He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.

Psalm 107:20

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 26:3

If you would like to contact me, please email me at jbondy@interprisesoftware.com

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April 17, 2011

It’s been a lot of years since we have been able to report this, but Julie has not passed any kidney stones since the last update – thank God!  She also seems to be over all the flu symptoms that started back in November and is starting to sleep better.  Julie is now at the point where she can be up and active for a few hours at a time.  She has tried pushing it for an entire day, but that has left out of commission for a few days afterwards.  She still has some pain and sickness, especially when she reduces pain medication, but she is definitely making slow and steady progress.

Please continue to pray:

• for all pain to be gone
• that Julie will be able to quickly eliminate all pain medication
• that there will be no side-effects or withdrawal symptoms
• that Julie’s strength and energy will be completely restored
• for peace and a good report from recent cancer tests

Thanks again for all your prayers and support.  Thanks to those ladies that have come over to help Julie with the cleaning and to those that have helped assembling meals for us at SupperWorks.  If you would like to help out, please send me an email (mbondy@interprisesoftware.com).

Blessings,
-Matt

March 1, 2011 - 3:30

Julie and I went to get a second opinion from another urologist today regarding the kidney stones.  Much like the last ultrasound, today’s x-ray showed no visible stones and his prognosis matched that of Julie’s other urologist.  There is no more indication of any kidney stones and Julie is on all the right preventative prescriptions.  Needless to say, we are thrilled with that report!

Julie’s immune system, energy level and vitality are very low right now.  She has still been passing small stone particles, but her most recent pain and sickness are more likely the result of flu symptoms and dealing with the musculoskeletal issues caused by years of constantly passing kidney stones, and all the bed rest over the last two years.

Please pray that:

• Julie has felt the last of the kidney stone pain
• she will have no more flu symptoms
• all other pain will be gone
• she will be able to quickly eliminate all pain medication
• there will be no side-effects or withdrawal symptoms
• that her energy level will be restored

Thank you for all your prayers and support.  Thanks also to those that have helped assembling meals for us at SupperWorks.  If you would like to help in that way, please send me an email (mbondy@interprisesoftware.com).

Blessings,
-Matt

January 26, 2011 - 9:30 pm

Sorry for not keeping you updated on Julie`s condition, but things have been a little bit challenging lately.  It took a couple of months, but Julie has finally been able to shake the flu.  Despite the last ultrasound that showed that she has little or no more kidney stones, Julie has continued to pass stone particles on a fairly regular basis.  She passed two stones while I was away on a business trip the first week in January and has passed a few more since then, including one this afternoon.  Before passing a stone, Julie can have a lot of sickness and pain for days or even weeks.  That will typically remain for a few days after passing the stone.  Then she will reduce the pain medication, which makes her feel lousy for a few more days.  The whole process takes 10-14 days on average before she is starting to get some strength and energy back.  The problem lately is that she has not had enough time to recover before she starts getting symptoms again.

We are thankful that the stones are getting cleared out and also that Julie is able to get out of the house on occasion, even if she is not feeling great.  She has been determined to make it to her small group meetings at church, which I think has been very good for her.  Please continue to pray that all kidney stones will pass quickly without pain, that Julie will be able to get off all the pain medication without going through withdrawal symptoms, that her energy will be restored and that she will be able to start functioning normally again.

We want to say thank you to those who have dropped off meals and Christmas goodies.  They are greatly appreciated, even if we do not get a thank you note to you right away.  We are going to start to purchase meals from www.supperworks.ca, which provides frozen entrées from fresh ingredients.  They wash and prep all the ingredients and do the clean-up afterwards, so it is just a simple matter of going from station to station to assemble the meals.  In 2 hours you can prepare enough frozen entrées to feed our family for a month.  If you are interested in helping out with that, please send us an email.

Blessings,
-Matt

November 23, 2010 - 1:00 pm

Praise Report - I saw the specialist several weeks ago and he said that the ultrasound didn't show a bunch of kidney stones, unlike the ultrasound from last year.  There are some spots on the ultrasound that could be stones, but they can't tell for sure because they are small.  The means that there are no new stones forming - Praise God!  As well, he referred me to a doctor in London that specializes in kidney stones so we can get a second opinion (we are still waiting to hear when that appointment will be).

Prayer Requests - Please pray that I can continue to reduce and completely get off of ALL pain medication.  Even though I have reduced my strongest pain medication, I have had to increase it again temporarily because I have had kidney stone pain since last Thursday afternoon.  I did pass a small stone on Friday, but please pray that all stones will pass without pain. Also, I have the virus/flu that is going around.  Twelve days ago, the doctor put me on antibiotics, but it didn't help, so yesterday I saw him again and he said it is definitely the virus.  He also said my blood pressure is way up  and he wants to see me again in 2 weeks.  He ordered me to a WEEK of bed rest and no work.  Please pray that my blood pressure will go back to normal, the virus will leave my body and my appetite will return.  Please pray that I will be strong in my body, my emotions and spiritually

Thank you for continuing to pray - it means a lot to me!

September 29, 2010 - 1:10 pm

Because of the kidney stones, I had to increase the pain medications over the last several weeks.  This morning, I have had less pain (not completely gone yet), and decided to reduce my strongest pain medication.  It is going alright, but it is very difficult.  Please pray that I will have no pain, no withdrawal symptoms and that energy will be restored to my body (I am completely wiped!).  Thanks for your prayers!

September 28, 2010 - 3:20pm

Well, it is time for a quick update.  I went 3 weeks without any pain and I thank my Lord for that!!  Lately, I have been having kidney stone pain and have even passed small pieces of gravel.  In addition to the pain, I have had withdrawal symptoms, hot flashes, nausea on many days, calcium crashes and headaches.  Please pray that all kidney stones will dissolve and pass without pain and no new stones will form.  Please pray that all the other symptoms will stop and that I can start to go off pain medication without any withdrawal symptoms.  Please pray that energy will be restored and that I can resume my normal activities.  Thank for continuing to pray for me.  I also want to thank those who have blessed us with meals - we appreciate it.  And to the person who anonymously gives me the cards with encouragement for every day - thank you so much.  The scriptures you chose and what you write lift me up every day and helps me to hold strong under His Wings.  Thank you!

August 22, 2010 – 3:20pm

Since the surgery, Julie has definitely had less pain in her abdomen, but the pain from passing kidney stones has been relentless. We had a family meeting at the beginning of the summer to plan how to divide up the responsibilities over the summer, so that Julie could rest and recover. Julie spent about 80% of the last couple of months in bed, but with some frozen meals from friends and a little extra effort by the rest of the family, we have been able to persevere.

The key for us has been to adjust our expectations to a reasonable level and plan accordingly. As the summer wore on, our expectations were challenged, as we found Julie getting worse, not better. Finally, on Wednesday August 11^th, Julie and I had a talk about adjusting our expectations once again, as we considered the implications of the kids returning to school while she is bed-ridden.

This conversation was a bit of a breakthrough, because I was able to voice my concerns without getting discouraged, and Julie was able to offer sound input without being influenced by the lies that had clouded her thinking so many times before – lies from the enemy that would suggest that she has no value and is simply a burden to others. The real breakthrough, however, came the next morning, when Julie said to me the words that I have been waiting to hear for about seven years. Words that she prayed on a daily basis as a confession of her faith, but that morning would be different. That morning, as a statement of fact, and almost in surprise, Julie said to me, ‘I don’t have any pain’!

That’s something that I have anxiously awaited to hear Julie say for so long, but the timing was very interesting. Not only did it follow our commitment from the night before to persevere regardless of what it takes, but it came just a couple days before we were to leave on vacation. We intentionally planned a low key vacation at a Christian camp, with programs for the kids and meals included, but for Julie to be able to make the trip without constant excruciating pain, was a huge blessing to us all.

It has been 10 days since Julie has had pain. Just to clarify, to us that means that she has not had the kind of pain that requires maximum pain medication, or a hospital visit. She has muscle pain from being in bed for most of the last year, and is quickly exhausted after a small amount of physical activity, but now she can actually start to recover. Please join us in praying that her energy will be restored, that the kidney stone pain will not return, and that she will be able to systematically reduce and ultimately eliminate all pain medication, without any withdrawal symptoms.

We want to thank those who have prayed for us and brought over meals. We also want to extend a special thanks to Julie’s secret prayer partner, who has encouraged her with literally hundreds of cards, poems, scripture readings and words of hope for over 5 years now. She has also received anonymous letters of encouragement through the mail, which have been a real blessing. Although Julie still has several things to overcome, we are celebrating this milestone and looking forward to her complete recovery. We thank you for your continued prayers. Please see the post below for details, if you are able to provide a meal.

Blessings,
-Matt

June 25, 2010 - 10:30pm

Matt again… Julie is having a slow and difficult recovery, but we are excited to say that she is recovering! We are praising God that she no longer has the severe chronic abdomen pain that she had on a daily basis for so many years. She continues to pass many kidney stones and adjust to reduced levels of pain medication, but we are confident that this too shall pass. After being in bed for most of the last year, Julie finds it exhausting to be up and around, but she is able to do more each day.

Julie’s mom was here to help for several weeks after the surgery, followed by my Mom who just left on Wednesday. We plan to take it easy through the summer, and with the kids at home to help, we should be in much better shape come the fall. We appreciate your on-going prayers and would now be pleased to accept meals from those who have offered over the last few months. We don’t need regular delivery of hot meals, salads, drinks, desserts, etc., but when Julie has a real rough spell it is a huge blessing to be able to pull a home cooked casserole out of the freezer and throw it in the oven. If you would like to help, simply double up on a meal you are making for the family one night, to provide an extra one for our freezer. Contact me for a disposable pan and on the outside write a description of what’s inside, cooking instructions and your name.

We could have never anticipated the journey that was ahead of us when Julie was first diagnosed with cancer in 1992. The last couple of years have been the most difficult, but we see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks a lot for all your help so far, as we certainly would not have been able to make it this far without the support of our family, friends and church. We will overcome!

Blessings,
-Matt

May 24, 2010 - 8:05 pm

At my follow-up appointment with the surgeon, she said that everything was healing up nicely.  During the surgery and after sending the uterus and cervix for testing, they found 2 things.  The first is Pelvic Congestion Syndrome, which can be described as varicose veins attached to the uterus.  The other thing they found was Adenomyosis, which is endometriosis of the uterine lining (which explains the increase in the size of my uterus).  The interesting thing is that both of these things can cause "Chronic Pain".  Praise God that all went well with the surgery and that things/issues were found.

I am currently trying to start reducing the pain medication, which has been a struggle because it has wiped me of all energy and it has forced me to be in bed, just like before the surgery. I have been having withdrawal symptoms too (some of this medication I have been on for 6 years).   I have been experiencing kidney stone pain on a daily basis since the surgery as well, which makes it difficult to decrease the pain medication.  Please pray that stones will disintegrate and pass without pain, and that I can get off of all the pain medications successfully, without any side effects.  There are things that I need to do, but can't because I am in bed due to pain and/or lack of energy and/or withdrawal symptoms.  Please pray.

March 17, 2010 - 9:45 pm

Matt again… the medical crew paid close attention to controlling Julie’s pain the best they could, but were not so conscientious when it came to her other body levels. The first issues was a severe lack of calcium, which we were finally able to convince the nursing staff to take seriously after several hours. Unfortunately that was not until Julie was having significant pain and discomfort from the symptoms. A blood test revealed that she was also low on magnesium and dangerously low on potassium. The potassium was extremely painful going into her vain through the IV, which took several hours due to the amount she needed. Anyway, they managed to get all the required bags into her IV over the last 24 hours and released her to come home this afternoon.

Julie seems to be doing much better now. With her body levels under control, she is now able to deal with the typical recovery process after any major surgery. The surgeon told Julie that the scope method turned out to be much more difficult than expected with Julie, but she really wanted to do it that way for Julie, so she wouldn’t have to go through any more pain than was absolutely necessary. We know that she could have taken the easy route without any criticism, but are so thankful to the Lord and the surgeon, for being willing to go the extra mile.

Please pray that the recovery process will go really well for Julie, with minimal pain and discomfort. We’re believing that the incisions and bruising will heal up quickly, and that there will be no infection or complications. Thanks again for all your support.

March 15, 2010 - 8:30 pm

Matt here... thanks for your prayers while I was away.  I had some very important and productive business meetings and Julie made it through at home, with a lot of help from the kids.  She passed 3 or 4 kidney stones in the last couple of weeks, as well as a bunch of sand.  Things got a little more painful the last few days as Julie’s period approached (for the last time), but her Mom has been with us doing her best to keep Julie comfortable and look after us all.

Julie was scheduled for 1.5 hours of surgery this morning, but it ended up taking about 4 hours!  I spoke with the surgeon and she said that it went well, but they had to work very slowly (she thought it would have gone faster for someone who has had four kids).  The great news is that she was able to do the surgery using the less invasive (scope) method, which will really improve the speed of recovery.  She also said that everything looked fine, and nothing stood out as a cause for the chronic pain that Julie has had.  Of course, we’re believing we have seen the end of that!

Julie is in some pain right now, but the nursing staff are monitoring her very closely.  She is resting now, but please pray for a good night tonight and day tomorrow, as the effects of the anaesthetic wear off and they work to control the pain and regulate her calcium and potassium levels.  Julie’s mom reports that things are just fine at home.  She’ll be with us for several more weeks during Julie’s recovery and then my Mom will come and take over, so things are looking good at home!  Thanks again for all your kind wishes, prayers, cards, etc.  It’s great to know that there is an army standing with us!

