My oh my, where has the past year gone? Seems like only yesterday that I thought my world was coming to an end. Most devastating news that any mother has ever heard, "I'm sorry Mrs. Wipperman, but your son has a malignant football size tumor in his pelvic area and it has spread to his lungs and it is a very rare form of cancer. . . .Ewing's Sarcoma and only three hospitals in the US specialize in treating it ! Where would you like to go? " MD Anderson in Houston, Mayo Clinic, or some other hospital and I don't remember where it was. Even through the worst storm of our life, God is still in control. He arranged for us to have an appointment in Houston within 2 weeks, and treatment so successful that only He could have done it. Excrutiating pain went away the second day of the first round of chemo, pain patches x 2 were removed that day and no pain since other than side effects from injections. A place to sleep and feel welcome for the past year. My brother-in-law and Michael's Uncle, and his family have been so wonderful to us, it is hard to put into words our thanks for all they have done. Thanks also to Lydia for her unselfishness of going with us to appointments the first week until we got familiar with the area.
We have had some up and downs during the past year with the aggressive treatment that Michael has had to endure, but God has got him through it with very little side effectss. We have laughed, we have cried many times, we have been irritable at times, and we have thought we couldn't do it ONE more minute. Times when I laughed about my stalker were funny to me, but not very funny to Michael. There have been times I just didn't think I could make a particular decision on my on, but with the help of friends who would hear me out and then encourage me to do what I thought was best, it made it easier. I finally realized in the early stages of our roller coaster ride that God was always with me and I really felt the presence of Marc with me. Just wish I had had him with me physically, because I sure could have used some embraces and someone to wipe the tears from my eyes. Michael and I would like to thank our Pastor, Andy Graham, for being there for us 24/7 and checking on us every day while we were away from home.
We are beginning the second year of our battle. The enemy is always in the back of our minds, but we are ready and willing to face whatever he has to put forth. We have the Great Physician on our side and no one can win but us since He is on our team.
We will be attending the Relay for Life in Archer City this April 8 and 9. The Hubbard team will be walking in Honor of Michael as a one year survivor and anyone who would like to buy a raffle ticket for a cross made by Paula Kunkel, please let me know or Janell Hubbard. I will try to get a photo of the Cross and put it on the blog so you can see what it looks like.
We thank you all for your continued prayers and thoughts as we embark on Year 2. God bless all of you.
MY SON IS A SURVIVOR!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love to all, Terri and Michael
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Happy rainy Tuesday to everyone. Looks like God isn't finished giving us some rain. I really feel for the farmers and ones who have to drive in the mud. But God is good and we will take what He wants us to have.
We started our 16th round of chemo yesterday. Michael is wondering if this will ever end. . . . I keep telling him as long as the cancer isn't growing not to complain. It is hard for him to understand the continuation of chemo if the cancer is dead. His poor body is worn out from all the chemo and he wants to go to work and his counts are too low to be in public.
We will be getting the next two rounds of chemo in Wichita Falls and then back to Houston for scans and hopefully some time off from chemo. That is the plan right now. Continue to lift Michael up in your prayers......God is good.
We started our 16th round of chemo yesterday. Michael is wondering if this will ever end. . . . I keep telling him as long as the cancer isn't growing not to complain. It is hard for him to understand the continuation of chemo if the cancer is dead. His poor body is worn out from all the chemo and he wants to go to work and his counts are too low to be in public.
We will be getting the next two rounds of chemo in Wichita Falls and then back to Houston for scans and hopefully some time off from chemo. That is the plan right now. Continue to lift Michael up in your prayers......God is good.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Wow! What an awesome day! Thought we would be on our way home, but still in Houston. Will leave in the morning after we talk with Dr. Ravi's nurse. He wanted Michael to see a dermatologist, but the earliest we can get an appointment is Friday morning, so we will cancel that appointment and see a dermatologist in W. Falls this week or Monday of next. Can see the Oncologist who is treating Michael in W. Falls about the rash on his leg.
On to the more important business of the day. Had a PET Scan done yesterday, Dr. Ravi's remarks today regarding the scan was "AWESOME". That is the word we like to hear. We will have two more rounds of Chemo and then back to Houston and possibly get some much needed time off from Chemo.
We still think we have the best medical team that practices at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. You all are wonderful.
Thanks to all for your prayers and thoughts during the past year. I have a son who will be a one year survivor in less than a month. Praise God and we are anticipating many more years of survival with the Best of Sons. His scans are awesome because he is AWESOME and a true fighter.
On to the more important business of the day. Had a PET Scan done yesterday, Dr. Ravi's remarks today regarding the scan was "AWESOME". That is the word we like to hear. We will have two more rounds of Chemo and then back to Houston and possibly get some much needed time off from Chemo.
We still think we have the best medical team that practices at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. You all are wonderful.
