Wendy's Decision

After much prayer, Wendy has decided to not take any more chemo treatments. After the last scan showed her as cancer-free, she learned that the chemo she was scheduled to take always produces side effects, and one of those that has happened to other patients is death. She prayed about it, and just doesn't feel that this is a risk she is supposed to take at this time. She will continue to have scans periodically to ensure that the cancer has not returned. Please continue to pray for her as she continues to regain her strength, and please pray that she will remain cancer-free! Thank you so much and God bless you all!

No Treatment, But Great News!

Wendy was not able to take her treatment today, but she got several pieces of good news while at the hospital. First and foremost, a scan shows her as cancer-free! That's such a good thing to be able to think and just to know...Wendy is cancer-free. I got a delicious shiver just typing that! I think I shall shout it joyfully in my car on my way home from work (would love to do it now, but don't want to startle my co-workers). Wendy is cancer-free. Wendy is cancer-free! WENDY IS CANCER-FREE!!! I just can't stop...but I must, or you won't know the rest of her good news. In addition to THAT, she also learned that a sore spot that had been giving her great concern is just post-operative soreness, and not anything worse as she thought it might be, so major relief for all. Third, when her blood levels are too low to take a treatment (as they were today), she usually receives a shot to raise them, but the shot makes her ache constantly. However, today - the day of miracles - her levels were higher than they normally are when they are too low (yes, I know how confusing that is...my apologies) and are rising on their own, so no shot was required. It was just a red-letter day at UAB, I must say. God showed out!

God is working, and I know it is because all of you people, His people, are asking in faith for healing for her. I cannot tell you how much it means to our family to know this. Our spirits are raised, and we thank you all so much for all of your prayers. God bless you all!!

Scratch That...Treatment Today (Tuesday)

Forgive me for not updating last week. Wendy has become very sick with an unknown illness, and was not allowed to take the treatment on Friday. We thought she might have had the flu, but she has been vaccinated, so we're not sure. Her treatment was re-scheduled for today, but as of yesterday, she was still very sick. She is going to go to the hospital today at the treatment appointment time, and see the doctor to determine what she has and whether she can take the treatment. A specific prayer request from Wendy - pray that she is allowed to keep the IV put in during lab work for the treatment. Usually, they remove the lab work IV and then put in another one when she goes downstairs for the treatment. The placing of the second IV is usually very painful. Once, she was able to convince them to leave the 1st IV in, and things were much smoother. Please pray also for peace and comfort - she is not looking forward to another round.

Thanks for all of your prayers!!

Treatment Friday

Wendy's next treatment is scheduled for Friday. Please pray for her as she prepares for it. She is also very sick today, and wasn't able to go on Landon's field trip to the Pumpkin Patch - a trip that both had been looking forward to for a long time. Please pray that she recovers from this sufficiently to be able to take the treatment. Thanks for your continued prayers!

More Treatments

Wendy heard from the doctor, and she has to take three more treatments. The first is scheduled for October 23rd. The side effects, if any, will begin to affect her about 7 - 10 days after the treatment. This is a different type of chemo, so we don't know exactly how it might be affect her. Please pray that she experiences no side effects. She is especially concerned about Halloween, because she is afraid she won't be able to enjoy everything with the kids. Please also pray for her to have peace about the situation - she wasn't expecting to have to take more treatments, so this has come as a bit of a shock. She is adjusting well, though. Thanks!

Decisions, Decisions....

Hi! Thanks for continuing to keep up with the blog. Wendy is currently awaiting more information from the doctors regarding more treatment options. She will learn their recommendations later this week. Please pray for God to give her wisdom to know what option God will have her to choose, regardless of the option the doctors recommend.

A praise - the catheters were removed last week, and Wendy is responding much better than expected!

She and the children have also had the flu this past week. They are basically over it, and the children are cleared to return to school tomorrow. Please continue to pray for healing for all of them, as they are still feeling weak.