Blessings,
-Matt

February 26, 2010 - 8:00 am

Quick Praise Report:  This morning I passed a 4mm kidney stone!!!  PRAISE GOD.  I plan to call the specialist to get the form so the stone can be analyzed :)

In addition to the prayer requests listed below on the February 9th entry, I have a pre-op appointment at Grand River hospital on March 2nd.  They told me it would last 4 to 6 hours!  Since I haven't gone out of the house for more than a couple of hours at a time, 4-6 hours is a long time.  Please pray that I will have the strength to endure the appointment and that it will go REALLY FAST!  Thanks :)

February 9, 2010 - 10:00 pm

PRAISE REPORT:  The surgery (hysterectomy) got moved earlier and is now going to be March 15th at 10 am at Grand River Hospital.  That means instead of having to go through 3 more periods, I only have to go through 1 more!  My mom is going to be here from March 11th to April 21st to help and look after me.

UPDATE:  My periods are extremely painful, leaving me bedridden for days even though I'm taking the maximum amount of pain medication that I can at home.  Matt is leaving on an important 8 day business trip and will be gone when my period is due to start.  Matt is such a tremendous support to me and he knows how to help me through those tough times.  When I think about him not being here during that time, I feel fear start to come on.  To be very transparent with you, I also feel fear when I think about the surgery because my mind starts to go through the "what if" scenarios.  I know that my God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind!

I have been passing kidney stone sand and gravel on a regular basis since the holidays and I had a couple of weeks where I passed stuff every day.  When I saw the urologist here in town, he told me that there are stones in both kidneys and I just have to wait and pass them.

When I saw the surgeon in December, my blood pressure was high and she told me that I needed to lose some weight before the surgery.  I am down 18 pounds so far, but it is making me exhausted.

Two Sundays ago at church, someone handed me a bag of cards - one for each day until the end of March.  I look forward to meditating on the scriptures and words of encouragement that are in the cards each day.  Another exciting thing happened too... when Matt went to the business prayer team meeting last Sunday, one of the ladies there gave him a card for me.  On February 3rd at 3 am (that's right, am), this sister in the Lord felt very strongly the need to pray and make health declarations for me.  She took the time to write down what she prayed/declared as well as a special message for me from God.  That blessed and encouraged me so much!!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• the sores all over my body will heal quickly without scarring
• kidney stones will dissolve and pass without any pain
• I will continue to lose weight before the surgery
• energy to be increased so I can be with my family more and actually get some things done around the house
• my last period will occur without pain
• peace for both Matt and myself while he is away on business
• I will not entertain fear
• blood pressure to return to normal
• no problems with my mom's travels
• no other changes with the surgery date as my mom has already booked her flights
• the ability to have the less intrusive surgery instead of a full incision
• the incision will heal properly with no redness or pain or puffiness (I have been known to have my incision keloid)
• a quick and complete recovery after surgery (it can be anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks)
• that after surgery my energy will be restored, my mind will be clear and ALL pain will be permanently gone
• that any other issues in my body will be quickly and accurately identified during surgery
• that I would be able to eliminate all pain medication without withdrawal symptoms
• health plan coverage for thyroid cancer test I did in November ($1500)

Thank you for standing with me in prayer and for supporting me in so many ways!  May the Lord bless you!!!

December 25, 2009 - 7:30 pm

Merry Christmas!  I've made it successfully through my month of tests and appointments. There is a lot to update you on, but I'll try to keep it as brief as possible.

First of all, I no longer have the H1N1 flu and no one else in the family has had it!!  Since my last update, I have been passing parts of kidney stones on and off again.  I still have pain every day and there have been times where the pain has been almost unbearable, to the point where I considered going to the hospital.  One such occasion was surrounding my 40th birthday.  I spent so much time in the bathroom, that Ariel decorated the bathroom door and all the flowers I received were put in the bathroom so I could enjoy them.  My energy level has been quite low, so we try to use wisdom with how much I do.  When necessary, we use the wheelchair to save my energy for other things - like family time together.  The wheelchair, lent to us by the Tyler family, has been a huge blessing!

My last gynecologist appointment went really well and we had favour with the doctor.  We agreed that I should have a hysterectomy, so I am scheduled for surgery on April 21st.  She is not sure whether it will help with the daily pain I experience, but said it will eliminate the additional pain that I experience every month during my period.  My Mom will be here for at least the first 4 weeks of the recovery.  I am grateful that my step-dad, Carl, is releasing her to do that, as I know it is a big commitment for him too.  The doctor said the recovery time could vary from 4 to 8 weeks depending on whether they can do the laparoscopic method or not.  They plan to leave the ovaries and fallopian tubes in, unless they see a problem during the surgery.  I am scheduled to see her in 2 months to check my blood pressure, which she said was elevated.

At the dermatologist appointment, he didn't know what the open sores are on my body - I now have 5 sores.  He is retiring, so he told me to get my family doctor to refer me to another dermatologist, but her waiting list is 1 year!

We received favour with the family doctor and were able to get an "Accessible Parking Permit".  That has been really helpful because it helps me to conserve my energy when I have to run errands.  Matt's Mom was with us until last Saturday, so the 2 weeks before she left, I started to try to run little errands just to get used it again.  It was a huge blessing to have Matt's Mom here and I am so thankful for ALL that she did.  When Matt came back from dropping her off in Windsor, he returned with lots of frozen meals prepared by his family, as well as members of his brother's church, Gateway International.  I was overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone!  The meals will really help me as I take over household operations again from Matt's Mom.

In December, a couple of ladies from Koinonia came and cleaned my house and also prepared meals - that was such a blessing as it gave my mother-in-law an evening off.  We also received a bunch of food that was left over from the Shining Star banquet at our church, as well as a gift basket.  With the freezers now full of home cooked meals, the primary need for help is in the area of house cleaning.  If you are able to help clean for a couple hours during the day sometime, please contact me after the holidays.

Last week, Matt and I went to the Thyroid Cancer Clinic in London to get all my test results.  The doctors gave me a "thumbs up" about my results, and are not concerned about a thyroid cancer recurrence at this point.  In fact, they scheduled my next 'annual' follow-up for April 2011.  The doctors were very helpful and explained a lot of things to us in detail.  I thank God for the great report and for how well the appointment went.

So, what is the bottom line you ask?  Well, here is a list of things to pray about...

PRAYER SUMMARY

• that the open sores on my body would heal up and no more would show up
  
• health plan coverage for the thyroid cancer test I just did ($1500)
• that my blood pressure will go down and that I will be able to lose weight before my GYN appointment in 2 months
• that I will be able to easily return to the routine of cooking and cleaning
• peace in my mind and our household leading up to the surgery and during recovery
  
• the ability to have the less intrusive laparoscopic surgery instead of a full incision
• a quick and complete recovery after surgery
• that after surgery my energy will be restored, my mind will be clear, and ALL pain will be permanently gone
• that any other issues in my body will be quickly and accurately identified during surgery
  
• that I would be able to eliminate all pain mediation without withdrawal symptoms
  

Thank you for your continued support - I am truly grateful!

November 4, 2009 - 9 pm

It’s time for a quick update.  After my second round on the stronger antibiotics, I was still not getting any better.  Monday morning I saw my family doctor and in addition to the strep throat from October 17^th, he said I also had a virus at the same time.  The doctor diagnosed the virus as the H1N1 flu and suspects that I will be over it by the end of next week.  The instructions for my recovery are strict bed rest, cancelling all obligations for the week,  lots of fluids, wash hands lots and NO talking (now, that’s a tough one!).  I also wear a medical face mask when I am with the family. Please pray that the H1N1 flu will quickly leave my body and that NO one else in this household will get it!  Please pray that I will have peace.

We are very blessed to have Matt’s Mom staying with us.  She arrived Sunday night and is planning on staying here until mid-December, so we are okay for help and meals until then.

Unfortunately, I was not well enough to take Ariel on our date to go see the Blue Man Group, but Matt went in my place and they had a great time.  I was pleased that Matt was able to get a break.  He has been taking such good care of me – I am blessed with an incredibly amazing husband!  Please pray that I will feel well enough before the year is out so that I can take Ariel on a special date.

Last month I passed a small kidney stone, which caused lots of extra pain.  For the last week, my body has been working on passing another kidney stone which completely wipes me out. Sometimes the pain is so great that even all the pain medications I take can’t cover all the pain.  I have had some really rough nights because of the pain (Friday I fell asleep by 6:30 am, Saturday I was asleep by 3:30 am and Sunday I was asleep by 2:00 am) .  Please pray that this stone will pass quickly and without pain.

Thank you to everyone who has helped us out.  The support is such a huge help and I am very thankful and overwhelmed by the support.  Let’s keep praying – our God is FOREVER FAITHFUL!!  I look forward to the day when we can all rejoice together.  Until that time, I am thankful that you are continuing to stand with me dressed in the armour of God!

October 22, 2009 - 3 pm

On Saturday, I went to the clinic and was diagnosed with Strep Throat and was put on an antibiotic.  The illness continued to move further into the lungs, so I went to the doctors today and he put me on a really strong antibiotic and orderded me to 4-5 days of bedrest.  Please pray that I'll feel better quickly.  I have my annual date with Ariel this Saturday and I purchased tickets the tickets back in March of this year!! Fortunately we have the wheelchair that we can use to conserve energy!  Please keep praying!

October 13, 2009 - 7 pm

Last week, teachers from the kids' school (Koinonia Christian Academy) delivered meals and baking which helped us get through last week and now I have snacks for the kids too :)  I am thankful for the great support that Matt, the kids and I get from the school.  We are indeed blessed by KCA - in many ways!!  Thanks for caring!

We had a great Thanksgiving this year.  Heather Stewart and Sue Waters brought over an amazing Thanksgiving dinner, with ham, scalloped potatoes, carrots, peas, buns and dessert. Matt's brother  AJ and his wife arrived here on Sunday with turkey, stuffing, and more dessert.  On Monday we heated it all up and had a great feast.  This was a big blessing to us, because the kids were asking about a Thanksgiving dinner, but we were not able to plan anything.  It was great to be able to spend some time with some extended family in a more quiet environment without having to do a road trip.  An added bonus is that we have lots of great leftovers!!

Each day I get a little bit stronger.  I can be up for about an hour or two at a time before I have to lay down.  Just trying to walk from the van to the grocery store wipes me out.  I want to thank Will and Linda Tyler for lending us a wheelchair.  That will allow Matt to take me out for longer excursions without using up all my energy.  Thanks for your ongoing prayers and support.

October 4, 2009 - 9 pm

Many people have asked how they can help, so I thought I would do another update just to address that. We appreciate the servant heart of so many, and while we have come to terms with the fact that we do need help, in some cases we have had too much help! Some weeks I could really use some help house cleaning and preparing meals, but we have sometimes been blessed with more food than we can eat, and more volunteers than we can handle. We are dealing with a long-term problem and a few months ago we started to realize that a little bit of help on a weekly basis is the best strategy. About that time, we were approached by Steve & Barb Vos, who were passionate about doing whatever they could to help restore my health. We met together and came up with the following action plan.

All the offers to help are directed to Barb, and she schedules one volunteer to come help me with cleaning for 2-3 hours every Monday. That seems to be enough help to get the weekly cleaning done, and fits in well with all my weekly appointments. It also enables us to keep our evenings, weekends and holidays as family time. If you can be available to help with housework during the day on a Monday, please contact Barb to schedule a week that works for you.

When it comes to meals, having 1-2 home cooked dinners dropped off each week has been a huge blessing. Between that, some meals from the freezer, left over’s, and fresh fruits and vegetables, that seems to be plenty. In fact, some ladies have provided all the help we need for an entire week, by coming to clean on Monday with a dinner for that night, and a frozen meal for later in the week! When it comes to meals, it’s really helpful if they come in disposable containers, so we don’t have to worry about washing dishes and getting them back to their rightful owners.

For those of you that have wanted to help out, but are unavailable during the day on Mondays, here are some things that would help:

• Speak with Barb about scheduling a day to drop off a hot meal in disposable containers.
• Drop off a home cooked meal in a disposable container for the freezer.
• Bake and deliver some healthy snacks to put in the kids lunches, or for after school.

We are very grateful to those that have supported us by helping with the kids, housekeeping, preparing meals, writing notes and scriptures of encouragement, and praying for us. And we want to say a special thank you to Steve & Barb Vos, for taking the time to listen, to care, to pray and to take action! You two definitely have a servant’s heart.

Barb can be reached at  (519)-763-2223  (519)-763-2223 or barb@northernhardwood.ca. 

 With love,
 Matt & Julie

October 1, 2009 - 8 am

There is a lot going on with my health that needs lots of prayer.  In addition to the chronic pain that I deal with daily since 2004, I have some new health issues.  For 36 days, yes that’s 36 days, I had my period and it was extremely heavy. The problem started on July 27th and on August 6th I saw the family doctor and he put me on a medication for 10 days, that was supposed to stop my painful and heavy period after several days.   Well, that never happened and the situation got worse during our vacation, which included 3 trips to the hospital.  When I got back from vacation, I saw a gynecologist who put me on the birth control pill, iron and a medication for when the bleeding is really heavy. She did a number of tests in addition to those done on vacation.

