Praise

Thank you all for praying me through today. I was able to teach all day with minimal side effects. I am exhausted now but I’m doing good. Again thank you all for praying for me. God is so so good to me

#alreadywon 

D’Ann 

Round 1

Chemo Tomorrow

I start chemo tomorrow. I will work a half day tomorrow morning and then head to the Woodlands. I have to be there at 12:00. We went ahead and did all my blood work today so I can just start chemo tomorrow.
We are so appreciative of the prayers from everyone. Here is how you can pray specifically for us tomorrow.

1. Pray that I can keep my lunch down. I have a very high pain tolerance but a very weak stomach. 
2. My doctor said that Thursday and Friday should be my easy days and Saturday and Sunday should be my hard days...and I really need that to be true. I would like to work Friday (with a mask of course) so please pray that I feel good enough to do that. (Please know that I will listen to my body and I will not make a foolish decision to teach if I can't)
3. Pray for our family as this weekend will be our new "normal" every other week. I feel so bad for our kids that mommy will be "off duty" for a few days. 
4. Pray that my hard days will be tolerable and that I can push through them with my eyes on the end goal

#alreadywon 

D'Ann

Port is in

Had my port placed this morning. I was sadly awake for all of it but well sedated nonetheless. It’s in, sore, and ready for chemo tomorrow. Thank you for praying me through this. 

#alreadywon 

My school kids

Today I told my other children about my diagnosis. We sent a note home to all the parents Monday night and then today I read them such a well written book. If there was a “sweet” book about breast cancer this would be it. My sweet kiddos had such sweet and honest questions. They were concerned and a little sad but I was so glad I could tell them I was going to be ok and I could explain to them all of the physical changes that would be taking place. It was a long morning but we made it through! #alreadywon 

Prayer Request 8/26/18

Here is how you can pray for us specifically this week.

• That Claire, Cole and Callen would be protected as more and more kids their age hear of my diagnosis. We have given them full permission to tell people they don't want to talk about it...but we've also told them that they are free to talk about it. 
• Michael - that he would be able to get ahead at work, be focused on what he needs to do, and that he wouldn't be worried about all the "things" this week has coming.
• My school kids - this week I will send a note home informing parents of what is going on and then I will be telling my students. Pray for the correct words, that I show them the hope I have, and that I show them love beyond anything else
• Port placement on Wednesday. I have myself pretty worked up about this. Pray that the medicine they give me will help me fall asleep and I won't be awake during the procedure. 
• Chemo on Thursday - I HATE the unknown. I have a desire to work on Friday after chemo. My doctor seems to think that Saturday and Sunday will be my hard days and that is what we are praying. Specifically pray that Friday would be easy for me. 

Thank you again for lifting me up in prayer. I believe in the power of prayer and we really can feel them. 

#alreadywon 

I'm a hugger

If you have been around me for any amount of time you know that I'm a hugger. It's just who I am. I think I can trace it back to growing up in a southern baptist church and every Sunday's welcome time. You hug people in the south. And I am one who loves a good hug.
With that being said, we are heading into cold and flu season and starting Thursday my immune system will be compromised. As much as this hurts to say, please don't hug me or shake my hand after Thursday.  I have to keep myself healthy throughout this process. Please know I am not being rude (I know people won't think this...but I have a fear). Thank you for understanding and loving me anyways.

My shirt

My sweet sweet friends made me this amazing shirt and surprised me on Sunday at church. We are claiming that we have #alreadywon and that it does "Take a Village" to get through this journey. I am sooooo thankful for my village and humbled by those who love us.

