From Carol Lewis -- An Update on Amy

(Some of you may already know some or parts of this, but hopefully I am more coherent today.)

Forgive this impersonal way to tell you, but please know that we are about "talked out" on the phone. (Not that you can't call us!!)

A week ago Friday, April 11, our Amy had surgery in Arlington. About a foot of her ascending colon was removed because of a tumor there. The surgeon said it all went very well, and that he saw no sign of spread to the liver or other organs. On Tues., the pathology report came back. Twenty-six lymph nodes were tested, only one of which was cancerous. So after a month or so of healing time, she will be under an oncologist; chemo is expected. Altho' it may not have been as early stage as we would have liked, it still seems so much better than it could have been.

She had experienced pain in her side for about a week, went to her ob doc on Monday, who did an ultra sound thinking maybe a cyst had burst or something. He told her to let him know if she was not better by Wed. When she wasn't on Tues., she called their family doctor and saw him on Wed. He sent her to the ER for a CT scan. We got the report that it was an infection of the colon about as long as a finger, so we headed that direction, thinking we'd come home Fri. night. (Translation: we only took about 3 sets of clothes.) When we arrived Wed. night, we learned they would do a colonoscopy Thurs. morn. That procedure resulted in hearing " a tumor about as long as your hand." Surgery was scheduled for Fri. afternoon as that doctor had already seen her before the colonoscopy. She began eating solid food again on Tues., came home Wed., had the 31 staples removed on Friday (yesterday...), and these tired grandparents came home. I actually have my normal 6-month checkup in Lubbock this coming Wed. so needed to come home for that. Chad's mother came back last night for the weekend; I'm sure we will be going back down there.

Amy has taken all this so well; her spirits are not just good, but very good. There is much support from their church family, her group of Arlington Mothers of Multiples, relatives, people from the twins' school (parents, teachers, administrators), and neighbors of Chad and Amy. It is a blessing to us to see how loved they are!

If you haven't, SCHEDULE YOUR COLONOSCOPY!!

We covet your prayers on behalf of Amy AND Chad, their three little kiddos, and the rest of us,
Carol and Royale

Amy Martin
4812 Cheyenne Court
Arlington, TX 76013