, I told Amy, “I gave consent for my boobs to be removed, but I didn’t know they were going to cut my arms half off.”  (Remember to ask questions before signing consents)

3.       I wasted a lot of time one day trying to get the telephone to change TV stations.  (Stay focused – the TV remote works much better)

4.       How do you spell mastectomy?  (I always have to ask)

 

I’ll close my blog with this thought.  Karlene and Steve Garrett sent me this story in a card.  I had read it before, but it took on new meaning for me during the past few weeks.

 

One night a man had a dream.  He dreamt he was walking along the beach with the Lord.  Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.  For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand:  one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.

 

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand.  He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints.   He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. 

 

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it.

 

“Lord, You said that once I decided to follow You, You’d walk with me all the way.  But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints.  I don’t understand why when I needed You most You would leave me.”

 

The Lord replied, “My son, My precious child, I love you and would never leave you.  During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

 

I can assure you that this is very true.  I thank God for carrying me through the past few weeks.  When problems come your way, trust in God and He will carry you.  We love you and pray that God will bless you for your many acts of kindness.  Also, a special thanks to Pastor Steven Friese and Pastor Van Scott.  I knew their prayers were with me and I knew they were just a phone call away.   We love ya – Lynda, John and family

 

P.S. Please pray for three other people who are very ill with cancer.

 

1.       Kathy Smith (John’s cousin)

2.       Linda Crow (Chris Crow’s mother.  Chris is married to my niece Melissa Barbre-Crow)

3.       Judy Crum (Lisa Wolff’s aunt.  Lisa is married to my nephew Clinton)

 

Blessings Continue:

 

Mom was released from the hospital at noon yesterday.  She had an oncology appointment at 1:00, that she insisted on walking to herself.  We received another answer to prayer........no chemotherapy!  The oncologist (and his assistant who was from Evansville) explained that there was cancer in the left breast that was contained in the lobe.  Therefore, the mastectomy took care of that.  The right breast contained invasive cancer, but it was caught early (stage 1) and did not appear to be very invasive.  Therefore, the benefits of chemotherapy did NOT outweigh the risks.  It was a blessing that they completed a double mastectomy.  Mom's cancer is receptor negative, which means it is NOT estrogen fed.  If it were, there would be other treatment options such as a chemo pill, etc.  However, there are few options for receptor negative breast cancer so it was another blessing that this was caught early.  Mom will have to return to the Mayo Clinic every 6 months for the next five years for ultrasounds of the chest wall, etc.  She also has an appointment on December 1st to investigate some issues with her uterus that, "...are not normal."  Hopefully this is nothing.

 

With the great news, mom instructed that we get her home to her grandkids.  Therefore, we left Rochester at 2:30 p.m. and arrived home at about 3:00 a.m. (would have been earlier with better chauffeurs).  Needless to say, she was in a lot of pain and can hopefully rest today.  She is the strongest woman that I have ever witnessed.  She did not complain once the entire ride home.  She is only taking one Tylenol.  I can honestly say that she has not complained throughout this entire process (even post surgery) which is a testament to her faith.  Please pray that the drain tubes will come out quickly as they appear to be very painful.  Hopefully she will feel like writing the next post herself.........they are much more humorous!!  We are thankful for safe travel...........it's good to be home!!

Cancer In Both Breasts....Full Report At 1:00

 

Good morning!  I'm happy to report that mom's nausea is better.  She can only tolerate Tylenol, so I pray the ride home is bearable.  Though my plane is scheduled to leave today, I'm ditching it to help bring mom home.  I'm certain Eric will have a hard time explaining this to the kids as they have been counting down the days until I return.  However, I can't imagine leaving mom and dad at this time (mom also added that my nursing skills could use more practice).  We will meet with the oncologist at 1:00 for a full pathology report.  However, the doctor reported this morning that there was cancer in both breasts.  Mom had a mammogram (clear) in February and another in October.......the cancer grew fast between this time so ladies, please keep your mammogram appointments and don't put them off.  I will post the report this afternoon before we start home.

 

As we leave we feel blessed.  God has been mom's strength, provider and healer.  The doctor's have also shown great bedside manner, along with great skill.  Most who visit Rochester have a common link.  They are here because a loved one is sick.  We praise God that mom came through this step of the experience with a hopeful outlook.  Being around the clinic is very humbling.  There are many here from all around the world with incurable problems.  One lady I visited with said, "Having cancer makes you grateful for all of your other blessings in life."  If you are my friend, slap me the next time you hear me complain........about anything!!!  Will talk more this afternoon........

The Comedian Has Hit Bottom...