Thanks for praying!! It means so much!!

Coming Home!

Wendy is coming home today! Praise God!! Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement to her and to us all. Please continue to pray for her recovery, and for the results of the pathology report. Samples of her bladder and lymph nodes were sent for further testing, so please pray that she will be given the All Clear and won't have to take any more chemo.

In case anyone wants to send her a card (this is not a solicitation for mail - just in case someone wants to), here is her address:

Wendy Franks
469 Co. Rd. 603
Hanceville, AL 35077

Thanks for everything and have a great day serving our Great GOD!!

Food....Well, Liquid Food

But food none the less! Wendy was allowed to have a liquid tray today (broth, Jell-o, juice and tea) - a huge step forward. I stayed with her for a few hours today while Larry was spending some time with Jessi and Landon, and was very excited to see how well she is doing. The doctor told her that if she continues to recover at this pace, she can go home either Tuesday or Wednesday! She wasn't surprised - she had been saying all along that she would go home in less than a week. Please pray for her continued fast-track recovery, for her to get some rest, and for Leighanna's safe return home -she is in Arkansas for a Langford family reunion.

Thanks and have a great Labor Day!

Juice!

Wendy is drinking juice today! Thank you, LORD!! She is feeling better, and will resume walking today. I know this isn't a lot of information, but it's all I have for now. Thanks!

Water!

Wendy is doing well the first day after the surgery. She is moving around a good bit and has not had to use much of her pain medication. However,she is not allowed to drink anything until after her intestines "wake up" after the surgery. This is becoming a problem, since she now has had nothing to eat or drink since Tuesday morning. Please, please pray that she will be cleared for liquids at her next check-in at 3:00pm. She also just isn't ready for visitors yet, but I'll let you know when she is. If you want to send her something, her address is below (her room # is P708).

Thanks!

Wendy Franks P708
UAB Hospital
1802 6th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35249

SUCCESS!!

Wendy came out of surgery around 6:00pm, and the surgeon said everything was a success! She did indeed get Option 3. The dr. cleaned out the lymph nodes as well to eliminate all possible cancer occurences, which explains why she was in surgery a bit longer than expected. The last I heard from my sources on the ground (AKA my parents), she was in recovery and would be moved to a room later. They hadn't been able to see her at the time, but were on their way back to the hospital to see if they could see her (my dad's uncle died, so they were at the funeral home). Wendy will be in the hospital for about a week, so I'll post her address at UAB tomorrow, if anyone wants to send her a card.

PRAISE GOD FOR EVERYTHING!!!!!! Thank you for all of your prayers, as always! They have made all the difference! Good night!

Surgery Underway

Wendy's surgery started at 7:20am. Since then, the surgeons have let the family know that she is doing well. Before the surgery, she was making jokes with the nurses, so she was in good spirit. It will be late afternoon (between 3:30-5:30pm) before she is out of surgery. I will try to update this as often as I can, but since I'm home alone with 3 very small children, I can't promise much. I can update Facebook more easily, so you can look there for the latest information. I will include full details here later. Thanks for praying! Please continue to pray that she does indeed get Option 3!

Surgery Countdown

Wendy's surgery is scheduled for this Wednesday, Sept. 2nd, at some time very early in the morning. It is supposed to take a loooong time, so I'll update here as soon as I learn more throughout the day. The dr. told Wendy to prepare for a hospital stay of approximately 7-10 days or longer. Wendy told him she plans to come home on Labor Day. Please pray for Wendy, not only for the successful outcome of the surgery, but also for her to have peace during this process. Pray for Larry and the children and also for everyone who will participate in caring for Leighanna, Jessi, and Landon during this time. Pray also for the surgeons and their team. Thanks!!

We Got 3!!!