After my GYN appointment, I had blood work done and then went to get my prescriptions. At the pharmacy, while I waited, I was overwhelmed by everything and just started to sob. When I got home, I went straight to see Matt. I just kept on crying while he held me and loved on me. Then he said "ok, so are you going to tell me what happened" - what a sweetheart!  The medication the GYN gave me started working right away and that night the bleeding stopped – PRAISE GOD!!  My energy level is still really low - so much so, that just getting groceries tires me out.   For example, one day  I tried to get just a few groceries and I got so sick that I went into the bathroom in the store and laid down in a ball on the floor for half an hour - Matt almost drove out to come get me.  Last week, on top of all of those issues, I had extra pain.  For 6 days my body worked on passing a kidney stone. On the Tuesday night, Matt and I were contemplating calling an ambulance because of the pain. I take lots of pain medication, so much so, that the only way for me to take more is to go to the hospital and go on morphine through an IV.  We decided to stay and try to pass the stone at home.   I was bedridden for most of the week and I finally passed the kidney stone on Friday.   I am still exhausted from it all.  The other issue I have is that open sores keep showing up on my body, sometimes they look really infected. I already saw a dermatologist about it, but he treated me like I was an inconvenience, gave me no diagnosis, and didn't even send a report to my family doctor. I talked to my family doctor about this and he was not happy, so I have another appointment with the dermatologist in October.

We understood the possible causes of the continual bleeding to be endometriosis, fibroids or cancer, all of which would likely result in a hysterectomy and 6 weeks of recovery.  This was very difficult to come to terms with, but we felt that rather than being one more trial, perhaps this was the deliverance that we had been praying for for so long.  By the time Matt & I went to the follow-up appointment with the GYN, we were convinced that the result would be surgery, and ultimately freedom from 5 years of relentless pain and suffering.  The GYN said that the test results looked good???  My hemoglobin levels were good, and there was no sign of cancer.  They found a small fibroid tumour and the biopsy showed that she got part of a polyp in the sample, but none of this would cause the pain that I have been having in her opinion.  When Matt and I shared our expectation, she said that she saw nothing to indicate that exploratory gynecological surgery would even be worth the risk.  In all fairness, she pointed out that she was really just dealing with a bleeding issue and the progress has been good.  She did however agree to have my medical history sent to her to investigate further and asked me to keep a diary of my period and pain symptoms and to come see her again in 3-4 months.  She admitted that a hysterectomy is still a very real possibility, but pointed out that that is not something to rush into.  We really didn't know what to think of these results, and had become more comfortable with the expectation that there would be a serious problem, and a corresponding action plan.  It's difficult to hear a doctor ask me to wait a few months again when I'm in excruciating pain on a daily basis.  This sounds too similar to a report I was given in the past that ultimately ended in surgery in 2005 to remove the cancerous nodes they concluded were not an issue in 1996.

Thank you to everyone who is praying for us and thank you also to everyone who is helping us.  Matt's Mom was here at the beginning of the summer, which was a big help.  My Mom & Carl were here for about a week in the summer, which was also a big blessing.  My Dad came one day last week to bring some dinners and healthy snacks to put in the freezer & take out as needed. Barb Vos has been arranging for help, and she and Steve have blessed us with lots of fresh produce. Usually Barb has someone come and help me around the house for part of Monday and they bring a meal for that day and sometimes one to put in the freezer for later in the week.  Thank you to all the ladies that have come to help out or have brought out meals - it is a huge blessing!  If you are interested in helping out in this capacity, please contact Barb Vos.  We have also arranged help with my business responsibilities and houeskeeping on a regular basis, until health is restored to my body.  I continue to receive many anonymous cards and letters of encouragement on a regular basis, which have been a real blessing.

I am still really exhausted. I was able to take the girls shopping Saturday, but the first thing we did was get a wheelchair from Customer Service, which I stayed in the whole time.  We also rented a wheelchair so that Matt and I could go to a hockey game last Sunday.  I am so thankful that we had the wheelchair, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to go at all.  It was nice for Matt and I to have a special date together.  Even though I had to be in a wheelchair, we really needed that break.

PRAYER SUMMARY

• respect and a proper diagnosis from the Dermatologist I see this month
• health plan coverage for the next thyroid cancer test in November ($1500)
• cancer free results from the Thyroid Cancer Clinic in December
• favour and wisdom for the GYN I see in 3 months
• wisdom for all doctors to work as a team and quickly determine the cause of the pain
• an action plan to get the pain to stop and get off of the pain meds
• complete healing and a reduction in the pills I am taking on a daily basis (about 60)
• freedom from side-effects, restored energy and clarity of mind
• peace for me and my family
• in a nut shell, I want my life back!

Thank you for your support!

January 21, 2009 - 11:45 am

In November of last year, I had a test done to determine whether or not the cancer has returned.  I had an appointment in December, but the doctor couldn't tell me what my test result meant and had to confer with the other doctors at the thyroid cancer clinic.  After much phone tag, I finally got an answer today:  I am still CANCER FREE.  PRAISE THE LORD!!  I will repeat the injections and test in November this year.

In the last surgery, they removed 52 lymph nodes in my neck, which normally would play a big role in fighting common sicknesses.  As a result, I have had some form of respriatory sickness and coughing since August.  This causes calcium crashes on a regular basis.  Please pray that my immune system will stay strong and that the bronchitis will clear up and I will have no more bronchitis or pneumonia!  Please also pray that the pain in my body will stop and that I can go off of the 4 different medications that I am on for pain.  Let us rejoice together about the fantastic report about the cancer - God is forever faithful!!

January 18, 2008 - 3:30 pm

Praise Report:  Yesterday, I was able to go 24 hours without taking the Oxycodone!  This is absolutely amazing because this is the first time in 2 and a quarter years that I haven't taken Oxy for 24 hours and the reason then was I was in the hospital after the cancer surgery and on morphine for the pain.  Something else to Praise the Lord about is that I have had very few withdrawal symptoms.  Today was the first time that I have had any withdrawal symptoms.  In the past, any time that I have tried to reduce the Oxy, I would get really bad withdrawal symptoms after only a few hours.  Praise the Lord!

Prayer Requests:
Even though I have been able to go long stretches without taking the Oxycodone, I am still on three other medications for the pain.  The long stretches where I haven't taken Oxycodone have not been pain-free.  I still have pain and it makes it very difficult for me to get any work done at all and it is hard to focus and is exhausting to deal with.  However, the pain is not anywhere near the pain I had before we had the time of prayer and fasting.  Please pray that ALL the pain will go, no more kidney stones will form and all stones in my kidneys will dissolve, NO withdrawal symptoms and I will be able to go off of ALL the pain medication.  Please pray that I will have peace during the times that I am not getting my work done.

Please also pray that my calcium levels and thyroid levels will be normal.  Currently, they are out of whack and I need the calcium level to rise in my blood, but lower in my urine.  I need my potassium and magnesium levels to rise in the blood.  I need my thryoid levels to be where the doctors need them to be, so that my TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) will be low.

Thank you for standing with us in prayer.

January 15, 2008 - 2:00 pm

I want to update you on the health situation here at the Bondy Ranch.  Last week, our church had a week of prayer and fasting.  During the time of prayer and fasting, Matt and I were praying for my health to be restored.  Last Saturday, two good friends of ours came over and watched the Passion movie with us and then we spent a good deal of time in prayer about my health and being able to go off of the pain medications (there are four medications the doctors have me on for pain).  One immediate answer to our prayers is that I have been able to have some really long stretches in between when I would take the Oxycodone medication.  I was taking the medication every 4 hours, the first time after prayer, I went 16 hours before I needed to take the Oxycodone, yesterday, I had an 18.5 hour stretch, and my most recent stretch was 19.5 hours.  Praise the Lord!  As well, I haven't been having very much in the way of withdrawal symptoms - the worst symptom was a headache!  In previous times of going off of the pain medication, I would have headaches, dizzy spells, and something like hallucinations, where I would feel claustrophobic.  Praise the Lord!  Even though I have been going off of the pain medication, all of the pain is not completely gone yet.  The pain has decreased quite a bit, but it is still a battle.    Please pray that each day the stretches between when I need to take the Oxycodone medication gets longer and that I will not experience any side effects of going off the pain medication.  Please pray that I will be able to get off of the other 3 pain medications as well.  Please pray that there will be NO PAIN and that all kidney stones will disintegrate and pass without pain.  We are believing that 2008 is the year that my health will be COMPLETELY restored!  We thank you for continuing to stand with us!

December 11, 2007 - 5:30 pm

Here is the update from my two specialist appointments.

1.  Last week I saw the thyroid cancer specialist - both the neck ultrasound and the thyroid cancer blood work came back clear - that means no cancer.  PRAISE THE LORD!  To try to deal with my calcium problems, we decided to change the type of calcium that I take.  During my appointment a ENT surgeon was there and he pulled up the last kidney stone that I had analyzed and we found a very interesting thing.  Instead of the stones that I usually pass, this one was different = it was made up of the type of calcium I have been taking.  I will be doing weekly blood tests to check my calcium levels.  Please pray that the levels in my blood will be normal and that the calcium will properly absorb into my body and not be passed into my urine.  Also, my thyroid levels are not where the doctors want them.  They need the thyroid hormone levels normal.  They increased my thyroid medication and I will do bloodwork in 2 weeks.  Please pray that the doctors get me on the right level of thyroid medication.

2.  The CT scan on my kidneys showed that there is no stone blocking the ureter or in the ureter.  That means that there is no stone they can do surgery on that will take away the intense pain I am experiencing.  The urologist said that the intense pain can be caused from the sand and gravel that I'm passing (that is also what the kidney specialist in London said too).  The doctor told me that all I can do is drink lots of fluids to try to flush the gravel out and take pain medication.  Please pray that ALL the sand and gravel will pass without pain and that all the pain would stop.

I find that the pain is making me feel quite fatigued.  Please pray that God will give me strength to function on a daily basis.  Ultimately, I am believing for complete healing in my body!

I would also ask that you would please pray for my step-sister, Denika.  On November 14th, she had half of her thyroid gland removed and was then told that she had thyroid cancer.  She is having surgery tomorrow to have the other half of her thyroid removed.  Please pray for peace, healing, NO CANCER, no complications from the surgery, that her parathyroid glands remain intact (that way she won't have issues with calcium and kidney stones), no loss of voice and quick recovery! Thank you for praying.

Thank you to everyone who has blessed us - whether by cleaning my house, bringing us meals or by praying!

November 16, 2007 - 3:15 pm

I have a few prayer requests.  For just over 3 weeks, I have been actively passing a kidney stone (I've actually passed sand and gravel during this time) and the pain is excruciating.  Please pray that the stone will break up and pass without any pain and that it will happen right away!  The doctor has me booked in for a CT scan on November 27th at 8:20 am at St. Mary's Hospital.  Depending on what they find, the doctor feels that the next step would be surgery.  Please pray that the stone passes before the CT scan and that I won't need surgery.

Also, I am having issues with my calcium, magnesium and potassium levels - all of these are too low in the blood.  I have been experiencing "calcium crashes" quite often.  A calcium crash means that I end up with pins and needles through my hands, arms, face and sometimes my legs.  When the crash is more severe, my hands begin to curl inward and I have a hard time using my hands and arms.  The problem is that even though the calcium is too low in my blood, it is too high in my urine - thus contributing to the formation of kidney stones.  They can't tell me to take more calcium, because then it will increase the calcium in my urine.  So, we are in a "catch 22".  Please pray that my calcium, magnesium and potassium levels will become normal and that I will not experience any more calcium crashes.  Some of my thyroid levels are a bit out of whack - please pray that they get resolved too.

On Monday, December 3rd, I am going to see the thyroid cancer specialist and we are going to review all my bloodwork and ultrasound results to make sure that everything looks clear.  Please pray for good results and wisdom for the doctors.

Thank you for your support!

June 6, 2007 - 3:00 pm

I can't believe that it has been so long since I've updated this site.  The repeat of the ultrasound showed that the cyst on the ovaries is no big deal!! Praise the Lord.  We are still trying to figure out why my body is in constant pain - please pray for wisdom for the doctors and physiotherapists (I have an appointment this coming Tuesday at the physiotherapists for an analysis) and also pray that the pain will STOP! 

There is another situation that I desperately need prayer for.  The doctor has me on a really high dose of Potassium Citrate.  The company I was getting the potassium pills from has stopped making it, so the doctor put me on a liquid potassium.  I did not react well to it - it made me quite sick, to the point that many mornings, I would just lay on the couch.  As well, it made my calcium levels crash, which caused extreme pins and needles in my hands, arms, face and legs and my hands would curl up and not work properly.  I even had dizzy spells again.  I called the doctor and he put me on a different liquid potassium citrate, but I appear to be having problems with it too.  Monday I was sick for a good portion of the day and I ended up spending the entire morning laying on the couch.  Please pray that the doctor will find a potassium citrate in pill form and that my body will not get sick from the potassium.  Please also pray that all my calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphate levels will be normal.

I have a praise report to share with you... we have a new family doctor and it has been a huge blessing.  When I need to schedule an appointment, I get one right away.  I have not had to wait more than 5 minutes for an appointment and the doctor is very caring and kind.  God orchestrated the whole events that allowed us to get a new family doctor and we thank God for His provision!

Thank you for continuing to stand with me in prayer.

This is a picture of Matt and I at the Toronto Maple Leafs game - we had a fun night.  God is so good!!

December 14, 2006 - 7:30 am

Here is a quick update from the doctor's office...
The ultrasound showed something that appears to be a collaspsed cyst on one of my ovaries.  I see the doctor in 4 weeks for re-examination as well as booking another special ultrasound.  The doctor still needs to prepare the info to send to London for a referral at the pain clinic (please pray that this happens SPEEDILY).  The doctor is also considering an MRI.  Since the anti-anxiety pills have helped some symptoms (not the pain though), she is putting me on another anti-anxiety pill (Celexa).  Please pray that I will have no ill side effects.

December 12, 2006 - 10:30 am

Thanks for praying - I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow at 4:20 pm.