 

The update will come from me today as mom is very sick.  She began getting sick late last night and it continues today.  We are hoping it is just the pain medication that has made her so nauseated.  On a good note, she has not had any pain meds for several hours.  However, she cannot sit up today, which is a big set-back from yesterday.  She was supposed to be released to the hotel today, but they will be keeping her in the hospital overnight.  This will give dad and I some more practice 'nursing' as we are now in charge of her drain tubes.  It's a beautiful day in Rochester, in the 50s and sunny.  Rochester amazes me......everyone here is SOO friendly!  I'm also overwhelmed with how busy this place is.  I feel like I'm back in college.....non-stop action, late nights, Jimmy John's to eat and a Starbuck's to go!!  We are still awaiting her pathology report.  The doctor said that it may not be ready until we meet with the oncologist on Friday.  If you are queasy, stop reading, but I find the updates from the doctor fascinating.  He explained that they take the breasts off, freeze them and slice them like a loaf a bread.  Then they look at each slice, stopping to further examine/test any abnormal looking cells.  Since mom's breasts were full of cysts, it is a long and tedious process.  Therefore, we are still hoping for good news from the reports.  Instead of being anxious, we're trying to be thankful that they are so thorough.  Pray that mom's nausea will pass so she can rest and regain her strength.  Her IV infiltrated so they had to pull it.  The oral anti-nausea meds aren't working as well.  However, mom is as funny as always.  My favorite quote from today is from her conversation with the nurse, "Where is the high that narcotics are supposed to give you?  All I feel are lows."  This has definitely been the longest day for her yet.......I knew we were in for a long day when I got in trouble for chewing gum and she was telling me to hurry and answer my phone.....when the IV pump went off!!  Thanks for your continued concern & Love you all....

Hello From Lynda Part II

 

God still works miracles!  At 3:25 yesterday I was in surgery.  At 3:25 today I'm up walking, talking and eating a big meal (with my make-up on & wearing my own robe).  Thank you so much for all of your prayers, love and concern.  The doctor has been in to see me twice, but still does not have the pathology results.  Surgery really wasn't too bad.  I was able to sleep through the whole thing!  I'll write more tomorrow...

God Continues to Bless Us!

 After a long day of waiting, dad and I just met with Dr. Sterioff.  He cautioned us that his final report would not be ready until tomorrow, as his team is still completing tests.  However, he stated that mom's surgery went very well.  He removed the left breast first.  This was supposed to be the good one, but Dr. Sterioff stated that it had Atypical Ductal Hyperphasia (ADH).  He explained to us that, "...it was turning into cancer."  He took a lymph node and it tested negative.  Dr. Sterioff then removed the cancerous breast and removed five lymph nodes, all of which tested negative......praise Jesus!  This is truly an answer to prayer.  Mom is still in recovery.  It is anticipated that we can see her around 6:30 p.m.  I know the days ahead will be hard, but I know she will be relieved to hear the good news.  Thanks again for your concern and prayers! You've kept her spirits high!  Keep us in your prayers and I will update you with the doctor's 'official' report tomorrow.  As you can imagine, we are overjoyed with the news!

She's Still Positive!

Over the weekend, mom and dad had a safe trip back to Mayo Clinic.  After meeting with her surgeon (Dr. Sterioff) this morning, mom  called and reported that she really likes him.  I can tell that she feels very comfortable in his experienced care.  I’m thankful for this blessing as she continues to sound really positive, confident and determined to fight.  Dr. Sterioff feels that the cancer was caught early and is not very invasive……..yeah!  His report contained positive news and some not-so-positive news.  However, the bottom line is that he will not know for certain until he completes the surgery and gets all of the test results back.  Therefore, I will update you with the facts at that time since most is speculation at this point.  She is going into the hospital this afternoon for some tests, but will be released to spend the night with dad at the hotel.  She will be admitted again tomorrow morning.  She is scheduled to meet with an oncologist at 12:45 on Friday, November 6^th and possibly be released at that time to heal.  I will fly to Rochester early in the morning.  Her double mastectomy will most likely be around noon.  Please continue to pray for our entire family and we all adjust!    

Hello from Lynda:

I thank God for the Mayo Clinic and the opportunity I have of being treated at this fine facility. With these skilled doctors doing the work and God doing the healing, how can I lose?

As you've learned, the first order of treatment is a double mastectomy. They tried to get me to surgery sooner, but it seems that Nov. 3rd will be my surgery date. As a result of the wait, I'm home resting. This week I have doctor appointments on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. These appointments are not directly related to my cancer so I plan to reschedule them tomorrow. John and I plan to start back to Mayo's on Saturday.

I can already see that cancer is a family affair and I ask you to pray for my wonderful family. They have put their activities on hold in order to help me. We are so thankful for our special son-in-law, Eric, who drove us to and from the Mayo Clinic. We will ever be grateful for his kindness and patience as he tried to teach the country people how to act in the big city. As soon as we arrived, we decided to eat before the restaurants closed. The waitress said, "The men sound fine but where did you come from? You sound like you're from the south." I guess I needed a speech lesson before I left Carmi.

On the second day, Eric allowed us to venture out on our own. Here are some things we learned. The first lessons were about the elevators. You have to put your room key card in the elevator before you push the floor number. Don't panic if it doesn't work - you can just ride up and down, up and down. Someone will finally get on (who knows how to use their card) and push the button to your floor. Those elevators had a lot of options. We were coming down from an appointment and started reading the down options. One option said 'Subway'. I'm always thinking about food and wondered how that restaurant got its own button on the elevator. About that time John said, "Don't push that button. I don't know how to ride the Subway." The next day someone told us we could walk in this beautiful underground tunnel. We pushed 'Subway' and only had to walk a short distance to our room. (Amazing!)

