Starting on a new journey

I had a lot of medical events in March. On March 7, I had a mammography. Later that day, I was told that it was abnormal on the right side and I had to come back for another couple of pictures. On March 14, I did that, and then had an ultrasound. I was told that there appeared to be a mass about 1 cm-1.5 cm large. The next step was a needle biopsy, which took place on March 21. On March 22, I was told that the biopsy revealed breast cancer, grade 1. On March 24, Rowen and I went to see a surgeon about the lump. He requested a bilateral breast MRI. He suggested my having a lumpectomy and radiation. We have done a lot of reading, research, and praying. The MRI happened on March 29. That brings you up to yesterday:

We talked to the surgeon yesterday about having a double mastectomy with reconstruction. The MRI showed that the tumor is larger than the ultrasound had indicated. It said 2.7 cm. (A homeschool friend's was 2.6 cm. and she had to have chemo after her surgery.) Why do a lumpectomy when it is so big a lump, and the doctor wants to get 1 cm. margins around it? That would really make me look like I had a mastectomy over there! Then you have to have radiation if you choose a lumpectomy. Then if I had to have chemo too, because of the size of the lump...

To me it makes more sense to take them both off. I have always checked my breasts and found it very difficult to know what to be concerned about and what was normal. I had found this lump, but thought surely it was normal. My doctor could not feel it, and now I find out it is cancer. Last night I felt of the other breast and I feel lumps in it too. But the MRI showed that it was clear. So I think I would make myself crazy feeling of that breast and wondering if the lumps were normal or not.

The MRI showed no abnormalities in my armpit nodes, but something showed up close to the tumor. Not clear whether it is another spot of cancer, a node that has cancer, or a node that was inflamed because of the biopsy. So that spot would also have been included if we had chosen a lumpectomy.

I will see the plastic surgeon (who will do the reconstruction start during the surgery) next Wednesday. Then it is a matter of coordinating the two surgeons' schedules. April 12 Jeffrey is scheduled for his next gum graft surgery. April 13 and 14 are the other kids' achievement tests. Tuesdays seem to be a good day for both surgeons. Thursdays are also a possibility. I am hoping for April 19. We will wait to see what gets scheduled.

I feel like we have made the right choice with the Lord's help. I just hope everybody will find a way to be supportive. I know it is impossible to know just what you would do until it is you. Rowen and I have always said if we had cancer that could be removed, we would remove it. We also said we did not want to have chemo ever. But now it is me, and I am still young, and have three kids still at home to finish up raising (Jeff is moving in August), and precious grandchildren I want to know and love, and I have become willing to do whatever I have to do.

We won't know until up to 10 days after surgery whether chemo will be recommended, so we can't cross that bridge yet, but intellectually, I have to consider it.

Thank you for the continued prayers,
Janet

Emily's 13th birthday March 17, 2011

Amazingly, our "baby" girl, Emily, is now 13. We have four teenagers in the house, until July when Jeffrey turns 20. We celebrated Emily's birthday by opening presents while video chatting with Tim and Brenda the evening before her birthday. Then we had guests for the evening the day after her birthday. Emily hates secrets, even birthday secrets. She had figured out that I had bought Blokus for her birthday, even though I would not admit to it. So when she opened her gift, it was a different box than Blokus could possibly come in. She appreciated and loved all the little things in that box--a new hairbrush, a shaver of her own, a game of Phase 10, but I knew she was thinking "Is this all?" In this picture, I am whispering to Beth to go get the other gift out of my closet.

Emily was very happy when she unwrapped Blokus. Here she is showing it to Tim and Brenda on the computer that was in front of the game.

On Friday night, the Metien family and Ivanna Strubhar came for the evening to celebrate with Emily. Amy Metien and Ivanna are very good friends to Emily and they had a wonderful time together.

Emily requested blueberry cheesecake for dessert.

The kids played Capture the Flag and after it got dark, they played Hide and Seek.

Before our guests left, we had some music time. It was a fun birthday for Emily.

Penguin Ice Cream homeschool tour March 10

We love field trips where we get to eat yummy stuff at the end of the tour! We went to Penguin Ice Cream in Loveland this month with our Johnstown-Milliken Homeschool Group. This is actually a picture of the door decal's shadow on the floor .

There is a train that usually runs on the track up by the ceiling, but we didn't get to see it in action. We did love the neat Grand Central Station clock.


All the kids got to wear aprons for the tour. Some of the kids had not yet arrived when we took this picture.

We thought this little girl was so cute, sitting on her mother's feet, just like a good penguin! She was listening to our tour guide, who was explaining how to make ice cream.

Watching the lady showing us how to make ice cream in the back room.

Short kids got to stand on a step-stool to check on the ice cream's progress.

Ice cream is ready to eat, ten minutes later!

My friend, Fawn and her kids eating bowls of ice cream after the tour.

Map of our trip...

In only eight days we were in five states and saw 29 relatives, most of whom are shown in the posts shown below. The most we paid for gas was $3.55 / gal in Plainfield, IN. This map shows our stops.