December 11, 2006 - 9:30 am

My family doctor is sick today and has had to cancel all her appointments.  She now has no appointments until January!  I am out of two of my prescriptions and I still need to get test results, referral to pain clinic, etc.  The doctor will be in the office this afternoon to do administrative stuff and the receptionist is going to talk to her about my situation.  Please pray for favour so that I will be able to get an appointment right away!

I want to share an exciting story with you...  A nonprofit organization has a raffle for themed and fully decorated Christmas trees  at Conestoga Mall and one of the places they support is called Kidsability, and I know a couple of kids that are in programs at Kidsability.  One of the "Christmas Trees", called Olympic Dreams was hockey themed - it had a hockey clothing tree and it included road hockey goalie pads, glove, blocker, helmet, stick, bag, signed and framed Crosby picture (he is Tiffany's favourite hockey player), tons of Team Canada items and a pair of Leaf tickets. I have been looking for Leaf tickets for several years and haven't been able to get my hands on any, so I decided to purchase some raffle tickets to support this organization.  I purchased a book of tickets and was walking away when I realized that they gave me an extra book by accident.  I turned back and gave the lady back the extra book of tickets.  Then I thought, "I bet that was a test".  At that point, I was convinced that if I had kept the tickets to get that "extra" opportunity to win, I would definitely not win.  But, since I was gave the tickets back, I thought to myself, I'm going to win this "hockey tree".  Friday night I was not feeling well and went to bed early.  As I did, I read and meditated on Psalm 91.  As I prayed, I started to feel better and I started meditating on how the Lord loves to give us the desires of our heart. Remembering that the draw for the 'hockey tree' was the next day, I thought about what a blessing that would be for the family and concluded that the Lord would love to grant me that desire of her heart.  On Saturday, I told Matt that I was going down to the mall with the girls so I can be there when they announce the winner of the hockey tree.  The draw for the "hockey tree" was the third one they did and the girls and I were very excited when they said "and the winner of the Olympic Dreams is Julie Bondy".  I was shaking with excitement when I called Matt and told him that I would be a bit later because of the draw and he said, 'just come home, they'll call you if you win', to which I responded, 'no, they already announced that I've won, I just have to stick around to load up the winnings'.  God knows what we need and He also knows what we want.  Psalm 37:4 says Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.   God cares about every detail of our lives and I am so thankful for my God, who loves me and who shows me His love in many unique ways. 

December 5, 2006 - 2:00 pm

Thank you for praying for the test. The test went well and quickly.  The ultrasounds were scheduled for 11:30, but they took me in 10 minutes early and I was back in my van by 11:35.  Praise God!!!  I have an appointment with my family doctor on Monday, December 11 at 12:00 pm to discuss the results of the test and also to discuss what our next step is.  Please pray that the test results will be accurate and also that the doctor will have wisdom as to what to do next.

November 30, 2006 - 4:30 pm

I wanted to give you all a quick update.  We are now actively trying to find the source of the pain that I experience.  In addition to the pain in the side, I have extreme cramping that sends me to the bathroom (and I end up in there for a really, really long time).  While there I have experienced symptoms like:  being overheated, extreme dry mouth, body begins to shake uncontrollably, nausea, heart palpitations and my heart feels like it is pounding out my chest.  I saw the family doctor a couple of weeks ago and she said that those additional symptoms sound like my body is having an anxiety attack.  She told me that my body can have an anxiety attack, even if I don't feel anxious.  So, as a diagnostic tool, she put me on Ativan, and it has stopped the extra symptoms.  Praise God!   Please pray that they find the source of the abdominal cramping.

I just recently had an annual physical and I had some issues with the pap test.  The doctor had a very difficult time getting things set up and also taking a sample - there was a lot of pain/discomfort and there was a small amount of blood.  So, as a result, I am scheduled for a pelvic ultrasound as well as a transvaginal ultrasound this Monday morning at 11:30.  Please pray that the test will go well and that it will be accurate. 

I have not made a decision yet on what to do about the scar - I am considering doing massage and getting them to work that area.  Please pray that God will show me what I need to do.

I am being referred to a pain clinic in London for two reasons:  one, to help effectively manage the pain and two, to try to figure out what the source of the pain is.  Please pray that all the doctors and medical staff involved will have wisdom and the correct tests will be done.  Please pray that we will find out what is causing all this pain and most importantly please pray that the pain will stop and NEVER come back again.

Thank you for your diligence in praying for me!  Have a wonderful day!

October 17, 2006 - 7:20 pm

I will start this update with some very exciting news:  the vocal chord on the left side is now officially moving!  PRAISE THE LORD!  God is so faithful!  The surgeon said that the left vocal chord is moving about 80%, and I don't have to go back to see him, and I don't have to have the voice box moved!  Praise God!  I felt like I was on cloud nine when I came out of that office today!   Wow, after a year, the vocal chord is now moving!

As far as the scar is concerned, he said that the keloid scar and the pain in it will not go away unless I do something about the scar.  What he recommends is the same procedure that I had done in 1993, one year after the original surgery.   I would have surgery to remove the part of the scar that is keloid, restitch and then do the steroid injections.  He has a friend who specializes in scars and that is who I would be referred to.  Matt and I need to sit down and decide how to procede.  Please pray that we will have wisdom and will make the correct decision.

The test I had today was a really easy one.  I just had to lay there and the machine moved over me and it did not take very long to do the test.  The doctor will call me if there is a concern.

Thank you for your prayers - they are greatly appreciate.  I am thankful for the time that you take to set aside to pray for me.  Please continue to pray for the stiffness and loss of feeling in my neck and shoulder and that the scar would heal.  Please pray that the source of the pain in my side will revealed and that ALL pain will go away.  God's Word says that I am healed and I will continue to stand on His Word.

October 16, 2006 - 11:45 am

Thank you for your continued support and prayers!  Here is an update on my latest appointments as well as new appointments...

Broken Toe:  It is completely healed now - Praise God!

Endocrinologist appointment:  I had an ultrasound as well as an appointment and bloodwork on September 25th.  The doctor was pleased with all my levels.  He is retiring, and is in the process of training someone to take over his practice.  I will have an appointment in one year.  He also said that in one year, I need to do some special bloodwork.  I would have the Thyrogen injections (the expensive ones - $1500) on a Monday and Tuesday and then go into London to do the blood work.  The doctor scheduled a bone marrow test, which I will go to London to do tomorrow (Tuesday, October 17th).  Please pray for accuracy on the test and that there will be no problems!

Pain in my side & pain medication:  We still don't know why I have Chronic pain.  My family doctor wants me to go see an Osteopath.  Next week, I start weekly treatments for 5 weeks.  Please pray this will work and that ALL pain will go, and I won't have to take pain medication any more.  The doctor also wants me to take a pain management course - you are required to commit for 10 weeks and you have to go every week for 2 - 3 hours.  It is quite costly ($2500), so I don't think I will do that.  Please pray that the source of pain will be revealed and that we will be able to get me PAIN-FREE!

Appointment with Surgeon:  Tomorrow morning, I have an appointment with the surgeon, Dr. Yoo.  Please pray that he will have wisdom and that my vocal chords will be working properlyl  Please pray that the feeling will come back in my neck and shoulder and that the scar would heal properly and the pain in my scar will stop.  The last time I saw the surgeon, he talked about doing another surgery - this time to move the voice box.  Please pray that I will not have to have surgery again!

Have a tremendously blessed day!  My Lord is faithful!! 

August 20, 2006 - 9:00 pm

Here is a quick update...

Broken Toe:  The toe is feeling much better, but it doesn't quite feel 100% yet.  I am going to a fitness conference in Toronto this weekend and I would really like to be able to participate.  I am having an x-ray done tomorrow to check the healing progress, so I know how much I can push the foot this weekend.  Please pray for accuracy in the x-ray and also that the toe is COMPLETELY healed.

Sigmoidoscopy:  Thanks for praying - the procedure went well and the doctor said that everything is normal.  I don't have to repeat this for another 5 years.  Praise the Lord!!

Radiation doctor appointment:  This went VERY, VERY well!!  The doctor said that ALL the cancer is gone and they gave me a clean bill of health.  "I am alive and cancer free..."  PRAISE THE LORD!!   Let's rejoice together!  I go back in one year for a follow-up appointment and in 2 years, they will do a scan.

Kidney specialist appointment:  The doctor said that as far as my kidneys are concerned, they have all the levels where they want.  The x-ray that I had done showed that there are kidney stones in each kidney, but when compared to my last x-ray, there are no new stones.  Thank You Lord!!!  That is good news.  Let's pray that the stones that are in the kidneys dissolve and go away without any pain.

Pain in my side & pain medication:  A very important issue that I want/need resolved is this constant pain in my left side.  I talked to the kidney specialist and he said no stones are in a position that would cause pain and he has no idea why I have pain.  I am going to be doing an ultrasound of the kidneys to confirm this.  I also need an appointment with the family doctor so that we can try to figure out why I have pain.  Please pray for wisdom and also that the pain would stop.  I would like to get off of the pain medications as well, but the pain has to stop first.  Last week I tried to go off the pain medication, but I got extremely sick from the pain, so I had to go back on the medication.

Neck, vocal chord & scar:  Please continue to pray that the feeling will come back in my neck, the scar will heal properly (and not be painful), and that the vocal chord on the left side will move properly and completely.

Next appointment:  On September 25th, I have an ultrasound of my neck and and appointment with the endocrinologist in London.  He is the doctor that diagnosed the cancer last year.  Please pray for wisdom with the appointment.

I was very blessed when I received a special gift - it was more of the "mystery cards".  There was a card for each day in August and September.  It was so timely - I really needed the encouragement.  God is so good!  I appreciate each one of you and I thank you for the time that you take to pray for me - may you be richly rewarded for you diligence!

Thank you for your prayers and your support - I greatly appreciate it!

July 22, 2006 - 10:00 am

Thank you for continuing to pray for me.  I have some appointments and some health issues that I need prayer for:

• Last Wednesday, I stubbed one of my toes extremely hard and an x-ray I had done revealed that there is a fracture.  I need to call my family doctor Monday morning to get an appointment to know how to properly treat the break.  Please pray for favour with getting an appointment and for complete, quick healing. This injury happened just as I was on track with exercise and I am going to a fitness conference in Toronto in August. Please pray that I will not be discouraged and that I will continue to be strong.
• Monday, July 24th at 6:30 am, I am having a sigmoidoscopy done at St. Mary's Hospital in Kitchener. 
  A sigmoidoscopy is a procedure which involves passing a flexible, fiber optic tube (sigmoidoscope) into the distal lower bowel (sigmoid colon) through the rectum.  The doctor will look for abnormalities and polyps - if necessary, he will biopsy and/or remove polyps.  The prayer request is that the procedure goes smoothly, and that they find NO polyps. Please pray that there will be no tears, or bleeding and that there will be NO pain or discomfort during and/or after the procedure.
• Wednesday, July 26th, I head to London for a follow-up appointment with the doctor who did my radiation in January.  Please pray for wisdom for the doctor and that I will receive a good report.
• Please pray that the feeling will come back in my neck and that the scar will heal up (go to skin colour, flatten and no pain).
• Please pray that the source of the pain in my side will be discovered and that it will stop and that I will be able to go off of the pain medications.  I still  have pain every day and am on both Oxycocet and Codeine Contin around the clock.
• Please pray that the vocal chord on the left side will function properly and that my voice will be completely restored. 

I do have other follow-up appointments coming up in London - actually, one each month until November.  Thank you for continuing to stand with me in prayer.

April 13, 2006 - 10:00 am

PRAYER REQUEST:  I woke up at 5:00am with pain and feeling extremely sick.  I passed a small kidney stone around 8 am.  I still have pain, but the pain medication has been able to get it to be a dull pain instead of the extreme pain I had this morning.  Praise God for the relief!  I was about 5 minutes away from asking Matt to take me to the hospital, when the pain started to let up.  My hunch (based on how I feel and past experiences) is that there is another also coming.  Please pray that any kidney stones get crushed, dissolved and pass without pain!! Please pray that this will not affect my plans for today or the weekend.  Thank you so much!

April 11, 2006 - 5:00 pm

Here is the update on how the appointments went:

Dr. MacDonald (endocrinologist):  The ultrasound showed two nodes in my neck, which the doctor couldn't feel so he said they are not something to be concerned about.  Especially since the thyroglobulin (thyroid cancer marker) is undetectable.  I did blood work yesterday and will repeat it mid-June.  Then in September, I will have another ultrasound done.

Dr. Yoo (surgeon):  He looked at my vocal chords and said he couldn't clearly see if the left vocal chord was moving.  His conclusion was that my voice is getting stronger because the right vocal chord is compensating for the left.  I see him again in 6 months and if the vocal chord is not moving, then he will discuss surgery options.  He did not inject the scar.  He said one option is to do a scar revision surgery and then do regular steroid injections.  Another option is one that they are researching at London and that is to use a tattooing needle and using a constant poking technique inject some medicine.  We are going to wait until the appointment with him in October to discuss the scar.  Please pray that the scar will flatten, stop hurting and go to skin colour.  Please also pray that the left vocal chord will function properly.

March 29, 2006 - 10:15 am

There have been some changes to my appointments, so I wanted to pass the info along to you...

Praise Report:
- my voice is getting stronger every day.  Two weeks ago, it has really started to improve.