My cancer diagnosis

I am writing all of this down so that I can come back in the future and see the beautiful picture God has painted through this journey.
On Monday, August 13th, I was doing a monthly self breast exam and found a lump. It was the most sickening feeling in the world. I told Michael, burst into tears, and text my prayer warriors to pray for me. I called my OB/Gyn and asked to come in. She couldn't see me until the following week. One of my friends from the HOM board has a husband who is a NP was able to get me in that day.  I met with Dr. Bui and he said the lump was suspicious and wanted me to get a mammogram and a diagnostic mammogram and he scheduled that for Wednesday.
Tuesday was a really fun day with my teaching team keeping my mind off of the what ifs and the what could be's. We laughed so hard that day and it was just a day given to me by the Lord to keep my mind off of everything and focused on getting back in school.
Wednesday rolls around and I go for a mammogram and a diagnostic mammogram. The radiologist came in and told me that it looked very suspicious and we needed a biopsy. I begin to cry uncontrollably and the radiologist was so nice and understanding. He didn't know if or when he had an opening any time that week -  and I began to pray.  The technician said - oh wow! How did that happen? We have an opening tomorrow morning at 9...I said - well I'm over here praying like crazy that he would have an opening soon.
Thursday morning Michael and I went to the hospital for my biopsy. I cried through the entire thing...not because it hurt but because I knew it was going to give me either unwanted news or relief. I had to wear ice packs all day and that night I met 19 of my 22 students with a smile on my face.
Friday morning was again fun. We had a surprise party for my principal and former teaching partner for graduating with her masters. We laughed and just had a good morning.
At 11-ish, I received the phone call that changed my life. Our friend Ricky called me to tell me that I had invasive ductal carcinoma. I knew I had 2 tumors from the biopsy the day before. Ricky had thankfully called Michael first. I collapsed into a heap sobbing in the middle of my teaching partners floor. I remember her embracing me and telling me that I was going to be ok. Michael was there very soon afterwards and I just felt like I couldn't catch a breath.  After a little bit I pulled myself somewhat together and went and told the rest of my team and Erin my principal. It was very emotional to say the least.  She sent me home for the day and Michael called our family. My HOM team and my Teaching Team have been AMAZING and have walked me through this and prayed me through this. At some point on Friday we coined the hashtag #alreadywon
We initially thought we would go to MD Anderson...but we continued to pray that God would lead us to where He wanted us to be.  Saturday was a blur, Michael and I tried to go do "normal" stuff while the kids hung out with BB and Gigi.
Sunday was HARD. God had been sustaining me the entire week and I could see His hand in each and every moment and what had happened to get me to the point we were at. The sermon was about Going and Making Disciples and how if God has called you to something you know you have already won the battle. My HOM board members made shirts that said - It Takes a Village on the front and #alreadywon on the back. AMAZING
MD Anderson never called us...But, our sweet friend Lisa got us into Houston Methodist in the Woodlands, and they were able to see us on Tuesday and we prayed for very very specific things to happen for God to show us if this is where we were supposed to be. Specific as in we wanted the doctor to say very specific things.
Let me tell you. Our God is amazing. He answered our prayers in a mighty mighty way. The things we prayed for - every single one of them was answered. We left Tuesday knowing that God had lead us specifically to Houston Methodist.
We went back on Wednesday and spent the entire day there having a bone scan, CT scan, and an MRI. While I was getting my MRI my doctor's office called Michael and said they saw a suspicious lymph node that they wanted to biopsy when I was done and the doctor wanted to see me right after. I was freaking out a little.
Good news - my scans all came back clear. The cancer was just breast cancer. However, it is also in the lymph node beside my tumor and both the doctor and the surgeon said we stay the course and we will be fine. Because of this it makes it Stage 3 cancer. They have both told me this is 100% curable. I showed my doctor my shirt fundraiser and she said - man that gives me goosebumps because I feel the same way.

IF you are interested in purchasing one of the #alreadywon t-shirts you can follow THIS LINK

Prayer Request

I am eventually going to go back and add the rest of the story to my blog for documentation but I feel like this will be the best way to add prayer requests, praises, and updates. 

Here is how you can pray for us specifically this week

1) that the ekg comes back normal on Friday

2) that the hospitals will bill our insurance so that it will show our deductible as met and we will get to stop paying the maximum amount

3) port placement is on Wednesday next week and it has me a little anxious- pray for peace and calm

4) chemo starts Thursday next week. Pray that I can handle it well and that I’m able to work the next day (doctor said I could if I felt up to it. 

Thank you for walking this journey with us! #alreadywon 

Testing day

After the longest day of testing we have all the pieces of the puzzle (except one but it won’t change the outcome). I’m still at stage 2 cancer. My cancer came back triple negative for 3 things and it doesn’t really matter what that means except- I will start chemo next Thursday and do 8 rounds over 16 weeks ending with a double mastectomy sometime in December. 
After scanning my entire body in every way we are SOOOO happy to say I ONLY HAVE BREAST CANCER! 
Port goes in on Friday and we start killing this thing on Thursday! 
#alreadywon

1st doctor visit

We have a few more details today. We are waiting on the last bit of pathology to determine a few things with treatment. But, tomorrow I will have bone scans, CT, and an MRI to make sure this cancer is no where else. Preliminary results show it’s not so as of today she is classifying this as a stage 2 cancer. 
We will have our attack plan on Friday and with so many ifs out there we will wait until then to share that. 
BUT! My oncologist (weird to even say I have an oncologist) told me today that this is 100% curable and I’ll be good soon! I then showed her my shirt #alreadywon and she said - that gives me goosebumps because I feel the same way! 
God is so so good! 
Thank you so much for the overwhelming support. We are humbled. Truly.

His story

The story that God has written in the past 6 days is truly something only He could do. The ways He has gone before me and my family is beyond my wildest dreams. Do NOT for a second think that God is mean or has hurt my family. I can not wait to share how AMAZINGLY good my God is. #Hishandiseverywhere #alreadywon

First Facebook Post

Michael and I have received some shocking news this week. We want to make sure all information about this comes from us and not an outside source.

With that being said, today I was told I have invasive breast cancer. We don’t know a lot. We know we are going to MD Anderson for treatment and we will know more in the coming weeks.
Here is what else we know - The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? We know Who’s I am and Who knows what tomorrow holds. And THAT brings me the most comfort during all of this.

Everyone is asking what they can do or how they can help and in short - we don’t know yet. We do covet your prayers and to pray specifically that it hasn’t spread.

We also know that you might not know what to say to us. Telling us you are praying for us is the best thing to say. You don’t have to tell me “you’re sorry” as you’ve done nothing wrong and my immediate response to that is “it’s ok” and it’s not ok. So prayers and hugs and love are so welcome.

Our kids do know, but please please please be respectful of them. We are also asking that we are the only 2 people that give them information.
Thank you for walking this road with us and for praying for us. I’m ready to fight and kick cancers booty!