First names of the relatives that we were privileged to visit with:

Rex	Tim	Marlene	Lacie	Ben
Wanda	Brenda	Scott	Andy	Celeste
Randy	Tim	Sharen	Jacob	Daniel
Joy	Sherry	Lyndell	Herb	Zeke
Quil	Caleb	Jeff	Jenny	Zach
Micah	Rebekah	Shirlene	Abi

We're sorry about not seeing the others who were busy,
and unable to be where we were!

Relatives we saw on our eventful trip home

We started for home from Indiana on Friday morning at a very early morning hour in a rainstorm. We soon ran out of the rain and got all the way to Wentzville, MO by midmorning where we stopped at my sister's house. No one was home except our niece, Rebekah Owens, so we got to visit with her for about an hour. She gave us a tour, since we had never been to their new house before. We hadn't seen Rebekah for over a year, so it was good to see her again.

Emily snapped this picture of Rebekah and their house as we were pulling away.

From Wentzville, we traveled on to Columbia, MO to my sister, Marlene DeOrnellis's house. My sister-in-law, Sharen Scoles, and Marlene had prepared a yummy lunch for us. While we were eating, my brother, Dr. Lyndell Scoles and his nurse, Penny, stopped by to see us. We didn't get a picture of Lyndell. (oops) We felt very honored Lyndell took time out of his busy day to see us a few minutes. He was on his way to the nursing home to see some patients.
Marlene and Sharen

Scott came home for lunch and so we got to see him too.
Scott, Marlene, and Furby

We left Marlene's and drove through a fierce thunderstorm to Olathe, KS, where we spent the evening and night with our niece, Shirlene Kazmaier and her family. This is Jacob, the youngest.

Andy Kazmaier

Lacie, the big sister

Shirlene and Jeff. We had a nice supper and enjoyed visiting and playing games with their family.

Shirlene's brother, Herb Albertson, had heard that we were traveling through Kansas, so he made arrangements with us to meet on Saturday for a picnic lunch with their family. We left Shirlene and Jeff's Saturday morning and drove to Ellsworth. It was only 12 miles out of the way for us, and 37 miles from Sterling where they live, so it was a great plan!! Jenny brought lunch and we had a picnic. It was cold, but sunny. It was so good to see Herb and Jenny and their family.

Herb and his Uncle Rowen

Jenny and Janet

Part of Herb's family

Zachary and the girl cousins: Abigail, Beth, Celeste, and Emily

Daniel, Ben, and Zeke

Celeste and Emily

Albertson cousins having fun on the teeter-totter deluxe!

We were thankful to get home safely Saturday evening. All the way home on Saturday, we were hearing a vibrating noise that was getting louder. We had the van worked on this week and the right front axle was falling apart and had to be replaced! So we know God had His hand on us and the many miles that we traveled on our trip.

Outreach and Bus Ministry Convention

Randy and Joy, Tim and Brenda have been to Bus Convention every year since they started doing children's work, but this year was the first time for any of the Johnstown Albertsons to get to go. The location of Bus Convention alternates between Lebanon, PA and Camby, IN, with this year in Indiana. Because of our involvement in children's ministry in Federal Heights each Sunday evening, we felt it was important that we go when it was going to be "this close" to us. The dates were March 1-3 and the days were full of workshops and evenings crowned with wonderful services that were a blessing to each of us.

One bonus of Bus Convention was getting to see our special friends, the Barnards. It had been over five years since we had seen them in person, but Beth and Jonelle are phone buddies and keep in touch that way!
Beth and (Marcia Alice) Jonelle

Jonelle, Merilee, and Micah

Merilee, Mercy, and (Marcia Alice) Jonelle

Here are some of us at the Bus Convention. We didn't take a lot of pictures during the services or workshops, but we really enjoyed and benefited from being there. We have new ideas and desires to do more for Christ in our children's ministry!

The Union Bible College choir sang on Wednesday night and the singing was wonderful. Our friend, Jerry Glick, is a wonderful director, and the students sang with God's spirit.

One of the classes was conducted on a bus ride. Barbara Baker has a lot of ideas on how to make the bus ride to church full of ministry!

We are thankful for the opportunity to go to Bus Convention this year!

Family Pictures from our trip to MO and IN

Here are some pictures from our time with our family in Missouri and a few from our trip to Indiana.
Joy and I at my parents' house

My daughters-in-law, Brenda and Joy in Brenda's kitchen

Around the table at Tim and Brenda's. Randy and Tim weren't there because they were still at the Home Show.

The next evening after church, Randy and Tim were with us.

This is a funny picture because of my eyes, but it was taken the next night at Randy and Joy's house. I was telling a story from my childhood.

Sunday afternoon pictures on my parents' front porch. Quil was sick, so only Micah is pictured.



Randy and Joy at Tim and Brenda's house

Rowen reading to the grandsons

Rowen playing with Quil

Tim and Brenda relaxing at home

My parents, Wanda and Rex Scoles, at church on Sunday

Roadside picnic on the way to IN. It was a cold, windy day, so we stood in the sunshine!


Video chatting with Jeffrey and Jason from our motel room in IN. They did not get to come on the trip because of working at ACE Hardware.

Emily took most of these pictures.

Here is a video of Grandma Janet singing "Climb, Climb Up Sunshine Mountain" with Quil and Micah. I had been singing it with Micah and then Quil came over for his turn. This was in our motel in Plainfield, IN.