Prayer Requests:
- Thursday, March 30th I head to London for a routine ultrasound of my neck.  Please pray for accuracy.
- Monday, April 10th I head to London for two appointments.  I see Dr. MacDonald, the endocrinologist, who will talk about what is next and how to control calcium and thyroid levels.  Please pray for wisdom and that all levels in my body will be where they are supposed to be.  Then I see Dr. Yoo, the surgeon.  He will watch the movement of my vocal chords and also look at the scar and do the injections if needed.  Please pray that he will have wisdom, that the vocal chord will be moving properly and that he will NOT have to do the injections.
- my voice will continue to improve quickly and I will have my full range again
- the scar on my neck will heal the way it is supposed to: NOT raised up, painful or red
- feeling will come back in my neck and shoulder area and the tightness will go away
- the source of pain in my side will stop and I can get off of the pain medication and have clarity of mind again

Thank you for standing with me in prayer.  God bless you!!

February 16, 2006 - 1:30 pm

I talked to the radiation specialist about the results of the thyroid cancer marker blood test (thyroglobulin).  The thyroglobulin blood test was UNDETECTABLE!!!!  Praise the Lord!  That is fantastic news.  The doctor said she was really happy for me.  She also said that this means that the risk of reoccurance of thyroid cancer is VERY LOW!!!  Praise the Lord!  I am very thankful for such a fantastic report!

Please continue to pray that the nerve that controls the vocal chord will grow quickly and strong and that my voice will come back completely and quickly!  Please also pray that the scar on my neck will reduce, become flesh colour and will stop hurting.  Please also pray that the feeling in my neck and shoulder will come back completely.

Thank you for continuing to pray for me.  Let us rejoice together over the great report from the doctor.  God is so faithful!!

January 24, 2006 - 11:00 am

Well, I am finally home.  Before I came home, I went straight to the kids' school so that I could see them at recess.  It was so wonderful to see them and to hug them!

The doctor called me with the results from the special CT/Nuclear Medicine scan.  They didn't see any radioactive iodine in the lymph nodes in the chest.  They think that the radiation they did see was in the esophagus, which is usually not a problem.  Praise the Lord for this very good report!  The next determining factor is to wait for the results of the blood tests that I had done last Friday.  That is the next piece of the puzzle to see if the radiation and surgery were effective in getting rid of the cancer.  Please pray that the results will come in quickly and that they will be accurate and reveal that there is NO more cancer.  Then I have an ultrasound in March and then back to see the doctor in July, at which time they would discuss future scans.   Also in March, I will see the surgeon to look at my scar.  Please pray that the scar will heal properly.  Please also pray that my body will quickly recover from yesterday's events.

I am thankful for the "isolation" set-up that I had in the basement at Dad and Laura's house.  It was so much better than a hospital!!   Here are a few pictures of the set-up:

One of my good friends put together something funny about "Radioactive Woman".  I have it here in pdf format for you to enjoy  (Just click on the link) ... Radioactive Woman

Today during my quiet time with the Lord, I was encouraged by the stories of Noah and also Joseph.  Both experienced difficulties and adversity, but they each had the favour of the Lord upon them.  "The favour of God can bring you out of your difficulties and turn your adversities around for good."  This encouraged me to keep my eyes on Jesus and know that He is with me and will see me through this tough time.  As many of you know, I get great comfort from the scriptures that reference the eagle and being under His wings.  I was reading a book about eagles and how it relates to the Christian life and found something that described exactly what I was feeling and I would like to share it with you:
She (the eagle) no longer hunts for her food.  Her talons become brittle from digging in the dirt for insects.  She loses weight, death seems to be knocking at her door.  Hope is dead.  Her strength is gone.  She has neither the inclination nor the energy to soar again.  In this defected state, the eagle is very alone and isolated.  It is a self-inflicted isolation, because she has left the comfort and safety of her nest, her community of eagles and her mate.  She is in a valley... Suddenly she hears familiar sounds above her.  It is the sound of her fellow eagles, flying above her in a circle formation... they are there to help.  They keep flying above her, dropping tidbits of food into the valley for their molting, discouraged, ready-to-quit co-eagle.  This continues for as long as necessary, and gradually, as the dejected eagle eats the food, her strength is renewed.  She's able to soar again.
I want to thank each one of you from the bottom my heart for all your support.  Thank you for your commitment to stand in prayer with Matt and I until we see the complete healing in my body.  Thank you for helping me to "soar again".

January 23, 2006 - 7:00 pm

Thank you for praying for me as I underwent the special scan this afternoon.  It was very difficult because they needed my arms raised above my head and pulled in tight and I couldn't move for 45 minutes.  Because I have issues with my calcium levels staying in the normal level, my limbs fall asleep very easily.  Well, my arms fell asleep from my shoulders all the way to my fingertips and then near the end of the scan, both arms had "charlie horses" starting.  As I laid on the table, I sang a very old hymn "Under His Wings, Under His Wings, Who from His love can sever, Under His Wings my soul shall abide. Safely abide forever" and I also repeated scripture - this helped me to get through almost all of the scan.  My body is still recovering from the scan - it is still shaking.  Please pray that my body will be restored and peace will overtake my body.

January 23, 2006 - 2:00 pm

This morning I went to the South Street and had the full body scan and then met with the doctor to discuss the results.  The doctor told me that the surgeon did a good job and the scan didn't show any radioactive iodine in the neck region.  There is a fair bit of radiation still in my salivary glands, so please pray that it will clear out quickly and without any damage to the glands.  The scan revealed that there are some spots of the radiation that picked up in the middle of my chest.  Because 9 of my lymph nodes removed during surgery tested positive for the cancer, further testing is required for the radiation in my chest.  So, this afternoon at 3:15 pm I have to go to the Victoria Campus to have a special test done.  It is a CT-scan combined with Nuclear Medicine.  The doctor will call me tomorrow with the results from that test.  Please pray for accuracy in the second scan and that there will be NO traces of cancer in my body!!  The doctor said that I can go home, but that the kids can't sleep in the same bed as me because of the radiation in the salivary glands.  I am scheduled to have an ultrasound of my neck in March and then my next appointment with the radiologist is in July.

I then went to see the surgeon to look at the scar.  Today, I had the first steroid injections in my scar.  The surgeon told me to use silicone pads on the scar as well.  I am so thankful to God that He helped me through the painful injections.  As I was waiting for the surgeon to go get the needle, I kept quoting "He will keep you in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him" and I pictured myself being carried by God.  I am supposed to go back and see Dr. Yoo in 2 months to look at the scar again and if necessary do another injection.  Dr. Yoo told me that I was brave.  He asked about the "radiation necklace" I was wearing.  I told him I bought it at a Christian bookstore and showed him what it said on the back "His Word is Living and Active".  He replied "well, that's why you are brave...  all those Christian books you are reading".  Praise the Lord!  The surgeon looked at the vocal chords as well.  The last time I was in to see him, the left vocal chord didn't move at all, this time it did a small "flicker".  I am thankful to the Lord for any movement in the vocal chord!!

Thank you for continuing to pray for me!  Please pray for peace as I wait for the call from the doctor.

This morning I was encouraged by this scripture:

I will exalt You, O Lord, for You lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.  O Lord my God, I called to You for help and You healed me.  O Lord, You brought me up from the grave; You spared me from going down into the pit.  Sing to the Lord, you saints of His; praise His holy name.  For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Psalm 30:1-5

January 20, 2006 - 3:00 pm

I want to thank you for praying for me.  Yesterday, I was finally able to eat and keep it down.  Today, I am officially off of the low-iodine diet and can eat all foods.  PRAISE THE LORD!!  I was beginning to think I would start to sprout rabbit ears.  I still don't feel 100% better, but it is a big difference from the last two days and for that, I am very grateful.  I keep having a very dry mouth and a weird, sour taste in my mouth, both of which would be related to the salivary glands.  Please pray for healing of the salivary glands.  It feels like the left kidney is acting up - please pray that there be no kidney pain and no kidney stones.  As required, I completed the blood work this morning and am off the strict isolation.  The next step is the whole body scan on Monday.  Please pray for accuracy in the results.  Then I go to see the surgeon at a different hospital so that he can look at the scar.  Please pray for the surgeon to have wisdom.

I had forgot to mention something in the previous update when I talked about the steps that led to me becoming Radioactive Woman.  After I slurped up the radioactive iodine drink, the technician handed me a card that I am to use if I set off radiation detectors.  It explains the type of radiation I have received and then says "This card is provided ...should radiation detector alarms sound when he/she returns to work or presents at a border crossing."  That just struck me as funny!  Have a blessed day and thanks for standing with me through this!!!

January 19, 2006 - 10:30 am

As required, I woke up at least 3 times during the night to suck the sour candy, massage the salivary glands, drink water and go to the bathroom.  It feels like my salivary glands are quite sore -- please pray that there is no damage to them.  I start the Prednisone prescription today.  I haven't been able to keep anything down yet.  So, I am feeling very weak and fatigued.  Right now, I am trying to eat a bowl of cream of wheat -- it is really hard to swallow.  Please pray that I will be able to eat and keep it down.  Please pray that this nauseousness will go away.  Thank you for standing in prayer with me.  God will see me through this.

January 18, 2006 - 5:30 pm

I am very nauseous and now am vomiting and I can't seem to eat.  I feel overheated and I am looking pale.  Please continue to pray.

January 18, 2006 - 4:00 pm

I have a headache and feeling quite nauseous - please pray.  Thanks  :)

January 18, 2006 - 11:45 am

Greetings from London.  I have had great favour.  Before I give you the full update, I want to let you know that I am at my Dad's place right now.

Monday I went to have the first Thyrogen injection at my family doctor's office.  After waiting 1/2 an hour for the injection, the nurse informed me that the pharmacy should have given me some special sterile water to reconsitute the Thyrogen for the injection.  She told me to go back to the pharmacy.  The pharmacist did not have any sterile water, but made a bunch of calls and was able to locate some.  I drove across town to pick it up and then back I went to the doctor's office to receive the injection.  I went back Tuesday to get the second injection.  The only side effects that I had were headaches and some nausea.

This morning, I arrived at the hospital to receive the radiation and get more info on radiation precautions.  I am able to start eating a regular diet Friday morning and also on Friday the isolation from "general public" will be finished, although I still can't be home with the family, or sleep in the same bed as Matt.  After getting the radiation safety talk from the nurse, I told her about the set-up that Dad and Laura have provided for me.  Because of this great setup and because I am so close to the hospital, she said I could leave right after the radiation, instead of staying at the hospital until 4:00pm.  Praise the Lord!

I am supposed to suck sour candy and massage the salivary glands every hour for the nex 24 hours.  I have to wake up 3 times during the night tonight to have sour candy, massage the glands, drink water and go to the bathroom.  To help the radiation to leave my body, I have to drink 1 cup of water every hour.    This radiation is such a weird thing!  When they gave me the radiation to drink, it was in a small bottle, which was inside a metal canister that had to have been an inch thick.  They put this special container on a ledge by a special air passage way or something.  I had to put my head into this spot to drink the radiation through a straw.  Then they add special water a couple of times and you drink that.  They take the container and measure the radiation content to make sure you got it all. You would think I was in a bad sci-fi movie!  They require me to take a laxative every night until the scan on Monday and tomorrow I start a prescription of Prednisone to reduce the inflammation of my neck and salivary glands.

In addition to the prayer list I mentioned in the January 12th update, I ask that you please pray for the salivary glands.  Because I have had this radiation before, I am at high risk for damage to the salivary glands.  This would affect digestion and also the taste of food.  Please pray that the radiation will not damage the salivary glands.  Right now, a headache is forming and I am experiencing a weird dull, swelling sort of pain in my neck and head.  Please pray that this will stop and that I will not have headaches.  My stomach is feeling unsettled right now.  Please pray that the radiation will not make me nauseaous.

When I arrived in London and got my isolation space all set up, I sat on the couch, read some scriptures and I felt great peace.  This morning during my quiet time, I felt the same thing - I just know that God is carrying me through this.  I am thankful for the great support that I have received.  Dad and Laura have done so much to get things ready for me.  A couple of my friends prepared a special "isolation kit" with all kinds of great things.  One thing that is really special to me from that kit is a picture of the day I received the sound system and headset and had put up a sign at aerobics saying "GOD is FAITHFUL".   My friends wrote something special on the frame, it was one of the last things that Pastor Steve said to me about aerobics at the prayer meeting we had at our place:  "Don't let go of the dream."  My friends also put pajamas in the kit that had the word "dream" on it.  Another good friend of mine prepared a CD for me to play on the computer when I get lonely in isolation - it has a couple of wonderful songs and pictures from the camping weekends we go on with our friends (last year was the 8th year away with all the couples).  Then the night before I was to leave for London, someone dropped off a package for me - it was filled with more of the "mystery cards".  There are cards for each day that I will be away from the family.  They have already greatly blessed me.  When I arrived in London, there were flowers here for me that my Mom and step-Dad had sent.  God is so good.

Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers!  I feel so blessed!

January 12, 2006 - 7:00 am

Before I head off to London, I wanted to update the website one more time with some prayer requests.  I also wanted to clarify some dates since there has been a bit of confusion about whether I've already left for London or not. 

Monday, January 9, 2006: I started the low-iodine diet and I also did the bloodwork that the nuclear medicine radiologist, Dr. Driedger, requested.

Monday, January 16, 2006: I go to the family doctor's office here in town for my 1st Thyrogen injection.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006: I go to the family doctor's office here in town for my 2nd Thyrogen injection. I will head into London late morning/early afternoon to be ready for the appointment the next day.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006: I go to the Nuclear Medicine Department at the South Street Hospital for an appointment with Dr. Dreidger at 9:00 am and I will receive the treatment of radioactive iodine. I will be required to stay at the hospital in isolation until 4 pm. Then, I start isolation in Dad & Laura's finished basement (I should be able to get lots of reading done!).

Friday, January 20, 2006: I go to the hospital to have blood work done. I also stop the low-iodine diet.

