Another Story of Melanoma

As most of you know, my mother's melanoma was not my first encounter with this disease. I actually know two families who have lost loved ones and have been in contact with quite a number of others who have been touched by melanoma.

One of those who has been fighting his fight since January is a member of my church, Dr. Dan. He has been blogging (http://www.dancrabtree.blogspot.com/) about his experience and I believe he should transform that blog into a book. He has been inspirational to me and my family and I wanted to share his story with you. Please read his blog, as he shares his wisdom and godliness with others. His eighth grandchild was born last week and he was able to welcome her into this world. To God be the Glory!

Goodbye, Randy Pausch

I was angered and saddened to learn of Randy Pausch's passing this morning in his Chesapeake home. Angered because it seems like God takes those who make such a positive impact on others when WE think they should stay. Randy has three small children and his wife is from Norfolk. I had written a card to him over vacation, but lost it at the cabin we stayed in. Just this morning, after reading his blog that he was in hospice, I put the family's address in my purse to send him a card. Then I read online that he had died.

It appears that Randy was a believer in Christ and for that I am so happy. I can't wait to meet him in heaven. He was able to have such a positive impact on people despite his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and prognosis of a short time to live on this earth. I know his wife and children are grieving in an unimaginable way today. While time lessens the pain, you never forget the love shared and the memories made. My husband, John, has been gone only a week and I've imagined what it must be like for a widow. There are things I wanted to talk to him about this week and he is unreachable in the backcountry of the North Carolina mountains. I will continue to pray for Randy's family - for healing, for comfort, for memories. And for his children to remember the man he was.

I bought The Last Lecture for my parents to read. I read through it and cried, of course. I encourage you to purchase this book. It's chock full of great lessons.

The full post of "The Last Lecture" lecture that Randy Pausch gave at Carnegie Mellon is at

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo. It's an hour long, but there are shorter posts of it on www.youtube.com. I encourage you to sit a spell and listen to it.

Anita

Almost Heaven, West Virginia . . .

West Virginia and southwestern Virginia are beautiful places. But I am definitely a flatlander! My parents, Sara and I went on a long road trip from Thursday through Saturday to Princeton, West Virginia. We started in Richmond on Thursday where my mom had an appointment with the MCV doctors (a follow up liver transplant appointment). She weighed 133.5 pounds. After getting through the clinic in a record time of one hour, we met up with cousins Bev and Becky at the Cracker Barrel in Mechanicsville, VA for lunch.

We headed to Princeton and stayed at the Days Inn (our families always stay there whenever we come for a funeral~thankfully, no funeral this time). But we were so shocked to see how much the place had grown in less than a decade. My mom kept saying, "They changed the roads on me. I don't know where I am!".

On Friday, we left our base camp in Princeton, WV. From there we went to: Bluefield, VA; Bluefield, WV; Pocahontas, VA (where my dad is from and where the above picture was taken); Bossevain, VA; Bishop, VA (where my mom spent most of her younger years); Tazewell, VA (to visit 95 year old Aunt Osie White); and back to Bluefield, VA to pick up flowers for the gravesites of both sets of my grandparents in Bluefield, WV. It was really cool to see how God led us to all the places my mom wanted to visit~all without a map! But those mountain roads are not for me!!! And Sara marveled at how people could put a trampoline outside their house on the side of a mountain. On Friday night, we drove up to Beckley, WV, and met our cousins, Sam and Barb, and Barb's mom, Phyllis, for dinner at the Cracker Barrel (we're becoming regulars). On the way home, we saw the most beautiful full moon and Sara tried (hilariously) to get a photo of it. She succeeded and I've posted my pictures to my webshots account (http://community.webshots.com/user/anitamonroe).

On Saturday morning, we left for home and took I-77 north to I-64 east - soooo much easier than 64/81! I highly recommend this alternate route to avoid the trucks. There was almost no traffic and the scenery was great. Traffic remained good and we made excellent time - until Richmond, of course. Then it was stop and go until we hit the Monitor-Merrimac Tunnel and had coasted through all of the Hampton Roads cities (for those who don't know, the 7 cities are Newport News, Hampton, Suffolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Norfolk and Virginia Beach).

Unfortunately, my parents fell while going up the porch steps when they arrived home and both have bruises and scratches on them. Pray for quick healing. We made it through the entire trip without a hitch, and then we all fell apart when we got home.

My mom returns to EVMS tomorrow to hopefully have her bandage removed from her head. She is still barely eating and it's frustrating for her and us. Please pray for strength for her and my dad.

John & Sara are at a backpacking camp with the church youth group in the mountains of western North Carolina (Montreat College). For those of you who know John, you know my greatest concern is that he come back not wearing a cast! I'm not as worried about Sara. Pray for safety for their group and as they return on Saturday.

Thanks for the continued support.

Love, Anita

IHOP

You know, I'm very grateful for the IHOP. My mom enjoys going there and she eats better there than at home, I think. We celebrated John's 44th birthday at IHOP yesterday and although she was weak and a bit lightheaded, she seemed to enjoy it.

Last Wednesday she had the 2nd melanoma removed from her scalp under local anesthesia. They gave her medication through her IV, she fell asleep before they even got to the operating room, and she woke up easily. She was home by 5:30 p.m. and eating dinner that some McKendree Methodist Church ladies fixed. She will return to the doctor's office on Wednesday to get the staples and bandage removed (she has a little spongebob sponge covering the area).

On Thursday, Sara and I head to Richmond with my parents for my mom's appointment at MCV. Then we all go to Bluefield, WV, to visit my parents' old stomping grounds.

My dad still has pain in his left ribcage area, but the bone scan and x-ray were negative. Probably Arthur Itis~can't ever get rid of him!

Thanks for the continued prayers.

Love,

Anita

4th of July

Happy 4th! Hope yours was good. We went to a VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) picnic with John's parents and my parents~both dads are lifetime members. My mom ate a bit (mostly baked beans, watermelon and a bite of pie). Here is a picture of us at the picnic.

The surgery for the removal of my mom's second melanoma is scheduled for Wednesday, July 9th at 1:30 p.m. at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. It's an outpatient procedure. Pray that it goes well without complications.

The doctors have decided not to have her take more scans to see if the cancer has spread. Her oncologist will monitor her every three months and the head and neck surgeon will remove any melanomas that may pop up. She has elected not to receive additional radiation (which would be on her scalp) and does not want a feeding tube, both of which my dad and I agree with.

She still tires fairly easily but God granted my family a week in the mountains (a wonderful vacation) and my parents didn't have any problems while we were gone. My dad does have a CT scan scheduled for Tuesday, July 8th to try to figure out why he has pain on his left side (which has been there for many months). Pray that they will be able to figure out the cause of the pain - the x-ray he had was normal.

Sara & I plan on taking my parents to West Virginia from July 17-19 (she goes to MCV for a check-up on the 17th) so she can see her old hometown and visit the cemetery where her parents and in-laws are buried.

Thanks for the continued prayers. May God bless you as we celebrate our freedoms.

Anita

p.s.: My dad, the ever-lucky one, won $101 in the 50/50 raffle at the VFW picnic. Woo hoo!