Thanks to all for your prayers and thoughts during the past year. I have a son who will be a one year survivor in less than a month. Praise God and we are anticipating many more years of survival with the Best of Sons. His scans are awesome because he is AWESOME and a true fighter.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Sorry I have been so lax in updating the blog. We have had a unusual two weeks. Put Michael back in the hospital yesterday because of low hemoglobin and potassium. They are giving him straight potassium through his CVC line as well as Potassium Chloride. He feels pretty good tonight and sent me home to rest. I slept in his bed at the hospital most of the afternoon ......was afraid they might not know who the patient was so didn't want to sleep too soundly. I am ready to "hit the hay" so I will write more later.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Well, thought I had better let everyone know we are still alive. This week has been one of the worse since we started our cancer roller coaster....Michael had a real close encounter of serious illness this week but has rebounded like he always does and is feeling much better. He was completely dehydrated and had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance from between Archer City and Olney on Tuesday evening. Actually ate some solid food today without it coming up or down.......so he is better. We are to start another round of chemo next Monday...and then to Houston for scans.....Keep the prayers coming......thanks for everything everyone does and continues to do on his behalf.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
We traveled to Houston this past Wednesday, had scans on Thursday and saw our Oncologist on Friday at 1:00 pm and arrived in Olney at 10:15pm. We were truly blessed this week when we received the results of Michael's most recent P.E.T. Scan. From the radiology report......"Dominant features of the previously noted metastatic lesions in the lungs and primary tumor in the pelvis and soft tissues are stable with no metabolically active tumor at these sites and no change in these features compared to 11-19-09 Scan. Chest X-Ray ---No sign of metastatic disease." No new tumors and all old tumors are inactive........WOW this is awesome and never dreamed we would see this within a year of his being diagnosed. All Dr. Ravi could say was, "This boy is AWESOME!" We go back to Wichita Falls on Monday to start another round of chemo. So far there have been no side effects of the lesser dose of chemo......could deal with it if we had to since it is doing its job.....Thanks everyone for all your thoughts and prayers.....keep em up.....We love all of you.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Thought we had better let everyone know we are still breathing. Michael finished his 10th round of chemo last Friday, January 8. He really likes being able to do it and still be at home. We have been leaving around 1:00pm for our chemo appt at 2:00pm. We are off for a couple of weeks and have a conflict with the schedule in W Falls and the schedule in Houston....they are working this out....Not sure what is next on the agenda for us, but will post as soon as we find out. Michael has been a little under the weather the past weekend....don't know if it is from the chemo or has had a little touch of the virus that is going around.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Thought we had better let everyone know we are still breathing. Michael finished his 10th round of chemo last Friday, January
Monday, January 11, 2010
Thought we had better let everyone know we are still breathing. Michael finished his 10th round of chemo last Friday, January 8. He really likes being able to do it and still be at home.
Thursday, December 31, 2009 --New Years Eve
I would like to share something that happened to me today at the Sam’s Club gas pumps in Wichita Falls. I left the hospital to come home and decided to go by Sam’s and get some stuff we needed at the office. Upon my arrival at Sam’s, I saw that gas was $2.40 and since it was as cheap as it was I would fill my Jeep. I pulled up to one of the gas pumps, and noticed an older gentleman outside his car but wasn’t putting gas in it. He walked back to my vehicle and said he had spilled some gasoline and was waiting for it to evaporate or make certain it was safe to leave it. He advised me that he thought I would be better off to go to another pump to get gas of which I did. I went around the gas pumps and pulled up on one side of the pump and there was another man pumping gas on the other side of the pump. When I got out, he spoke and made a comment about the weather and then asked me if I had had a good Christmas. I told him yes, but that it was not the type of Christmas that our family had had in the past that the best part of it was being able to bring my son Michael home from MD Anderson in Houston after 9 months of treatment. He asked me about Michael’s cancer, his age and how he was doing. He said he could say a lot of things but that anything he said would not be something that I hadn’t already heard or experienced. When he finished filling his car, he walked around the gas pump and introduced himself and wanted to know my name and Michael’s name so he could put them on his church’s prayer list. He took my hand and said the only thing he could do for us that would help would be to pray for Michael and me. He offered the sweetest prayer and we visited for a few more minutes. As we were standing there in Sam’s Club Parking Lot, the attendant from the little hut walked up and said she had noticed us praying and that she would like to pray for whatever we were in prayer for. So again, we held hands and prayed once again for Michael. The young woman told me that she had become a Christian after her life was not what God wanted it to be and He finally got her attention and drew her unto Him.
You know, I cannot remember the names of these two people, but names are not that important when God is involved, because He knows who these two folks are and how much they blessed this mother’s life by taking the time to pray for me and my son. God Bless you both.
You know, I cannot remember the names of these two people, but names are not that important when God is involved, because He knows who these two folks are and how much they blessed this mother’s life by taking the time to pray for me and my son. God Bless you both.
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