Monday, January 23, 2006 at 9 am: I go to South Street Hospital to have a full body scan done. They will tell me at this time if I am able to go back home to my family.  After the scan, I will go to the Victoria Campus Hospital of LHSC to see the surgeon, Dr. Yoo, to decide what to do about the scar from the incision which is quite red, raised and painful).

Tuesday, January 24, 2006:  If the doctors have given me the okay, I will head home to my wonderful family!  What a sweet reunion that will be!

Some things to pray about:

• No nausea, headaches, weakness, vomiting, rash or any other side effects from the Thyrogen injections.
• No nausea, vomiting, headaches, weakness, fever, dry mouth, mouth swelling, pain, damage to salivary glands, or any other side effects from the radiation.
• The radioactive iodine will kill every cancer cell in my body, but won't cause damage to any good cells in my body.  And of course, let's pray that all traces of cancer in my body will be gone completely and forever.
• Accuracy with the Whole Body Scan and wisdom to all doctors, nurses, technicians, etc that will be looking after me.
• Wisdom for the surgeon, Dr. Yoo, as he decides what to do about the scar.  Let's pray that the scar will heal up supernaturally before the appointmet with Dr. Yoo.
• Vocal chord become unparalyzed and function properly and my full voice be restored.
• Feeling come back in my shoulder and neck and not come back as sharp pins and needles.
• That I will be able to breath properly.  When I am reading to the kids or talking to someone, I often run out of breath very easily because I have not been able to breath deeply when talking (this is since the surgery) and then my calcium crashes.
• If the source of pain in my left side in the kidney area is not kidney stones, then let's pray for the doctors to have wisdom to know what it is.  I would really like to get off of the pain medication that I am on right now - I am on Oxycocet and Codeine Contin and I so desperately want off of these!  I would like to have my memory restored and not feel like I am living in the clouds, so to speak.
• I will be able to improve my fitness level so that when my voice is restored, I will be able to get back to leading aerobics again.
• I will not be discouraged about not being able to lead the aerobics right now.
• Protection for Matt and the kids while I am away from them (they are in really good hands - my sister-in-laws are coming here to look after them and help with running the house for me).
• Peace for myself and also for Matt and the kids.  Let's pray that my kids will continue to look to God for answers to their questions and that their faith will be strenghened through this.

Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers!  It blesses me to know that I am not walking this journey alone,  that I have many brothers and sisters in the Lord who are walking step by step with me.  This morning, during my quiet time with the Lord, I read a scripture that reminded me of all of you that are lifiting me up to Jesus through prayer.  Matthew 9:2, 6b-8  Some men brought to Him a paralytic, lying on a mat.  When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Take heart son, your sins are forgiven."... Then He said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home."  And the man got up and went home.  When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe, and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.  Thank you for lifting me up in prayer!  God bless you!!

January 2, 2006 - 3:00 pm

Happy New Year!

The surgeon called to reschedule the appointment to look at the scar (it is still raised and quite painful to touch.)  So, instead of January 9th, the new date is Monday, January 23rd.  I am to go see the surgeon right after I complete a full body scan on that date.  Please continue to prayer for healing and peace!  Also, I still don't have a lot of the feeling back in my neck and shoulder area and my voice still has a way to go yet.  Thank you so much for your prayers and support:)

December 13, 2005 - 10:00 am

It is confirmed that I will stay at my Dad and Laura's house in London for the duration of my "isolation period".  They have a finished basement with a bathroom that I can use.  They have a CD player down there and will put a TV in the basement.  As well, he has a laptop that I can use.  I am planning on bringing a whole bunch of books that I have wanted to read for a long time.

December 12, 2005 - 3:00 pm

Good afternoon and Merry Christmas to you all!  I just got back from the Nuclear Medicine department at the London Health Sciences Centre (South Street Hospital) and I have the details concerning the radiation.  I will be doing what is called Radioactive Iodine Therapy.  Radioactive Iodine is given so that any remaining thyoid cells will concentrate the Radioactive Iodine within themselves and the radioactivity destroys the cells from within.  It is given in a liquid form.  Once I take the Radioactive Iodine, I will have to go into isolation, but it will NOT be at the hospital (I am looking into my options) and it will not be at home because I cannot be in the same house as children for at least 4 days and I can't sleep in the same bed as Matt for 6 days.  So, below is the agenda for the treatment:

Monday, January 9, 2006:  I will start a low-iodine diet and will stay on it until 48 hours after I receive the Radioactive Iodine.  I also do bloodwork on this day.  On the low-iodine diet, I have to avoid all foods that are high in iodine.  For example, I would avoid anything containing salt, milk, dairy products, eggs, seafood, breads, some food colours, restaurant foods, chocolate, molasses, soy products and more.

Monday, January 16, 2006:  I go to the family doctor's office here in town for my 1st Thyrogen injection.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006:  I go to the family doctor's office here in town for my 2nd Thyrogen injection.  I will head into London to be ready for the appointment the next day.

Wednesday, January 18, 2006:  I go to the Nuclear Medicine Department at the South Street Hospital for an appointment with Dr. Dreidger at 9:00 am and I will receive my treatment of radioactive iodine.  I will be required to stay at the hospital in isolation until 4 pm.  Then I start isolation - the location is to be determined.

Friday, January 20, 2006:  I go to the hospital to have blood work done.  I also stop the low-iodine diet.

Monday, January 23, 2006 at 9 am:  I go to South Street Hospital to have a full body scan done.  They will tell me at this time if I am able to go back home to my family.

Last Friday, I saw for the first time, Dr. Golubuv who is a gastenterologist.  He has some tests that he wants me to do once I am through the radioactive iodine treatments.

I thank you so much for continuing to lift me up in prayer!

November 28, 2005 - 4:00 pm

Today I was finally able to get some information from some of the doctors from London, so I would like to pass that information along to you.  On Monday, December 12th, I am scheduled to see Dr. Driedger, the nuclear medicine radiologist in London for a consultation appointment to talk about treatment.  It looks like the radiation will be in January.  My voice is still not completely back yet - it is quiet and "raspy".  I called the surgeon today because the scar is starting to become raised, red, painful in spots and thick (keloid) and I am scheduled to see him on January 9th.  Back in 1993, when they did a scar revision, it did the keloid thing and they had to do the steroid injections.  A lot of my neck and shoulder on the left side are still numb.  Some feeling has come back, but there is still a fair bit that needs to be healed up.  When I was in London, I was able to see the blood test for the thyroid cancer marker.  Before the surgery it had spiked up to 14.9 and the latest test result was less than 0.5. PRAISE THE LORD!!!

About a week ago, I had an appointment with the urologist here in town to talk about my kidneys.  He is at a loss as to why I am having pain every day, so he is referring me to a different type of doctor.  My family doctor is looking into alternative pain medications.  Also, I have an appointment on December 9th with a specialist to investigate why my bowels are acting up.  Please pray that all the doctors involved will have wisdom.

Yesterday, I had to make a very difficult decision.  Since my voice is not restored yet and I have to do radiation and I have so many doctors' appointments and tests, which are hard to keep up with, I will have to take the Winter 2006 session of Fit for Christ aerobics off.  I greatly miss the ladies from my aerobics group!  Please pray that I will have peace as this decision sinks in.

I am very thankful for your prayer support.  Here are some things to specifically pray for:

• ALL traces of cancer be gone from my body
• the feeling in my neck and shoulder will completely come back (even though the surgeon said not to expect that)
• no pain in my neck and the choking feeling will go away
• my voice will come back stronger than ever (I want the nerve for the vocal chords to supernaturally grow back quickly)
• the scar will heal up and will not keloid and the area that is raised up, painful and red will be touched by the healing power of Jesus and NO steroid injections will be needed
• mobility in my neck will be restored
• all kidney stones will be dissolved and pass without pain and I will have no more pain in my side
• problems with bowels will be cleared up
• that I can completely get off of ALL pain medication
• wisdom for the doctors
• that I can get back to exercising again and back to leading aerobics
• PEACE that surpassess all understanding

I am so thankful for the support that I have received.  It is amazing to see the body of Christ work together and care for each other.  Support has come in so many ways: meals, flowers, scriptures, cleaning, ballet tickets for my girls, cards, gifts, special hairdos, child care, and so much more.  Every time support comes, no matter what form it is, I see God working through that person.  It reminds me of God's love for me.  I took a picture of some of the cards I had received and I thought you would appreciate seeing God's care in action.  (All the cards from the fireplace over to the right are all from the "mystery person" - each of the cards have a hand written scripture in them.  I still don't know who they are from.)  Once again, I want to say thank you to each one of you and please pass my thanks along to others that are praying that don't have access to this website.  You have blessed me in so many ways.  We shall rejoice together when the battle is completely won! 

October 31, 2005 - 10:45 pm

I want to thank you for praying for me.   I have noticed that since Thursday last week, I don't have excruciating pain 24 hours a day.  I usually have a more dull pain and discomfort and on occasion I have excruciating pain.  Praise God for the improvement.

This morning, I had the follow-up appointment with the surgeon.  The test results were in already - the mass they took out from the thyroid bed came back negative.  Just to the left of the thyroid bed area, they took out 8 nodes, 6 of which tested positive for cancer.  The cancer leaked out into the soft tissue that surrounded the nodes.  From the neck dissection, they took out 44 lymph nodes from the left side and only 3 of those tested positive for cancer.  They took a look at the movement of my vocal chords and they could see very clearly that the left vocal chord is not working at all.  The reason why I have a quiet, hoarse voice is that the right vocal chord is trying to compensate for the left side.  The surgeon is optimistic that the left vocal chord will recover.  He said that if my voice has not improved in 6 to 8 months, then he would book me for surgery to try to fix it.  They looked at the scar and are happy with how it is healing thus far (it already looks better than the scar from the prior surgery).  I am supposed to go back to see him after radiation is completed.

As far as prayer points, the points from October 22nd are still very important.  One thing that we need to pray about is that the vocal chord on the left side will start to function and my voice be restored.  Please also pray that there will be minimal scar tissue in the neck.  Thank you again for your prayers, care and support.  I have been blessed in so many ways and I am so thankful to God for all those who are standing with me!

The picture of the girls and I is from the CAASO cross country race.  The picture of just me was taken at the hospital after they let me eat after almost 3 days of no food (that was the same day that the drain tube came out).

October 22, 2005 - 4:00 pm

Well, I am so thankful to be at home!  Sleeping in my own bed, tucking my children in, and waking up and getting hugs from the family - that is special!  I am thankful to have help here because I find that I tire easily and my neck is quite sore.  Here are some things that I am praying about:

• ALL traces of cancer be gone from my body
• the "pain in my neck" will stop
• the feeling in my neck and shoulder will completely come back (even though the surgeon said not to expect that)
• my voice will come back stronger than ever (I want the nerve for the vocal chords to supernaturally grow back quickly) - I miss my singing voice
• the scar for the incision and also where the drain tube was will heal quickly and with causing keloid and that I will NOT need to get steroid injections
• the mobility in my neck will be stored and I will be able to move my head and neck freely, as I could before the surgery
• the duct that was leaking will be completely healed over
• that I will feel "normal" again - the left side of my body from the shoulder and up feel "foreign" to me
• the follow-up appointment with the surgeon go amazingly well
• peace, peace and more peace!!

In one week, I am supposed to go to the family doctor to get the stitches out from where the draining tube was and then on October 31st at 10:45 am, I go for a follow-up appointment with the surgeon.

I want to thank everyone for the tremendous support that I have received!  I appreciate all the support and the many forms that it is has come in.  When I was in the hospital, I set up all the cards and I put pictures up on the walls.  There were pictures that my kids had done that said on them "I am healed" and "by the stripes of Jesus I am healed".  The nurses would come in and stop to read the things on my wall.  I am thankful to God for answered prayer - the kids have all been well loved and cared for, a friend asked if she could take the girls to the ballet at our church that I so desperately wanted to get them to (this is a huge answer to prayer and to top it off, they have great seats), the leak stopped and I was able to eat after an almost 3 day fast, I was released in time to see the girls run cross-country, the scar already looks better than the first one I had, and much more.  Thank you again for praying for Matt, the kids and I.  I will keep you posted of any changes and things that are coming up.

October 21, 2005 - 2:40 pm

Julie, here.... PRAISE GOD, I AM HOME!!  God is so faithful - He answered my prayer to be released this morning.  Matt rented a wheelchair and we went straight from the hospital to the CAASO Cross Country race just outside of Elora that Tiffany and Ariel were in.  I went to the school for the afternoon recess so that I could see Nathan and Judah.  This is more activity than I'm used to, so I'm going to go lay down for a nap now.  I'll keep you posted.  Thank you all for your support and prayers through this very emotional and challenging time!

October 20, 2005 - 7:30 pm

Fluid draining overnight was minimal, so the doctor decided to remove Julie?s drain tube at lunch today and with no noticeable fluid build-up, she was able have a long anticipated dinner tonight.  Word from the doctor is that if things still look fine tomorrow, she can leave in the morning.  Julie is very excited about this possibility, as she desperately wants to see her girls run in the cross-country race tomorrow.  Please pray for favour in that regard.  Thanks!

October 20, 2005 - 10:50 am

We had a rare blessing last night when the surgeon dropped by to see Julie (his entourage of residents and interns usually drop by each morning).  He reiterated that they found a lot of disease in Julie?s neck.  He said not to be surprised if the lab comes back with 10 or more diseased lymph nodes.

With respect to Julie?s voice, he explained that the nerve controlling one of the vocal chords was stretched quite a bit during the surgery and is probably not yet strong enough to move the vocal chord far enough to meet the other one.  He said there are a few possibilities for this to be resolved.  One is that the other vocal chord could just compensate by moving more than half way to meet the other one, which could take around 6 weeks.  A second possibility is that the damaged nerve could just grow back, but that would take about 6 months, as it has to grow from the brain, down to her collar bone and up to her throat.  Then there are surgical options as well, which we didn?t bother discussing with him.