Praise the LORD!!! Wendy's doctor called yesterday to say he has chosen Option 3 as the ending for her surgery. This means that he will create a new bladder for her and, after time, life will return to practically normal! This is the outcome she really, really wanted, and she is very relieved! She told him that many, many people were praying for this option, so your prayers are also being used as a witness for His great power. Thanks so much!! And Happy Birthday tomorrow to our mom! We love you!

The Verdict - Almost

Wendy's exploratory procedure went very well today. The dr. said te tumor has shrunk even more since the CT scan, and everything looks good. he will make his decision about the surgery ending option later this week. Please continue to pray for 3!!

We Want 3! Got to Have 3!

(I was a cheerleader - can you tell?) Wendy learned last week that there are 3 possible endings to her surgery. No need to go into details here, but Wendy really wants Ending 3. She is asking everyone to pray for that. Please pray for this, and for her physical and emotional health as she approaches surgery. Also, Wendy's 40th birthday is tomorrow, so Happy Birthday, Wendy!!!

Surgery Scheduled

Wendy learned yesterday that her surgery has been scheduled for September 2nd. She will have another "medium" treatment this Friday, and that will probably be the last one (that gives her about 3 weeks to recover and be healthy enough for the surery). Please pray for God to comfort Wendy and give her peace. Nearly a month is a long time to have to think about what's ahead, so she doesn't need to become anxious about the future. She is so glad, though, that it means she will be able to take everyone to their first day of school and celebrate her birthday on Aug. 15th before the surgery. However, Jessi is cheering this year,and Wendy may only be able to attend 1 ballgame (all of you moms know how important it is at be at all of the games!). Please also pray for her to have relief from acid reflux. She is having a hard time with that this week, and is hoping the new medication she received for it starts working soon.

Thanks as always for your prayers! Have a great day and thanks for checking in!

32%!

Wendy's CT scan revealed that the tumor has shrunk 32%! The doctor said that anything over 30% is wonderful, so the doctor is very excited. She also said that the tumor is pulling away from its surroundings, which is great in preparation for surgery. Wendy will have another "medium" treatment next Friday, and then she and the doctors will discuss the next steps. She is feeling very tired today and doesn't have much of an appetite, but is not nearly as sick as she has been in the past. Her 40th birthday is August 15th, so please pray that she has a break that week so she can enjoy her birthday. Thanks as always for all of your prayers - they have made all the difference!

Urgent Prayer Request

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted anything, but there really hasn't been anything to post. Wendy hasn't had a treatment or appointment for about 2 weeks, and she is feeling very well! She has asked me, though, to ask you all to pray about tomorrow. Wendy will have a CT scan early tomorrow morning. If the results show that the tumor is still there but that the chemo is working, she will immediately have a heavy treatment. If the results show that the chemo is not working, she will not take another treatment and they will discuss what to do next. If the tumor is completely gone, then the worship celebration party is at my house!! Wendy is understandably anxious about what the results will show. She is also concerned that her surgery will be scheduled around the first day of school. Please pray for Wendy to have peace about tomorrow, that any surgery could be postponed until after the children are settled in school, and that she will not feel any serious effects from the chemo if she has to take it. Thanks so much for all of your prayers!!

Day After Medium Treatment

I feel I can best sum up Wendy's condition today by recounting our phone conversation today. When she answered in a surprising strong voice, I asked what she had been doing today. She replied, "Oh, just pressure-washing the sidewalk." So, yeah, she's feeling pretty good! Yesterday at her treatment, Nurse Jennifer (she got Jennifer again!) is amazed that she hasn't lost her hair. She won't take a treatment next week, and then will return on July 31st for a CT scan to see how the chemo is working. Please continue to pray for Wendy to feel well and for complete healing. Thanks to everyone for praying and for bringing food - it is appreciated more than you will ever know!

Today's Treatment

Wendy's treatment today begins with lab work at 11:30am. It is scheduled to be a "medium" treatment, which doesn't take as long as a "heavy" treatment and shouldn't have as many side effects. I'll update her condition later after the treatment. Thanks for your prayers!

