Cancer x2

In the past 3 weeks two people I know have been diagnosed with cancer, well almost, one for sure.

Lynne, the wife of the youth leader at our church and friend of mine (we did multiple Bible studies together) and is 32. She has 2 daughters, Olie (Olivia) 3 1/2 yrs old and Sammy (Samantha) turned 1 mid Nov and was pregnant with a 3rd... or so she thought. The pregnancy test came out positive and she went in for her initial OB check up but a heartbeat couldn't be found. According to the lab draws, Lynne was pregnant, so maybe the dates were off. She kept taking PG tests and they kept coming back positive. An ultrasound was set up and it revealed her "baby" was actually a uterine tumor which made her body think she was pregnant. How devastating, thinking you are going to add to your family and the next moment you are scheduling chemo sessions.

Juli, Elise's pony club instructor, revealed she had a biopsy sent off and the results will be back Dec 9th. She is ~44 yrs old and had thyroid cancer a few years ago. She was originally diagnosed with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and had a nagging cough. A year later her specialist sent her to get a chest CT. The technician shot the film incorrectly, God's plan, and wouldn't ya know the Chest CT was too high and caught her thyroid. The technician noticed something was askew and shot a series of CTs on Juli's neck. A golf ball sized growth on her thyroid was cancerous. She had it removed and went through radiation.

Lately Juli has been symptomatic and that is why she had a biopsy. Needless to say Pony Club is being stopped. Juli feels God is really telling her to lighten her load. This is her passion, she lives for horses and for helping others learn about them. She is so giving. Each year a group of homeless children from Seattle board a bus and come out to her farm Christmas day and get pony rides. Some of them have never seen a horse. For all of them this is their most memorable Christmas and perhaps only Christmas gift. She is a great lady and I wish we were able to get to know her better.

I am sad. I was once encouraged to make sure Elise was close to other adults than just Joe, I and family. Someone she could confide in, trust in, hope in... I was hoping and visualizing that person was Juli.

Please keep these lovely women in your prayers and I will keep you posted.

** Elise does not know Pony Club will stop at x-mas break DO NOT TELL HER!! Juli wants to tell the kids in the coming weeks. This is not all doom and gloom for Elise, when one door closes another opens... STAY TUNED!!