When asked about the feeling in her neck, the surgeon said that 80% of the numbness will probably be gone in 6 weeks and the rest of the healing will occur over 6 months; however, he said that the left side of her neck will never quite feel the same as her right side again.

As far as the leaky lymph duct goes, he said it?s quite common with this type of surgery, especially since they had to go so far down (below the collar bone) to get out all the disease.  The dripping slowed up quite a bit yesterday, so his plan was to keep her off food and fluids for one more day to be sure, then start her on food tomorrow and if all goes well, remove the drain tube and send her home sometime on the weekend.

Julie is managing, but is getting noticeably warn down by the length of the stay.  She?s finding it painfully boring to be spending day after day in the same room.  Yesterday, I took her on a road trip to the library in the basement of the hospital so that she could read some email and the news on the web.  We probably broke some hospital protocol last night, as we watched a couple of DVD?s on my laptop.

Please pray that:

• the  vocal chords will quickly recover on their own
• that the pain will leave Julie?s neck and the feeling will be completely restored
• that the fluid will stop leaking and she will be able to eat solid foods again
• that she will be able to go home soon and that she will have peace in the meantime

October 18, 2005 - 11:45 pm

The fluid draining from Julie?s neck was analyzed by the lab and appears to be from her food source and caused by a leaking lymph duct (from what we understand).  Because of that, they have taken her off food again and plugged the IV back in.  The drain of the fluid seems to be slowing somewhat and once it stops, they will try her again on food and see how she does.  If that goes well, they will take out the drainage tube and then she will be able to go home, possibly Thursday or Friday.

That was difficult news for her to hear, so I told her I would bring the kids in to see her, which seemed to help cheer her up.  Some friends came to visit tonight, along with myself, my mom and the kids.  When we left she seemed to be doing much better.  She also seems to be managing the pain well and getting lots of sleep.  Thanks for your continued prayer support.

October 16, 2005 - 10:00 pm

Just a quick update for today. Julie had a bit of a calcium crash near midnight last night, but aside from that she had a good night. She said she got a lot of sleep last night. Today was pretty good, but she still had a lot of fluid draining from the surgery site. Her throat is feeling better and she is eating fine. As evening approached, her pain started increasing quite a bit in her neck, probably a reflection of the nerves around the site ?waking up? again. In addition to the physical aspects we have been praying about, lets pray that she stays strong emotionally and in faith, as she deals with her recovering voice, missing the kids and staying at the hospital longer than expected.

October 15, 2005 - 10:10 pm

Julie didn?t sleep much last night, but managed well today, getting cat naps here and there, eating all 3 meals and drinking all the fluids she was given. At the request of the nursing staff, she has been writing or whispering rather than talking. Here throat is still quite sore, but the swelling in her neck is starting to decrease.

The most difficult challenge came when they disconnected the morphine pain pump and suggested managing the pain with Tylenol 3?s. The problem is that she was taking stronger medication than that to control the kidney pain prior to the operation. It took me several hours of negotiating, but I finally was able to get them to increase her pain medication to what it was before she went in for surgery. Julie had some difficult moments, but remained fairly comfortable most of the day. I was mostly trying to be preventative, as extreme pain can cause her calcium level to dive and then there are real problems.

She still has a drainage tube in her neck and there is a lot more fluid draining than they would have expected; however, assuming that the fluid dries up enough to remove the tube and she can manage the pain effectively, I will likely be able to bring her home on Monday.

Please pray:

• for the pain to subside quickly and for favour and wisdom from hospital staff as they manage her pain and calcium levels
• for the fluid to stop draining from her neck
• for the swelling to go down completely and her throat to heal up
• for full restoration of her voice and vocal chords
• ... and of course that we keep the private room (so far, so good)

October 14, 2005 - 10:30 pm

Julie did fine today. Her throat is still quite sore, but she was able to have soup, jello, ice cream and fluids. She has been talking in a whisper most of the day. One of Julie?s biggest concerns before the surgery was the big scar that we expected would go across he neck and up to her ear. The surgeon cut out the old scar and extended the incision along the necklace line a bit, but did not go up toward the ear at all. Pray with me that the new scar will heal to look even better than the old one. Also pray that Julie will keep her private room, that the swelling will go down on the inside and outside of her neck and that her voice will return strong.  She should be up for brief visits on the weekend if you are so inclined. Weekend visiting hours are between noon and 6pm and she is in room C5-105 at the Victoria Hospital of the London Health Sciences Centre (directions: http://www.lhsc.on.ca/patients/mapsdir.htm#west).

October 13, 2005 - 11:55 pm

Matt here... I just came from the hospital and thought I would send an update. Julie and I had a great time at church last night. For the recent prayer meeting at our house, we picked some praise and worship songs that really minister to Julie and three of the four songs from that night were done again at church last night, among these was Julie's favourite: 'hide me now under Your wings...'. It was like the Lord hand picked the songs to prepare us for today. Julie was not looking forward to leaving the kids last night, but before we knew it, they were all taken care of and she said to me, 'boy, that went well'.

As we drove to London today, we put a CD in to listen to and just as we arrived, Julie's favourite song played again. She remained in good spirits prior to the surgery. The nurse asked if she had been suffering any hearing loss, to which she responded, 'pardon?'. I spent the day in the chapel at the hospital in perfect peace. I had a great time of praying and reading the Bible.

The surgery started at 3pm, about an hour late, and ended at about 6pm, at which time the surgeon came out to report. He said that the procedure went as expected. He said that there was quite a bit of disease in her neck, a lot of scaring and even some thyroid tissue, which could have been left from her original surgery or have grown back since. They were able to locate both the nerves controlling her vocal chords and her shoulder and keep them intact. There was a lymph node wrapped around her vocal chord and he said they had to do some major manipulation of the vocal chord to clean it up. He said we'll have to wait to see how her voice responds and whether or not further surgery will be required to repair her vocal chord.

During the surgery, I was given the room number for a ward that she would be in after surgery, which was disappointing since we were praying for a private room. I once asked Julie why a private room was important, and she told me a story about being in a ward before. She couldn't bare to see other patients being neglected, so she constantly found herself getting out of bed and assisting the other patients, or hunting down the nurse (Julie used to volunteer at a hospital). The problem is that her compassion for the other patients prevents her from resting and staying in bed as instructed.

They kept Julie in recovery longer than usual (over 2 hours), but I understood why when they brought us up to a private room. The nurse told me that private rooms are very difficult to get as they are reserved for specific medical cases, but this one just became available.

As soon as I saw Julie, she addressed both the concerns of the doctor by raising her arm and saying, 'look I can move my arm'. Although her throat is very soar, she could speak immediately and there were no issues with her arm movement.

They expect Julie to stay at the hospital for 4-5 days. She's currently in room C5-105 at the Victoria Hospital of the London Health Sciences Centre. Visitor hours, maps and more can be found at their website (http://www.lhsc.on.ca/patients/index.htm), although I don't think she'll be ready to receive many visitors until Saturday (the nurses expect her to be up most of the night tonight as they monitor her levels and control her pain).

Please pray:

• that Julie will be able to keep her private room for the duration of her stay
• that her pain will quickly subside and that she will get some rest
• that she will recover quickly from the surgery and her voice will be strong
• that she will never have cancer in her body again

October 9, 2005 - 9:00 pm

Matt and I got back from our fabulous Banff trip last night. The first three nights were spent downtown Calgary at the top floor of the Hyatt Regency (we could see the Saddledome from our room), then the next three nights were at the Rimrock Resort Hotel in Banff. As we approached the mountains, two words kept resounding in my head - majesty and faithfulness. God is so awesome! During my devotion time in the mornings, God showed me some really incredible scriptures. The first one I want to share with you is quite amazing, especially since the Rimrock Hotel is part way up Sulphur Mountain. Psalm 27:5 saysFor in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavillion, in the secret place of His t abernacle He shall hide me. He shall set me high on a rock. Then I read the following from Psalm 40 ...He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth. A few days later as I was reading my Bible and looking at the mountains out my hotel window, I found another scripture that used the mountains to show me how much God protects me. Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever. Psalm 125:1-2

The sunrise picture was taken from our hotel room at the Rimrock Hotel, as was the top right picture. The picture on the left, framed in green, was taken at the top of Sulphur Mountain (around 7400 ft above sea level).

Thank you so much for praying for me. In addition to the details to pray about that are listed on the September 28th entry, I have a few more...

• please pray that they will be able to put the IV in with no problems at all and that there are no complications with the IV
• please pray that a private room will be available for me at the hospital
• please pray that all traces of cancer will be gone from my body (and will never return)
• please pray that my body and immune system will be strong and fight off any colds and/or flus (right now, my body is trying to fight off a cold) so that the surgery will NOT be postponed! 
• please pray that I will walk in peace and will cast down any thought that does not line up with the word of God

God is so good to me! About a week before I was to leave for Calgary, another stack of cards was dropped off at my house. There is one card for each day in October and they each contain a hand picked scripture. I still don't know who the cards are from - I call them the "mystery cards". Another example of blessings from God: a friend of ours sent her cleaning lady over to my house to clean for a morning. What a huge blessing! Also, a couple of ladies came over one afternoon to help weed my gardens so that they will be ready for winter. Thank you to each one of you that is supporting me in prayer and so many other ways!

The above picture was taken at the Rimrock Hotel.

September 28, 2005 - 11:00 pm

The pre-admit appointment went very well today. They did all the standard stuff - blood tests, heart test, review medical history and review prescriptions. The appointment finished early enough so that Matt and I could go out for lunch :)

The date of the surgery is coming up quite quickly and I wanted to get some prayer points to you. Here are some things to pray for:

Details:

• surgery on Thursday, October 13^th at 2 pm for thyroid cancer reoccurrence (cancer is where thyroid used to be and also in a lymph node)
• appointment with Dr. MacDonald on November 14^th to discuss radiation plans

Prayer Emphasis:

• no complications from surgery
• no problems inserting the IV, or keeping it in
• no drops in calcium levels
• no loss of voice (tumour not wrapped around nerve that controls vocal chords)
• no loss of use of left shoulder (surgeon able to find and trace out the nerve that controls the left shoulder without damaging it)
• guide surgeon?s hand and all other staff involved (wisdom too)
• surgery to go a lot better than the doctors could ever imagined
• protection and peace for each family member wherever they are staying
• scar will heal properly and quickly without the need for steroid injections
• complete and quick recovery from surgery
• radiation that follows to effectively eliminate any trace of cancer with minimal dose
• able to return to Fit for Christ ministry in January
• kidney stones to be gone and to stop forming
• an end to the pain and dependence on pain medication
• for the glory of God to be revealed and impact family and others
• for people to be saved as a result of this recovery
• strength and wisdom for Matt as he provides support
• peace and unity in our marriage as we walk through this
• return of all time, joy, peace, etc., that the enemy has stolen

Monday night we had a powerful time at the prayer meeting at our house. 44 people were at our house praying for me and there were many others praying at other locations. I found the time very encouraging, powerful and uplifting. During praise and worship that night one line said "hide me now under Your wings" and I felt a burden lift at that time. I read a poem that summed up what I felt at that time. It is called On the Wings of Prayer by Helen Seiner Rice.

On the wings of prayer
our burdens take flight
And our load of care
becomes bearably light
And our heavy hearts
are lifted above
To be healed by the balm
of God's wonderful love...
And the tears in our eyes
are dried by the hands
Of a loving Father
who understands
All of our problems,
our fears and despair
When we take them to Him
on the wings of prayer.

September 23, 2005 - 2:30 pm

The surgeon's office called to move the date of the surgery. It will now be Thursday, October 13th at 2pm, arriving at the hospital at noon. I'll update this site again on the Thanksgiving weekend :) Please pray that the surgery will not get moved again.

September 9, 2005 - 11:15 am

School is back in and my house is really quiet! It feels really weird to have my youngest child in school three full days a week. Today, I called the surgeon to ask about booking the surgery. The receptionist called me back with some dates. My Pre-Admission/Medical appointment is Wednesday, September 28th at 10am. The surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, October 12th at 2 pm, but I have to arrive at the hospital at noon. The surgery will take place at the Victoria Hospital of the London Health Sciences Centre. Visitor hours, maps and more can be found at their website: http://www.lhsc.on.ca/patients/index.htm.

The receptionist told me to call the day before surgery to confirm the time. She also said that if an emergency came up, they would have to reschedule the surgery. Please pray that the surgery will not have to be rescheduled. Details about the surgery are coming together nicely. For example, we have been able to find places for the kids to stay during the surgery so that they can continue to be in school, Matt will stay at my dad's house in London and work from there whenever possible, etc.

As the day of surgery draws closer, I will update the site with prayer requests for the surgery. Please pray that I will have peace and that I will stand strong no matter what the situation is around me. Thank you for your commitment to stand with me in prayer!

August 23, 2005 - 11:30 am

Thank you for your prayers. I had a wonderful time at the fitness conference in Toronto. I had a lot of great sessions where I was able to pick up some new ideas and choreography. Being at the conference helped stir up vision for the aerobics. In between many of the sessions, I had time to go back up to the hotel room and relax. It was refreshing to get time to read, pray, have long uninterupted baths, or do whatever I wanted:)

The appointment with the surgeon went well yesterday (the kids liked meeting him and seeing the huge hospital). He didn't feel that the pain was a cause for alarm. The surgeon and I did have an opportunity to talk about dates for the surgery. If I have the surgery in September, then it would affect the trip with Matt. The surgeon said "you are having major surgery and you will be uncomfortable and won't be able to do some things". So, he recommended waiting to have the surgery until after the trip. Tentatively, the surgery will be the Wednesday after Thanksgiving weekend (that is, Wed. Oct. 12th). I do have peace about this because while reading my Bible in Toronto at the hotel, I realized that God knows exactly when the best time is for me to have the surgery. I just needed to let go and trust God completely. The pre-admit/medical will be done the week before I go away.

