Choose Your Own Ending

 When you were a kid, did you ever read a "choose your own ending" adventure book? I have fond memories of reading books like that, and my super organized personality (yes, even back then) made me go through the book many times to combine every possible story telling option. It was fun to see all the different ways a story could progress if just one choice had been changed. Unfortunately, our lives are not like that. We don't get to go back in time and choose a different pathway to see if it leads to a better outcome. 

My breast cancer journey began almost 6 months ago now. There have been a lot of twists and turns, and choices I have had to make. Currently we have decided that I cannot tolerate any of the three available aromatase inhibitors, so I will start the fourth and final medication on Monday. It is a different type of drug, and works differently, so hopefully I can tolerate the tamoxifen, and it does what it is supposed to: prevent cancer recurrence.

Chad and I joke sometimes about doctors and the term "practicing medicine" as it does seem like they are all still practicing! I have met with an oncologist, surgeon, radiologist, and each of them has a physician assistant, so there have been 6 different medical professionals handling my case. You would think that a multitude would be good (and it very well might be) but it has also caused some confusion. One doctor says "the cancer is gone" and the next says they will order a test to be sure "the cancer hasn't spread". One tells me the medication is essential if I want to not have the cancer return, and another says they tend to over-medicate and my risk is low.  How is one supposed to navigate a system where even the educated medical professionals can't seem to agree?

I wish I could approach this like a choose your own ending book, and see which choices make the best outcomes, but that simply isn't reality. Instead, I spend a LOT of time researching on my own, talking to all 6 of my health care team members, discussing it with my family, and then I pick a path forward. I do not know where the path leads. I do not know what the foreseeable future holds.

One thing I do know is that ultimately my future is secure, entirely anchored in Christ (who He is and what He has already done) and not dependent upon my choices or the strength/health of my body. I make the best choices I can and move forward one day at a time.

1 Peter 1:3-9 (esv)

"3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

I would appreciate your prayers as I begin the new medication and continue to make difficult decisions. May God graciously provide me with many more years, but I fully trust whatever my God ordains is right! 💜

Until Next Time~

Shari

Another Fork in the Road

 You may have realized by now that I never do anything the easy way! I had to stop taking the second medication because of difficult side effects. After a lot of research and discussing everything with my doctor, we have decided to try another medication. The meds they want me to take will help stop the breast cancer from returning, although it is no guarantee.

There are 3 drugs classified as aromatase inhibitors, which basically rid your body of all the estrogen and starve the cancer cells. I will start the exemestane this weekend (after my scheduled Friday colonoscopy). The risk/reward ratio is substantial enough to give it a try. If I experience adverse side effects again we will stop this medicine also, and move on to one last similar drug.

Tamoxifen has been around much longer than the above mentioned aromatase inhibitors. Tamoxifen is in a class of drugs called selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). It works differently. It binds to estrogen receptors and blocks the hormone from fueling cancer cell growth. My mother took this medication back in the late 1990's.

I will try exemestane first and stop it if I run into problems again (I will know within two weeks). If I need to, I will start the Tamoxifen and do the same two-week trial. If I cannot tolerate either of these, then I will be carefully monitored, and if the cancer returns, they will recommend doing the double mastectomy at that point.

I am still managing one day at a time. It is well with my soul. I am enjoying every minute with my granddaughter. Life is pretty good, even in the midst of these trials. Glory be to God!

Until Next Time~

Shari

Still Trekking Down The Path

The last few weeks have been a roller coaster! The highs of providing full time childcare to our first grandchild intermixed with starting the aromatase inhibitors (anti-estrogen cancer meds) and the dreadful side effects. If you have read much of my blog over the years, you probably know that I joke about always being the 1% of patients that experience rare side effects. I don't know why I seem prone to medication difficulties, but whenever I need to start a new medicine, I ask about the less common side effects and weigh the benefit / risk ratio.

Aromatase Inhibitors are a common treatment in hormone+ breast cancers and are highly effective at reducing the risk of recurrence by 40%. The drugs work well, but they also come with some unpleasant side effects. To be fair, up to half of the women who take the medicine actually tolerate it very well; I am not one of them. The most common issues are: 

• typical menopause symptoms (hot flashes, night sweats, and among others)
• bone density loss over time
• weight gain
• joint and muscle pain

I am experiencing some of those (not the longer-term effects), but I also have some less common side effects like dizziness/lightheadedness and nausea/stomach pain. I tried letrozole first and the side effects were unbearable, so after 2 weeks we switched to anastrozole, but only every other day instead of daily. I have been on the anastrozole almost 3 weeks. I am experiencing the same side effects, but they are somewhat more tolerable. It has been a rough 5 weeks on the drugs and cannot imagine doing this for the estimated 5-10 years. I am thankful I did not need to do chemo and try to find some comfort knowing that these meds are not as bad as chemo would have been.

