Celebrating John's Birthday

To celebrate John's 38th birthday this year, we decided to spend a couple night at Great Wolf Lodge here in Kansas City. It was still decorated for Christmas and it was beautiful!  We swam, enjoyed the water park and enjoyed this virtual wand treasure hunt with the boys. Our favorite part of the trip might have been eating chicken tenders at Longhorn both nights.  They were delicious! I'm excited to celebrate my son's birthday with his family this year in this special way.

MRI at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Dear family, friends and prayer warriors,

This week Gary and I flew to Chicago to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America to get a second opinion for treatment of my lung cancer.  The doctor ordered an MRI of the brain and discovered I have two metastatic lesions.  One on the right side and one on the left side of my brain.  We flew home today and will return to CTCA on Tuesday to have stereotactic radiosurgery on Wed.  If all goes well, we will return home on Thurs. This is not surgery, but radiation, even though surgery is part of the name.  I am very happy to be seen at CTCA and feel I am in good hands..  Thank you for your persistent prayers for God's guidance in what my next step should be. 

Please continue to pray for God's healing hand on me and for wisdom and knowledge

for my doctors.  The radiation is delicate and I would appreciate specific prayer for the treatment to work on Wed. I also ask for prayer to will tolerate the procedure.  I will need to be still for 2 hours while I have a custom made mask on my face that is bolted to the table.  I want to honor and glorify God in all I say and do.  I praise Him  for sending me to doctors that found these lesions so they can be treated.

God bless each of you for praying for me and encouraging me.

In His hand and with love,

Sue

Great News! Cancer is Stable!

Hello everyone,

Praise God for good test results!  Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement.  The tumor in my lung and the metastatic lesions in all the other places are stable.  I am so thankful to the Lord for His hand upon me.  I have been off the targeted medicine for 10 days and will start taking it again tomorrow.  I will still get the rash, but it is manageable.  I have an appointment at Cancer Treatment Centers of America on Dec. 8th in the Chicago area.  I hope to get more information about integrated therapy there; using supplements and diet to build up my immune system.  

Please pray that the medicine will continue to stabilize my cancer and that God will give me wisdom for decisions that will need to be made about treatments.  Also, please praise and thank God for His hand upon me.  I am so blessed to have so many people caring about me, praying for me, and supporting me.  God bless each of you.

In His hand and with love,  Sue

November Update

Hello everyone, prayer warriors and dear friends and family,

I hope all of you have a blessed Thanksgiving and I would like to thank all for of you for being faithful in prayer for me.  I am so grateful for each and everyone of you and for the prayers and encouragement you give me.  Praise God for His hand upon all of our lives. 

I started a targeted medicine in Oct. but had some difficult side effects from it.  The dosage has been reduced and I have handled the side effects well until last week when the rash on my face spread to my neck and my skin continued to split on multiple fingers.  I had a small amount of chest pain last Sat., Sun., and tonight.  I hope it is from cancer cells dying and not growing.  I will have Ct scans done on Nov. 30th and see the Dr. on Dec. 1st for results.  

I am strongly considering getting another opinion for treatment and would appreciate prayer for God's guidance and wisdom.  I have talked to Cancer Treatment Centers of America and hope to get an appointment soon to see doctors there.  I am also interested in natural healing through foods and supplements.  If anyone knows of a naturopath, please let me know.

Thank you again for praying for me.  May God bless you abundantly!  I am praying that God will be glorified in all I say and do.

In His hand and with love,

Sue

Scans are back

Hello everyone, my committed and faithful prayer warriors,

I saw the doctor today and the large tumor in my right lung grew 1/3 larger than it had been.  The doctor is going to start me on a pill form of chemo that I will take daily. I will start that on Monday.  The side effects are rash with pimples, constant diarrhea (hopefully controlled with Imodium AD), and very dry skin.  The other cancer areas are stable.  I praise and thank God for that!

Please pray that the side effects will be minimal or not at all and that this drug will keep the cancer from growing.  Would you also please pray for the Lord  to confirm this is the treatment He wants me to have?  If I stop taking chemo and do nothing, all the cancer sites will start growing.  There are alternative treatments to consider, but I am apprehensive to stop chemo.