We had a beautiful room at the Kahler Hotel. I immediately noticed large fancy bottles of water with fancy little tags on them. John said, "Don't drink the water. It says $2.50 on the tag. The water part is true (maybe I'm exaggerating a little now)......When we started to check out, John noticed they had charged us for the water. John said, "How can you charge us for water? We didn't open it?" The manager said, "It's not my fault you didn't drink it. It was there in the room." John picked up the bill and subtracted $150 from it. The manager said, "What are you doing?" John said, "I'm charging you $50 a day for kissing my wife." The manager said, "I didn't kiss your wife." John replied, "That's not my fault. She was there in the room." So much for my nonsense.....

I want to thank all of you for your love and support. Your prayers are appreciated more than you can imagine. The prayers, cards, scripture, and words of comfort lift me up, renew my faith, and give me the determination to win this battle. We love you!! Lynda & John

Answered Prayers!

We just received great news!  After a full day of testing yesterday, Dr. Stan reported to mom today that though her cancer is invasive and aggressive, it is not nearly as aggressive as the initial pathology report from Evansville indicated.  A lot of questions simply can’t be answered until after surgery.  They are on their way home this afternoon.  Mom and dad will have to return to Mayo on Tuesday (October 27^th) and will remain there for two weeks.  Her double mastectomy is now scheduled for Tuesday, November 3^rd.  We feel blessed for this great news and answer to our prayers!! 

 

Amy L. Dixon, Ed. D.

Principal/Director of Instruction

Jefferson Attendance Center

713 Fourth Street

Carmi, IL 62821

Ph.  618.382.7016

Fax 618.382.7512

Tests, Tests and More Tests

Mom said to report that she is doing great, but dad and Eric are struggling (that's my mom)! Mom had a long day of tests. They started at 7:30 this morning and ended around 3:30 this afternoon. She will undergo further testing in the morning (Thursday). At this point, it doesn't look like her double mastectomy will be moved up (still no available surgeon until November 2nd). Of the six surgeons that perform this surgery, two are on vacation. She has a consultation with Dr. Daniela Stan at 11:00 tomorrow morning and depending on what she says, they may be able to come home for a few days. (I'm thankful that mom, dad and Eric all like and trust Dr. Stan). Mom will have to return to the Mayo Clinic next week because she meets with a specialist in gastroenterology, gynecology and fibromyalgia next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Dad and Eric continue to be amazed and impressed as they explore the area. Continue praying and she enjoys reading your comments!!

First Day at Mayo's

The first day at Mayo Clinic was very productive. Mom found out that she will indeed be having a double mastectomy. The scheduled date at this time is Nov. 2; however, they are going to do the surgery as soon as there is an available operating room and surgeon. Her cell phone has become the dedicated Mayo Clinic Line, so they have asked that no one else calls that number.

Tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. she will start another battery of tests. They will be checking her colon, uterus, and her fibromyalgia. Basically, she will be checked from head to toe. She also has tests scheduled for Thursday as well.

At this point they were not able to give an exact stage of the cancer. The doctor informed Mom that they would not be for sure of the stage or if the cancer has spread until they do the surgery. They also told her at the time of surgery they may have to remove some lymph nodes. The doctor said her best guess is that the cancer is in stage 2, which is very hopeful news.

Mom's spirits were high, as they always are, and she was very comfortable and impressed with the doctor overseeing her treatment.

Thank you all for your continued thoughts, prayers and comments.

Isaiah 41:1010
Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009- Good News!

Good News! Mom will have her first appointment at Mayo at 11:00 this morning. However, early this morning her doctor from Evansville called with good news. He said there are several polyps on the lining of her uterus, but he believes they are benign. They will need to be removed at a later date.

Still Waiting

They arrived at Mayo safely! We were supposed to have the results of the lining of the uterus today, but are still waiting. Hopefully tomorrow...

October 18, Sunday

I can't express enough how much we appreciate all of the calls, visits, cards and prayers. Mom has been overwhelmed by the love and concern that has been expressed. Her faith remains strong. She kept her speaking engagement at McHenry this morning. Mom had a biopsy of the uterus on Friday. She will get the results tomorrow (Monday). I will update everyone as soon as the doctor calls. Dad, mom and Eric plan on leaving early tomorrow morning for Mayo. Pray for safe travel and good news!

Lynda Bryant

This blog has been set-up to keep family and friends updated on Lynda Bryant's Health. For those of you who are unaware, Lynda was diagnosed with breast cancer Monday, October 12, 2009.

Her son-in-law Eric Dixon, her husband John and Lynda will be leaving next week for Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Lynda is scheduled to check-in on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 and begin testing the same day.

Lynda's Daughter Amy, will be updating this blog when new information is available. It is with Lynda's faith in God, her family and her friends that she will fight this battle.

Please keep Lynda in your prayers, and feel free to share this blog information with all those who know and care for this amazing, giving and beautiful Christian woman!

God Bless,

Melissa Crow

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. (Psalm 27: 1, 3)

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9-10)