I am reminded of the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-14), in which we ask God to provide our daily bread, and the refrain and last verse of the hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness-

Refrain:

Great is thy faithfulness,

Great is thy faithfulness,

Morning by morning new mercies I see.

All I have needed thy hand hast provided;

Great is thy faithfulness,

Lord unto me.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside. 

If you looked up the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6, you could keep reading through that chapter and see that God cares for each of us individually. He clothes us and feeds us. He provides grace each day to face whatever we might be facing. In verse 34 we are reminded to not worry about tomorrow because each day has enough trouble of its own.

To all who are in Christ Jesus, who have come to Him weary and heavy-laden, and have trusted in Him for forgiveness, we can rest in Him, knowing that His burden is easy and light (Matthew 11:28-30). Ultimately, I give thanks to God for the strength and mercy He provides me each morning. I look expectantly towards that "bright hope for tomorrow" of my imperishable inheritance that is found only in Christ (1 Peter:3-9), my only hope and comfort during this difficult life.

Until Next Time~

Shari

Resting...Sort Of

 Hello! I thought it was time to update how I am doing. Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since I finished radiation, and the fatigue is lingering longer than I would like, but my skin has really healed up. I am moving in the right direction! I started the anti-estrogen medication (Letrozole) two days ago, and so far, I don't have any side effects. 

Now that the hard part is over, I think this next season will be one of resting. If you know me, you know resting is not easy for me. I tend to keep pushing through to get things done, but that isn't the best idea right now as I let my body heal, so I keep on trying to learn to just R-E-S-T.

This past week, I started my new gig as full time grandma providing childcare. Nothing helps you slow down a little like an 11-week-old baby that likes being held. 😁 My cancer diagnosis has really helped me to think more about how I spend my time, and what is truly important. Holding my sweet grandchild is way better than to-do list, social media scrolling, and other busyness that draws us away from the better things.

So, my current prayer is that I learn to just rest, not only physically, but keep learning to more fully rest in Christ. He did all the work, so that I could enter His rest, and I pray also that you are able to do that as well.

Until Next Time~
Shari

I will leave you with the lyrics to the hymn: Jesus, I am Resting, Resting

Jesus, I am resting, resting

in the joy of what thou art;

I am finding out the greatness

of thy loving heart.

Thou hast bid me gaze upon thee,

as thy beauty fills my soul,

for by thy transforming power,

thou hast made me whole.

Refrain:

Jesus, I am resting, resting

in the joy of what thou art;

I am finding out the greatness

of thy loving heart.

O how great thy loving-kindness,

vaster, broader than the sea!

O how marvelous thy goodness

lavished all on me!

Yes, I rest in thee, Beloved,

know what wealth of grace is thine,

know thy certainty of promise

and have made it mine. [Refrain]

Simply trusting thee, Lord Jesus,

I behold thee as thou art,

and thy love, so pure, so changeless,

satisfies my heart;

satisfies its deepest longings,

meets, supplies its ev'ry need,

compasseth me round with blessings:

thine is love indeed. [Refrain]

Ever lift thy face upon me

as I work and wait for thee;

resting 'neath thy smile, Lord Jesus,

earth's dark shadows flee.

Brightness of my Father's glory,

sunshine of my Father's face,

keep me ever trusting, resting,

fill me with thy grace. [Refrain]

Learning to Listen

 Today was my final radiation treatment! Radiation was 5 days a week for 16 days and I am very thankful to be done! The side effects started to hit last week, and the doctor said the radiation toxicity will continue to build over the next week or two, before gettting better. He also said I would be back to normal in 4 - 6 weeks, which is awesome, because I have never been normal! 🤣

As the skin irritation and fatigue have set in, I am learning once again to try and listen to my body. I HATE naps, and so when I say I have been taking daily naps, you should know that it has gotten bad. The current plan is lots of rest to let my body recover, so I can be feeling well enough to provide childcare for my granddaughter by the end of the month. 