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and concern for me.  I am so grateful to have such wonderful support.  I thank God for all of you.  I want to honor God through this difficult journey and hope I can glorify Him in the process.

In His hand and with love for all of you,

Sue Hanson

Boston Trip with my Sisters

Sept Update

Hello everyone,

My sisters and I had a wonderful time in Maine.  Thank you for praying for safe travel and good health.

Tomorrow I will have my CT scans.  I will see the doctor and have chemo on Wed.   Please pray that the chemo will continue to maintain or shrink the cancer  my right lung and that there will not be any other signs of cancer.  I would also ask for prayer for God's peace and patience as I wait to receive the results on Wed.  

Thank you for your support, encouragement, and prayers.  It means so much to me to know I don't have to take this journey alone.  May God be glorified and honored in all I say and do. 

 In His hand,

Sue Hanson

Labor Day Update

Hello everyone,

I thought I would give you an update on what has been going on in our family.

I did not feel very good last week after chemo, but I am feeling much better this week.  I will have scans again on Sept 29th, and chemo on Sept. 30th.  My sisters and I are still planning our trip to Maine from Sept 21st to Sept 25th.  The drug that we have been praying to get approved has been approved.  It only works in 20% of lung patients.  I pray I will be in that 20% when I need the drug.  As of now, I will stay on the maintenance chemo I have been on all summer.  Thank you for praying for that drug to be approved. 

Our daughter, Carol, got the shingles last week and was in severe pain for many days.  She was 39 weeks pregnant at that time so was limited on pain medicine she could take.  This morning she had Carter Lee and he is very healthy.  Carol is feeling better, but still has pain from the shingles.  Please pray for her recovery and praise the Lord that Carter and Carol had a safe delivery.

Thank you all again for your support, encouragement, and prayers.  I am grateful for each day, family, friends, and for God's sustaining love and strength.

God bless you,

Sue

Chemo again tomorrow

Hello my dear family, friends and prayer warriors,

I have been very well the last 4 weeks with just a few days of great fatigue and neuropathy in my legs and feet.  I will have chemo this Wed., Aug. 26th.  The doctor does not want to order any scans until the end of Sept.  Please pray that the maintenance chemo is working.  I am a little nervous to go so long and not know if the chemo is still effective.  

I am feeling a little more normal on maintenance chemo.  I do not have to be quite as careful in my daily living as I did on the hard chemo.  My 3 sisters and I are going to take a 5 day trip to Bar Harbor, Maine Sept. 21st to the 25th.  Would you please pray for travel mercies, good health for all of us, and no complications with my health.  

Thank you for continuing to lift me up in prayer and for all of the encouragement you have given me.  I hope and pray the Lord will continue to sustain me and heal me.   May God be glorified in all I say and do.  Again, thank you for your endurance in walking along side of me during this challenging journey.  I am so grateful for each one of you.  

In His hand and with love to each of you,

Sue

More Family Pictures

Family Pictures

Our family took family pictures earlier in June and we were able to see them today.  They turned out great!  We took many pictures of us all together as well as individual pictures and group shots.  I will try to post more on here when I choose them out.  Thanks Lisa Knorr for doing this for me!

Omaha trip

 We went to Omaha today to celebrate my niece's wedding.  I was able to get this great picture of me with my 3 sisters.  We are excited to be planning a sister's trip in September to Maine.  I am so thankful for each of them. (L to R: Sue, Nancy, Sandy, and Chris)

Deanna brought three of my granchildren up as well.  This is a picture of her oldest, Ashlyn with us.

Maintance Chemo

I had my maintenance chemo today at KU and my good friend Lora came with me. I am praying this round of chemo doesn't make me as tired as the regular chemo and will keep me going strong until my next round.

Chemo tomorrow

Hello to my faithful family, friends, and prayer warriors,

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement everyone.  We had a wonderful trip to Branson last week.  There were 13 of us.  We missed Chris, but my sister in law from Az. went with us.  We did jigsaw puzzles, watched movies, went boating, tubing, road on wave runners and went on a zip line.  Deanna also took the older children to Silver Dollar City.