This is a picture of Wendy and Nurse Jennifer, our answer to prayer!

Doing Well

Wendy is feeling much better after this treatment than she did after the last one. She was able to eat Thursday night, was not feeling sick yesterday, and was able to go out today - all things she wasn't really able to do after the last one. Praise God!!!! The dr. ordered that more anti-nausea medication was to be given to her during the treatment, and this helped a great deal. Wendy's next treatment is scheduled for next Thursday, the 16th. Please pray that the treatments are working, and that Wendy will continue to feel even better!

If you haven't heard about the surprise we are having, please email me at traceydecicco@roadrunner.com. Thank you all for your prayers and all of your help!

A Fabulous Day!

Have I mentioned how AMAZING God is?! We have been praying for Wendy to have a good day since today's treatment was a "heavy" one. Our prayers were sooooo answered! First, Jennifer was Wendy's nurse, and they spent the time (4.5 hours) encouraging each other and talking about their faith in God. Then, Wendy had been unable to eat during the last treatment due to issues with her surroundings. Those were miraculously gone today, so she was able to eat lunch during her treatment! I just spoke with her and she isn't feeling sick at all! She was able to eat supper without any problems. The dr. told her today that she will have one more "medium" treatment next week and then they will perform another CT scan. If the scan shows that the chemo isn't working, she won't have any further treatments and proceed with surgery. If the scan shows that the chemo is working, they may perform one more "heavy" treatment before surgery (I'm hoping they are able to do it instead of surgery). Nurse Jennifer told her today that she has seen patients whose CT scan showed complete healing and surgery wasn't necessary, and that she was praying for that to be Wendy's case. Let's all pray for that. God has shown up big time today - He can do so much more than we can ever imagine! Please also pray that Wendy isn't as sick this time as she was with the last treatment. I'll update the blog with more after we see how she feels tomorrow. Thanks everyone!!

You Are Amazing, God!

We prayed, and God heard us: Wendy's nurse today was Jennifer!!!! When God answers prayers, hopsital staffing schedules are no match. I haven't heard anything more from Wendy, but as soon as I do, I'll update everyone about her condition. Thanks for praying!

A Quick Request....

Please pray that Wendy's nurse on Thursday is Jennifer. She is Wendy's favorite nurse, and Wendy feels most comfortable with her. Jennifer was not scheduled to be working in Wendy's area on Thursday, and she told Wendy that she would pray that somehow she would be moved to Wendy's area that day. Wendy is asking us to pray as well. Thanks!!

Prayer Lists

I need a favor, please! I would like to collect copies of all of the church prayer lists that Wendy's name is on. If Wendy is on your church prayer list or on one to which you have access, would you please send me a copy? (I have one from Hayden FBC and Northbrook FBC.) I know it would be a huge encouragement to her to see all of the people who are praying for her. You can give it to me or my mom (I know all of you around Hayden would see her more often than me), or you can mail it to me at:

Tracey DeCicco
21821 US Hwy. 31
Vinemont, AL 35179

I'll be happy to reimburse you for the cost of mailing it to me. If you haven't heard about the surprise we are planning, please see the previous post and email me at traceydecicco@roadrunner.com. I'd post details here, but rumor has it that Wendy has been known to check out her own blog! ;)

Have a great Fourth of July! God bless all who have fought for our freedom! Happy Birthday to our dad, Tommy Anderson! We love you, Grand-dad!

....Or Not

Wendy did not have a treatment yesterday after all. Her white blood count was too low, so she was not allowed to take it (this is very common). The dr. told her that they might reschedule this one for sometime within the next few days, or they might just skip it. They also gave her some anti-nausea medication through her IV, so that helped a lot. She now also has some non-drowsy anti-nausea medication as well, and this should help a great deal. She, Larry, and the children are leaving today for a camping trip! Please pray that Wendy stays well - since her white blood count is low, she is much more vulnerable to sickness.