Both the cancer diagnosis and the birth of our first grandchild have really made me start to think through how I spend my time. I have deleted some apps and social media platforms, and really limited screen time in general, as I look forward to being fully present for that precious little baby. Once you stop checking your phone constantly, you start to see that everyone else is doing that very thing.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have spent a lot of time in a changing room with other women receiving radiation for cancer. We shared this bond in common, along with sitting in a gown without our cell phones. I quickly discovered that just walking in and saying "Hello" to break the ice led to conversations. While we were going through something similar, many of these women had a more grim prognosis and grueling treatment regimen than I did. 

With my phone in the locker, I was also learning to listen to strangers. It didn't take much effort. I simply greeted each person, listened when they talked, and shared my story and faith as I was able. I hope I was able to make someone's day a little less heavy. A couple of the women seemed to really need some support and encouragement. I am glad I got bolder as the days went on to speak to each person, while being sensitive to any that would not want to be bothered (surprisingly every woman I met was very willing to share their journey).

May I encourage you to put down your phone and look for an opportunity to listen to someone around you today!

Ringing the bell after my last radiation treatment.

Until Next Time~

Shari

Shamrock Sprinkles

 On March 17, 1991, I was baptized just moments before our 6-week-old son was baptized. Neither myself nor my son were saved that day, and it would be years before our spiritual journey would allow us to better understand what baptism is and why that day was important. In just 12 days, we get the privilege of being present in church while our first grandchild is baptized! 

I am not a theologian, and do not want to get deep into the reasons for infant baptism but rather want to celebrate what God is doing in our hearts and lives. Just briefly, I will say that baptism does not save us, Christ alone saves. Baptism is a sign and a seal of God's covenant promises to His children and their children and does not promise salvation to anyone. Rather, the waters of baptism mark the child as part of the visible covenant community, calls them to a future faith and repentance, and points us all to the promises of God.

I will not retell our entire story of how we came to faith in this post, but you can read about that here. Our children were 5 and 7 years old when we came to faith in Christ. From that moment until this one, I have prayed that my children (and their children) would come to a place of faith and repentance. "I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you." (Genesis 17:7)

We pray that Maddie is the first of many grandchildren, and we pray for all of them, even before they are born, that God might call them to faith in Jesus Christ. The past few weeks, my heart has been stirred during church, bringing tears to my eyes as I see afresh God's Word. I am sure there will be tears again, as we are reminded of God's faithfulness pictured in Maddie's baptism on March 29.

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." (3 John 1:4)

Until Next Time~

Shari

Treatment (Finally) Begins!

 And the good news just keeps on coming! After waiting 8 weeks, I finally had the MRI yesterday and it looked good. I will have to repeat all the tests in 6 months, but today I had my radiation simulation appointment (a non-treatment planning session). I am scheduled and ready to start radiation on March 24. Next week I will return to the oncologist to start anti-estrogen meds.

My whole story really seems like a miracle! A routine mammogram and ultrasound in September 2025 found nothing. My breast surgery on January 13 just "happened" to remove the area of cancer, and the pathologist found it. ALL of the testing came back with the best possible outcome. I praise the Lord for this great mercy!! Yet, I still have cancer, it is emotional and difficult, and it still sucks even if it is stage 1.  Pray for minimal side effects, response to treatment, and no recurrence. As I have said before, please always pray that I would suffer well, and may God be glorified through all of this!

You may have heard that we are grandparents now! Sweet little Maddie is 4 weeks old today, and she is the perfect treatment plan! There is nothing like a baby to make you forget your troubles and focus on what is important.

If you would like to learn more about what I will be going through, this short 9 minute video explains radiation treatment for breast cancer specifically. I will be doing hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation (WBI) regimen for early-stage breast cancer. Because the radiation will be on my left side, it will involve:  Deep Inspiration Breath Hold (DIBH) - a technique for left-side breast radiation that involves taking a deep breath and holding it for 20–40 seconds. This expands the lungs, pushing the heart away from the chest wall and significantly reducing radiation exposure to the heart. 

For all the other science nerds like me - this is the standard treatment of 42.5 Gy in 16 fractions. A gray (Gy) is the unit for measuring the absorbed dose of ionizing radiation. 16 fractions is basically 16 doses which will be given 1 dose per day (Monday- Friday) for 16 days.

If I have emailed you, you are familiar with my email signatures (I have two different ones because they were both so good and could not just choose one, so one is sent from my phone and one from my laptop). I leave you with these:

"Peace is the deliberate adjustment of my life to the will of God." ~Anonymous

"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."  ~Job 13:15

Until Next Time~

Shari