One of the difficult things about this "journey" I am on was knowing that I would need to cancel the fall session of Fit for Christ aerobics. So, yesterday, I called the church to let them know that aerobics will be postponed until January. What a hard call that was! Then this morning I sent out an email to the wonderful ladies who are a part of Fit for Christ to inform them.

So as we move forward, please pray for peace. Please pray that the surgery will not be later than the date of October 12th (that is, surgery won't be postponed), that the pain in my neck will stop, that I will be able to do what is needed to maintain a healthy body, that the pain my kidney will stop and of course, NO CANCER!

Thank you again for your tremendous support and for standing with me in prayer. I am confident that God will see me through this. I AM healed by the stripes of Jesus!

August 16, 2005 - 11:00 am

I would like to thank everyone for their support, which has been shown in many ways. Many are praying and I am very grateful for those that are standing with me in prayer for complete healing. There has been support in other ways too. A handful of ladies from my Fit for Christ aerobics group blessed me with a meal, somone brought over a tray of muffins, someone from church has been weeding and mulching my gardens for me on a regular basis (and there are lots of gardens here!), people have emailed me and sent me cards and encouraging books and CDs. I was blessed with a beautiful blanket that had a guardian angel on it watching over two children. Each encourging word, prayer and action blesses me and reminds me of how much God cares about me.

God's creativity never ceases to amaze me. He has so many ways that He can speak to us. Sunday July 31st after church, someone came by to drop off a present. She wouldn't tell me who the gift was from - it is a secret (I still don't know who gave it). Inside the gift bag was a stack of envelopes, each bearing my name and a date. There was a card for each day starting July 31st, until September 30th. Each card has a hand selected and hand written scripture in it as well as an encouraging comment. Every morning, I look forward to opening the card to see what scripture she has selected for me. I want to share a couple of the cards with you because it shows how much God cares about us. On August 9th, I was feeling discouraged and in my journal I wrote: "Lord, I feel like I am in a deep valley and every time I start to climb out I fall back down, but deeper." After I finished writing my prayer/talk with God in my journal, I opened up the card that had the date August 9th on it. The scripture that was hand written in the card was from Psalm 94:18 The minute I said, "I'm slipping, I'm falling; Your love, God, took hold and held me fast! Also written in the card was He is taking care of you! Isn't God amazing!!!

I would like to share another card with you. Last Sunday, the scripture in the card was Psalm 138:2 (The Message) I kneel in worship facing Your holy temple and say it again: "Thank You!" Thank You for Your love, thank You for Your faithfulness; Most holy is Your name, most holy is Your Word. Then I read a page from a devotion that my sister-in-law gave me called Minute Meditations for Healing and Hope. I read... I worship, giving thanks to You for all Your lovingkindness and Your faithfulness, for Your promises are backed by all the honour of Your name. When I pray, You answer me, and encourage me by giving me the strength I need. I looked and saw that the scripture was Psalm 138:2-3. I kid you not! Then during worship at church, the last song they did had the words... "Thank You, Thank You Jesus. Thank You, for all You have done". All day, I praised God for continually showing me that He is looking after me.

I called the surgeon's office and she said that August is booked up now, and they are booking into September for surgeries. I still don't have a date yet for the surgery. Due to the nature of the type of surgeries that Dr. Yoo does, they only book 2-4 weeks ahead of time to allow for rescheduling due to emergencies. I am still praying for favour for booking of the surgery. Matt and I are going on a business trip the first week in October (our flights are already booked), so I need the surgery and the recovery booked at such a time so that it doesn't affect this. Please pray for the surgery to be booked at the right time. Last night I was sharing with Matt my frustration of not knowing when the surgery will be and whether or not it will affect our trip in October (plus I want to be able to take Nathan to his first day of school). Matt reassured me that God knows the best timing for the surgery and we can trust Him to set the right date. This morning the scripture from my devotion book was from Ecclesiastes 3:1,11: There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven...He has made everything appropriate in its time. Thank You Lord!

Over the last couple of weeks, I have had an increase of pain in my neck, located around the second site where they biopsied. The last few days has seen even more discomfort on the left side of my neck. Please pray that whatever is causing the pain will stop and be gone, as the surgeon said that it is not normal to have pain for this long after the biopsy. I have an appointment with him at 8:30 am on August 22nd to investigate why I am having this pain. Please pray for wisdom for the doctor and his staff. I am taking my kids with me so that they can meet the surgeon and see the hospital where the surgery will be.

God is so good! Pastor Beth gave me a couple of books to read and a CD to listen to. It has encouraged me so much. The book was called When It Pours, He Reigns - I finished reading it at the cottage and it was very helpful. Also, I emailed a prayer request in to Kenneth Copeland Ministries and they called to talk and pray with me. Then they told me that they were going to send me some books and a CD teaching series for free. The one book they sent me was The Maker's Diet, which was also recommended to me by a couple of people 2 weeks beforehand. I've already started to read it:)

I would also like to share a praise report with you, so you can rejoice with me. Last week, I was able to go away with my family on our vacation to the cottage we rented in northern Ontario. When we arrived at the cottage, I took my sandals off and stepped out of the van onto the warm sand and I was overwhelmed by God's faithfulness! This Friday, I am going to Toronto for three days for a fitness conference. This will be a time of stirring up vision and getting ideas for Fit for Christ aerobics. Thank you for your prayers!

July 15, 2005

I just got back from London and wanted to get an update to you all. At the ultrasound on Wednesday, they couldn't find any reason why I would still be having pain in my neck.

Today, Matt and I went to London for the consultation appointment with the head and neck oncologist (Dr. John Yoo). He and his staff were very knowledgable and friendly - both Matt and I felt very comfortable with them. The first thing he did was to take a video of my vocal chords - that was truly amazing! He put a small scope with a video camera and a light through my nasal cavity until he got to the vocal chords. Here is a picture of my "photogenic" insides...

The V that you are seeing are my vocals chords and as you look into the dark space between the vocal chords, that is the trachea. Matt watched the whole thing on a colour screen! Now, that is what I call very interesting home videos - I guess I should have brought some popcorn for Matt (ha ha ha).

Dr. Yoo said that the surgery is a major surgery, lasting about 3 to 4 hours with a 3 to 4 day stay in the hospital. He is planning on using the same incision as from the first surgery in 1992, but he will extend it out and then take it up towards my left ear. Since one of the locations of the cancer is in a lymph node, he will have to remove a string of lymph nodes in the neck (he basically takes out a triangle shape). He called it a neck dissection. Then there is the residual thyroid tissue that has to removed from the thyroid bed. They call this revision thyroidectomy. The goal is get all the thyroid cells and cancer cells out of my body. We are very thankful to God for timely appointments and for the very skilled and personable surgeon we met today! God is so good.

There are two possible situations that Dr. Yoo said could happen - both of which would affect the Fit for Christ aerobics ministry that God has called me to. I truly believe that the enemy is trying to attack my area of ministry, BUT "Greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world". The first issue is the accessory nerve that affects the left shoulder. During the surgery, he will have to find that nerve and trace it. In the unlikely event that it gets damaged, I could lose control of my shoulder and range of motion in my arm (that is, I wouldn't be able to lift my arm past my shoulder). The doctor said that the second issue has a strong chance of occurring, and that is that the nerve for the vocal chords is damaged, which could affect my voice. The surgeon from 1992 told me that there was some damage to my vocal chords, and if that is indeed true, then Dr. Yoo said there might be scar tissue in the area that would affect the vocal chords making that part of the surgery more difficult. So, please pray for the surgeon's hands to be guided, for Godly wisdom, and that there will be NO complications whatsoever. "But thanks be to God, who ALWAYS leads us in triumph in Christ..." 2 Corinthians 2:14

I won't know the actual date of the surgery until 2-4 weeks ahead of time. We have our vacation at the beginning of August and I am attending the fitness conference in Toronto in mid-August. So, for us, the best time for the surgery would be the week of August 22nd, and our second choice would be the week of August 29th. Please pray that we will have favour with the date of the surgery.

When I was away at a cottage with our friends, I picked up a book called "Angel Hugs for Cancer Patients". I want to share with you a poem that is in the book...

Cancer is so limited...

It cannot cripple Love
It cannot shatter Hope
It cannot erode Faith
It cannot destroy Peace

It cannot wipe out Confidence
It cannot kill Friendship
It cannot suppress Memories
It cannot silence Courage

It cannot invade the Soul
It cannot steal Eternal Life
It cannot conquer the Spirit
It cannot lessen the power of Resurrection.

Thank you for standing with me in prayer!

July 13, 2005 - 9:00 am

I have had tremendous favour this week with booking appointments. On Monday I went to see my family doctor because I am still having some tenderness at one of the sites where they did the biopsy. They called to book an ultrasound for me and it is going to be done TODAY at St. Mary's at 1:30 pm. Both the nurse and I were amazed at the ultrasound being booked so soon. Praise God!! Please pray for accuracy with the test.

Today, I received another call where there was great favour. Dr. McDonald's office called to let me know that my consultation appointment with the head and neck oncologist (Dr. Yoo) in London will be THIS Friday at 10:20 am! I was told that it would take at least a month or more for me to get in to see the surgeon. Praise God! I am also very thankful that the surgery will be in London as opposed to Toronto. The drive is a lot easier to London, and Dad and Laura live in London, so if I ever need a place to crash, I can stay at their house. God is so good!

Matt's Mom is visiting us right now, and she is a tremendous help and blessing to us. With all of the appointments and tests over the next week or so, it is a relief to know that I won't need to get a babysitter for the kids and they are in great hands.

Here is the lineup of appointments that I have:

Wednesday, July 13th: Ultrasound on neck at St. Mary's Hospital in Kitchener
July 13th to July 15th: blood and urine testing for kidney specialist
Friday, July 15th at 10:20 am: Dr. Yoo - head and neck oncologist in London
Thursday, July 21st at 9:15 am: Dr. McDonald - endocrinologist in London
Thursday, July 21st at 10:30 pm: Dr. Cordy- kidney specialist in London

I want to thank you for your encouraging words and for standing with me in prayer. God is faithful and He will never leave me, nor forsake me. God has delivered me, is delivering me and will continue to deliver me (see 2 Corinthians 1:8-11). "...He will rescue us because you are helping by praying for us. As a result, many will give thanks to God because so many people's prayers for our safety have been answered..."

July 5, 2005 - 9:00 pm

My family doctor called me with the results of the barium enema. The tests showed no problems with my bowels (Praise God!), but I will still see the specialist to try and identify the cause of the symptoms.

I talked to the receptionist at the specialist's office in London. She said that Dr. McDonald hasn't decided who will do the surgery because he wants to get a second opinion.

June 28, 2005 - 10:00 am

For the first entry on this web page, I want to give you a little bit of a history. In 1992, I had my thyroid gland (and also a parathyroid gland) removed due to thyroid cancer. One month later I had radiation treatment. I was in my last term at the University of Waterloo for math and against the advice of my faculty advisors, I decided to continue on with that term. Despite missing over a month of lectures, I had the best term even in my university career - Praise God!

The scar from the thyroidectomy did not heal properly (it was painful to touch), so in 1993 they did another surgery to correct the scar. This scar began to heal the same way the first one did, so the doctor had to do weekly injections to get it heal properly.

In 1994, the doctor decided that I should have follow-up radiation.

In January of 1997, I passed the first kidney stone. The reason why my body has been forming kidney stones is because the doctors removed a parathyroid gland and the other parathyroid glands were damaged in the surgery and never worked properly again. The parathyroid glands help your body control calcium levels, so my body doesn't know how to properly control calcium levels, therefore the kidney stones form. Since 1997, I have passed many stones, over 20 in some years. I continue to have pain pretty much every day. The doctor has me on two different pain medications, one of which I take around the clock.

One of the tests that is used to watch for thyroid cancer recurrence is the thyroglobulin blood test. That test spiked up in the fall and after a long chain of events, I was referred to Dr. McDonald in London who is an endocrinologist that mainly deals with thyroid cancer. I saw him on May 20 of this year and he said the thyroglobulin blood tests for the past 13 years has been too high (even though I have been told that they were fine). He had me do a high density ultrasound which showed residual tissue and also a suspicious node. On June 13th, I had both of those spots biopsied. The results showed that there is cancer in both locations and the that the suspicious node is a lymph node.

The next step is surgery, either in London or Toronto. Because there was some damage done to my vocal chords as a result of the first surgery in 1992 and also because of potential "breathing" problems, the doctor doesn't know where he will send me.

There have also been some issues with my bowels, so I was sent for a barium enema last week and I am being referred to a specialist.

Sunday I went the Best Western Country Inn located in St. Jacobs so that I could have quiet time praying and reading my Bible. When I checked into the hotel they said that they were giving me a "complimentary room upgrade" to a room with a king size bed, fireplace and large jacuzzi. God is so good - He cares about all the details in our lives! I had such a great time alone with God, that I didn't get to bed until 4 am. When I left the hotel Monday, I felt like a burden had been lifted from me. I could actually feel the load being lifted off - it was so amazing. Praise God!

Thank you for your prayers and your support - I greatly appreciate it!

"Embracing a Lifestyle that Glorifies God"