We are planning a surprise for Wendy, and we need your help. Please email me at traceydecicco@roadrunner.com so I will have your email address (or post it in the Comments section of this blog if you don't mind other people seeing it). I can't post details here, but I'll provide them in the email.

Thanks!!!

Treatment Today

Wendy's treatment starts today at 1:00PM. Her nausea has continued throughout the week after the last treatment, so please pray for this to end and for the doctors to prescribe an anti-nausea medication that does not make her sleepy. This treatment is called a "light" treatment - it will take 1/2 the time as last week's round and the side effects aren't supposed to be as severe.

The next treatment, scheduled for July 9th, is another "heavy" treatment, like last week's treatment. Wendy is asking that everyone pray specifically about this treatment, because she is especially dreading another heavy treatment. She knows she must take it, but she is already dreading it. Please pray for her to have peace about it, to not dwell on it for the next 2 weeks, and for the side effects to be minimal.

Thanks to everyone who has brought food and to all who have asked about it and sent cards - it all means so much! Thanks as always for your prayers!!! Have a good day!

No News....

I realize this blog is lacking details, but there's really not anything to post. Wendy was feeling better when I spoke to her yesterday. She spent the weekend resting and working to keep food on her stomach to help control nausea. The treatment she took last Thursday was a "heavy" treatment. The one scheduled for this coming Thursday is a "light" treatment, and it isn't supposed to have nearly the same side effects. Please pray that she will continue to recover and that this week's treatment will live up to its reputation as "light."

Again, thank you all for your prayers! They are the best medicine anyone could giver her....

Thursday Update

Wendy did well with her treatment today. I spoke to her after she left the hospital, and she said she just felt tired. She didn't feel sick, though! (Thank You, Lord!) Please continue to pray for her to feel well throughout the weekend! Thank you!!

Chemo Begins Today

Wendy's treatment begins today at 1:00PM. Please pray that she experiences minimal discomfort and that she isn't sick afterwards.

I'll post an update after she's finished and back home tonight. Thanks for your prayers!!

Update on Monday

Wendy got some great news on Monday! The dr. says the tumor is not connected to anything in the surrounding area, and so is easy to operate on (in the dr.'s words)!! She was also able to talk to someone who has successfully battled cancer of this type, and she was really encouraged by what the lady had to say. Thanks and praise to God for both of these!!!

Please pray for Wendy as she begins chemotherapy on Thursday. Thanks for your continued prayers - they mean so much!!

Monday's Procedure

Wendy's procedure is complete. She has left the hospital and is doing well. I'll post more details when I get them.....

The Schedule as We Know It

Wendy is scheduled to have an exploratory procedure performed on Monday, 6/15, so the UAB specialists can take a look at her bladder and the general area. She will have the first round of chemo treatment on Thurdsay, 6/18. She will have the 2nd round on 6/25. She will skip a week, and then take the 3rd round 2 weeks later. Surgery is set to follow at some point after that. The chemo she will receive is the type administered via IV at the hospital. That's all the schedule information I have for now. I'll post more when I know more. Please pray for Wendy this week, but also for Larry (Wendy's husband), Leighanna (who turns 12 on Wednesday the 17th), Jessi (who turned 8 yesterday), Landon (who turned 5 on 6/1), and our parents. Thank you!!

When we were growing up, "Let's go... so we can get back," was a favorite saying we used whenever we had somewhere to go or something to do that we really didn't want to do. It meant that we wanted to go ahead and get through what we dreaded so we can get past it and get back to life. I chose that as the title of this blog about Wendy's condition because that's how we see her journey through cancer - let's get through it so we can get past it and go on.

My plan is for this blog to keep everyone up to date on Wendy's schedule of treatments and her condition. If you have any questions about something I post or anything else, please feel free to ask.

Thank you for checking on Wendy via this blog, and thank you most of all for your prayers. God is in control, and our prayer is that this situation is used to bring glory to Him!