BRAIN CANCER

This is an e-mail from a dear sister at my church. Please pray for her sister Shiela.

Friends,

Below is my sister's latest update. I send it because many of you have commented on how touched you have been by her testimony. She called me very excited today to ask for prayer. After her initial diagnosis and treatment three years ago, Sheila started a non-profit called Gems of Hope that is committed to bringing hope to cancer patients and their families (someday soon I will include info about it and the two related organizations she has launched). Her prayer request is for 5 minutes with Lance Armstrong during which she can promote the work her organization is doing and see how it might fit within what Lance is doing with the American Cancer Society. Lance along with all the presidential candidates will be in town as part of the straw polls on Monday and Tuesday. Apparently Sheila's neighbor's brother is one of his "handlers". Specifically she asks that many obstacles will be overcome within the next two days, including her being available to meet him if invited as she is starting full brain radiation on Monday. It was very exciting to hear her ask for prayer. While test after test seems to reveal more dire news, her faith that prayer makes a difference is strong. I was also thrilled that she added the request that we pray for Lance to come to know Christ as his savior. He is showing us with increasing clarity those things that matter most. Thank you all for standing in the gap for all of us. Prayer makes a difference! Thank you for taking your role as intercessors seriously. May God multiply blessing back to each of you!

Kept,
sandy

Hey Guys,

Sorry I have not wriitten in so long. It has been a long road getting opinions and running test. Especially when you want to keep doing the things that matter the most to you too. Even in this nightmare world of cancer there are still moments of hope and grace . I'm sure we'd see more if we could hold our heads up more often.

But here are some I've celebrated.........

visiting with Syd's friends home from college
-Meeting new prayer friends from the Vineyard Church
-Meeting Kate and her prayer group in Davenport
-Visits from family.
-The card in the mail from my elementary buddy Patti
-sleeping on the porch on cool summer nights
-boat rides wirh friends
-watching the boys practice football at kennedy-careful don't let Bond know I've been in the parking lot watching. Guess that is still not cool- even as a junior. Hah
-stupid jokes from Jane in my email daily- she has it covered please don't send more.
-working with an incredible group of teens to launch a website for teens around the world-coming soon-www.cancerreallysucks.org- it is so cool
-seeing my parents every day
-spending more time with Tork
-laughing with Cathy and Syd until midnight in Chicago
All the kids are back at school. I miss them more this year than ever before. As I cried when Syd left she reminded me that I used to throw champange brunches and back to school parties for moms only. I still think they were necessary, I'd throw them again!! There should always be a reason to celebrate life. Right?

I want to ask for your prayers now more than ever. The last cycle of chemo eventually quit working, as is often the case. We now have to change therapies to keep the cancer from advancing. So it is time for new drugs and also some radiation here in town. I'm still consulting with Mayo clinic and doctor Ghosh here in town. The oncologists have told us there are many patients' scans that clear up and stabilize- we have to use the many options that are available to find what is best for me. It is a scary time for us right now. We've been told it's not time to quit fighting. We need your prayers for discernment, healing, courage and peace of mind.

Enjoy each day! Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Prov 3:5

Love,
Sheila and Tork

I hate cancer. My boss is currently undergoing chemo as well.

I will pray for Sheila.

I am praying,,,

May God give them wisdom and joy to walk through this...

Thank you for sharing
charlene

Praying. Please keep us updated.

:-)

UPDATE

Friends,

I arrived in Iowa late this afternoon with the kids. Sheila will begin chemo 2x a week to try and treat her lungs while she continues with full brain radiation for another ten days. Needless to say, the combined treatments will be extremely taxing to her system. Please pray that both interventions deal a major blow to all the cancer cells with minimal negative side effects. Also, please pray that Sheila be protected from other illness as her immune system will be greatly impaired. Praise God for His keeping and faithfulness and pray that they will be increasingly apparent here.

For the King,
sandy

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:16-21 (New International Version)

Mind if I ask what kind of brain tumor this person has? There are different kinds and they respond differently to medical treatment....

Blessings to you and this girl...may she find the presense of the LORD strengthening to her spirit, mind and body.

ginnyrose

Friends,
| Sheila's tests came back with good results! The cancer in her brain
| is now but two small spots making her a candidate for a pinpointed
| radiation in the next few weeks that should arrest those spots. Her
| pet scan showed no active areas of cancer in her lungs or bones.
| Their family is ecstatic. She will continue with chemo and is now a
| candidate for a second type of generally more effective chemo. I
| understand that only last week during her chemo treatment one of her
| oncologists shook his head and essentially communicated that she was
| wasting her days bothering with the medicine when she should be out
| living her life. Over and over she has been told odds of her
| survival are very small as her type of cancer is advanced and
| essentially untreatable with current medicines. Repeatedly she has
| said that she knows only God can heal her. Now she has a great
| opportunity to explain that the chemo and radiation were but one
| small part of her treatment plan. I understand that Sheila has
| asked my father to once again drive her the 100 miles to Bettendorf,
| Iowa to share with the prayer group that we were originally invited
| to by a woman I met on a flight. Thank you from all of for standing
| in the gap in faith and ministering prayer for Sheila and our whole
| family. I believe we were all prepared to praise God even if
| today's results had been discouraging (which to me is a miracle of
| its own), but what JOY to hear Sheila say both doctors called the
| changes remarkable! Thanks be to God!
|
| Jubilant,
| sandy
|

