Let me start by saying that Sunday was a day I will never forget. It was beautiful outside. We ate lunch and spent time together. We sat in the back and watched the kids play in the stream. We sat in the driveway and watched them ride their bikes and draw with chalk. The Bradford Pear tree (aka the stinky tree) had bloomed and the tiny white petals were swirling around and floating through the air. It was magical, like something you see on a movie. It is a memory that I will tuck away in my heart and pull it out when I need it.

Now, here are the facts. Steph recently started having severe swelling in one of her legs and in her pelvic area. After an ultrasound and doppler they determined that the blood flow from her heart to her legs is fine. However, the blood flow from her legs to her heart is not good. The tumor near her femoral vein is constricting blood flow. I won't lie, that stung a little bit. We have grown accustomed to problems and illness caused by chemo. This was the first time we have had to deal with a problem directly related to the cancer. So if you had the misfortune of running into one of us in public during the weeks we were processing this...sorry about that.

Sunday we discussed chemo with Steph. This was the week for her "bad chemo" which makes her VERY sick. Before chemo she talked with Dr. Hoos. They talked about the tumor. He said he would send her over to Dr. Helen and see about doing radiation to shrink the tumor and offer her some relief with the swelling and pain. The talked a little about pain management and also decided to take the Irinotecan (the bad chemo) down by %10. This is what they suggested at Mayo, but Dr. Hoos wanted to give it a shot at full force because he wanted to be aggressive. Steph was good with that until she realized how bad the side effects were going to be. It was an encouraging visit, especially when he mentioned something about, "Come September." We needed to hear that.

They met with Dr. Helen to discuss radiation. That woman gets it. Of course, we wish we would never have had to meet her but given the circumstances we are so glad we did! She is determined to save Steph's life. She opened her huge file on Steph and mixed in with the medical reports and results were news paper articles she had clipped out about our girl! She is a class act! She decided that she will do a PET scan tomorrow to get a solid plan in place. Steph will most likely be looking at radiation 5 times a week for 7 weeks. WOW. That's a lot of radiation. So right now, we need you to pray specifically for Steph's strength during this difficult treatment regime. Also pray that when it's all over, the tumor will be GONE! Keep praying for a miracle! WE BELIEVE!!!!