Friends,
| My sister Sheila is currently undergoing a blood transfusion to deal
| with low blood pressure that is now dangerously low. It may be an
| indication that she can no longer use the chemo that has appeared to
| help. Regardless, her bp is so low that they fear it could be
| damaging to her body. Please pray that the battery of tests will
| shed light on anything else that should be done. Needless to say,
| she is discouraged. Both of my parents are also ill with some
| respiratory bug. With a history of emphysema, my father can become
| very sick. I appreciate your faithful prayers! I know they make a
| difference. God is honored anew each time we acknowledge Him.
|
| kept,
| sandy

Friends,

Over Christmas I was blessed to witness an amazing peace and grace surrounding my sister Sheila and her family in the midst of her determination to redeem fully the time she has been given. Sheila goes in for a more tests tomorrow tomorrow (Thursday). Anticipating these tests have a way of stealing peace and confidence. Below is Sheila's own request for prayer. I specifically ask that along with healing you pray for a multiplication of our faith and trust in God.

a fellow pilgrim,
sandy

from Sheila--
I could not do chemo last week because my platelets were too low. This is a side affect of the drug we are using. So I will be meeting with Dr. Ghosh Thursday. I will be having another routine evaluation Pet Scan and MRI. Hard to believe it is time again. It is always a challenge for us. The only way we get through them is thinking about all the prayers behind us. God has been with us the whole journey and will not abandon us. So, if your prayer list isn't too long please remember us.

Father,
Please touch Sheila and her Parents in this most trying time.
Nothing is too hard for You.
Please give Your Strength to this whole Family.
In Jesus Name. Amen

Latest update and Prayer Request

Friends,

Sheila had chemo yesterday and will get the results of a lung x-ray today. They are waiting to re-image her for another three weeks--allowing enough time to pass to evaluate if this chemo is helping. I was told that the doctor has said at this point they will try to keep her comfortable and alive for as long as they can. This is a disturbing thing to hear and too dangerous to give too much thought. I am deeply grateful for the doctors and scientists that have made healing their lifes' work. We still pray for God to transform their desire to heal with His own power to heal. He alone keeps any of us alive from one second to the next. He alone can give her peace that is a comfort. And He will, in a way that will ultimately bring forth more life for Sheila, for our family and for His Kingdom. I trust He is busy answering in ways that far exceed the boldest prayers and desires of our hearts, regardless of what I see. I would ask you to continue to pray for miraculous physical healing. As well I would ask prayers for Sheila, that she would receive something fresh from God to give her courage and even excitement over Him in a new way, that it would spill over to her children. Finally, I would ask for protection over anyone impacted by this who may be at risk of losing any fraction of their faith in God.

I think I shared this before but I will again as it is very much on my mind now:

After crying out for some encouragement to share with a friend who would ultimately lose her own battle with cancer, I received from God a word of encouragement that, ultimately, did just that. I heard,
"Your prayers don't all sound the same to Me. You delight Me anew each day you turn to Me. Because of your prayers, healing is taking place beyond your body, beyond your house of which you will never know."

PRAYER MATTERS. PRAYER CHANGES THINGS. Thank you for yours. May we pray big so that God can do even greater things, far beyond our original intent, far beyond what we see.

peace,
sandy

"Therefore, we who have fled to Jesus for refuge can take new courage, for we can hold on to His promise with confidence. This confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls." Hebrews 6:18,19 DeleteReplyForwardSpamMove...

Sandy,

My heart goes out to your sister...From your posts, I understand that in the absence of divine intervention, Sheila's cancer is terminal, am I right?

Mind if I say a few things? I am assuming her cancer is terminal and so what I am going to say will reflect this, OK?

If Sheila has her sins under the blood, dying will be a blessed release for her: the ultimate healing. It is the people left behind who will miss her: not her; it will be you or 'them'. Do you understand this? Dying is not the worst thing that can or will happen to a saint: it is among the most wonderful thing, actually.

Now you know that apart from divine intervention, Sheila will likely die....have you discussed this with her? If not, do, and do it ASAP! She may long to have this conversation(s). Say the things NOW that need to be said so there will be no "I should haves" after her passing. Bare you r heart to her while she can still think, reason. Do NOT BE AFRAID OF SHARING TEARS!

There is one more thing I have heard which I think is wonderful. A mother knew she was dying but she had children and knew she would not live to see them grow up. So she made recordings of advice she would give her child in situations she imagined her child might face in the future. Now this I think is so brilliant. I suggest your sister do this as well. They will treasure this in the years to come.

How do I know all this? "Been there, done that..." Our 25 YO daughter died from a glioblastoma 12 years ago, leaving behind two small children and a loving husband.

God bless all of you...this could be among the most tender times of your spiritual growth IF you allow the Holy Spirit to act as He wills.

Blessings,
ginnyrose

Continuing in prayer.

Friends,
I have hesitated to write as there are no words to express all that is
in my heart and mind. Last week I witnessed Sheila testify that she
was "ready". And so I rejoice in this powerful testimony of God's
keeping. While inwardly Sheila is being renewed, outwardly her otherwise
healthy body declines steadily but slowly. Please pray for strength
for all of us as we keep vigil. As well please pray for those friends
and acquaintances who do not know Christ and will hear testimony of
her life in Christ.

For the King!
sandy

Subject: Sheila - update

No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinth 2:9

While surrounded by loved ones, last evening, Sheila left the earthly world and entered heaven with a beautiful smile on her face. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.

Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed for they will rest from their hard work. Revelation 14:13

Tork ( Sheilas Husband)

Sorry to hear Sheila died but if she was ready to meet with the LORD it is indeed a glorious time for [i]her![/i]

There is one issue I wrestle with and that is how one works so hard to maintain physical life while in a terminal state. Why are you fighting to go be with the LORD?

Anyhow, I sometimes envy the saints who have gone on before, I think they are fortunate...that is what I thought when my 80 year old dad died a year ago.

Blessings,
ginnyrose