I will have Chemo tomorrow and also see the Dr.  I am feeling very good!  It has been 5 weeks since the last chemo.  I will have treatment every 4 weeks now and probably get scans done again in 4 weeks before my next chemo.  Please pray that the tumor continues to stay the same or goes away and that no other cancer develops.

Thank you again for your support, prayers and for praying for strength and endurance for me for our trip.  I feel so blessed to only have fatigue and no other side effects.  May God be glorified!

In His hand and with love,

Sue

Visit with Carol

My good friend Carol Chen was here in Kansas City this week so we were able to get together.  We met at Faith Community Church here in KC, but she and her husband moved to Arizona.  It has been so nice to see them in Arizona when we are there for the cold months.  I am very blessed by her friendship and love.

Branson Pictures

Back from Branson

We just got back from a week long vacation together at Table Rock Lake near Branson.  It was a wonderful trip for everyone.  Gary's sister, Sheryl came with us from Arizona.  My son-in-law Chris couldn't join us because of a new job, but everyone else was able to make it.  We had some enjoy Silver Dollar City, the Fish House, Zip Lining, Outlet Shopping, boating, wave runners, tubing, puzzles, and movie nights.  It was wonderful.  I will post more pictures soon.

An update while on vacation

Hello my dear friends, family, and prayer warriors,

I wanted to let you know I am feeling very good and the whole Hanson family except for our son-in-law is in Branson for a week!  I want to thank all of you for your prayers,words of encouragement, and commitment to pray for me.

I will meet with the nurse practitioner and receive my next chemo on July 30th.  I am hoping and praying that the Lord will control my cancer and that I will continue to feel good.  May God be glorified in all I say and do. I am so grateful for the time He has provided for me to be with my children and grandchildren this week.

In His hand and with love,

Sue

CT Scan results

 Hello dear prayer warriors,

I met with the new doctor and I really like him.  My ct scans showed that the large tumor in my right lung didn't grow and the tumor in the left lung was not there.  No new cancer!  Growth maintenance is very good.  I started the maintenance chemo today and it should work for about 6 months in stopping growth.  Dr Neupane hopes the new drug to build the immune system should be approved by Dec or January.  All in all, this is good news and I praise God for the good results.  

Thank you again so much for all of the prayers and words of encouragement that help me get through each day with my eyes on the Lord.  

In Him and with love,

Sue

Scans tomorrow

Hello dear family,friends and prayer warriors,

I have been feeling very good since 2 weeks ago after severe fatigue the first week after chemo.  Tomorrow, Wed., I will have ct scans of neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis. The doctor is not doing an MRI of the brain.  I am apprehensive about this, but that is what they are going to do this time.

On Thurs. I will see a new doctor since my doctor is on medical leave.  His name is Dr. Neupane and he was recommended to me when I was looking for an oncologist.  He is the doctor that went to the conference about the new drug for adenocarcinoa.  I will get the ct results on Thurs. and start maintenance chemo. 

 Thank you again for your faithfulness in prayer and all of your encouragement.  I will let you know what I find out on Thurs.  I am praying for healing.  God bless each of you and may He be glorified as I take this journey with Him.

In His hand and with love,

Sue

Done with regular chemo

Hello dear friends and family,

I had my chemo today.  Thank you for praying for me today.  I was encouraged by the nurse practitioner.  She said there is a new drug that is close to being approved.  It would strengthen my immune system and recognize the cancer cells in my lungs.  A treatment has already been approved for squamous cell lung cancer and the doctors are hopeful that this new drug will be available for the adenocarcinoma  that I have.

Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for me. May God bless each of you and be God be glorified as I take this journey with you.

In His hand and with love,

Sue

Last round of strong chemo this week

Hello my friends and family and devoted prayer warriors,

I am feeling much better since I had my last chemo. Some days I feel great and other days I am tired. My sisters and a friend from Tenn. have visited me. It was so nice to have them here. My sisters and Carol and Rylee did some cooking for me so I could freeze some small meals. Deanna and Caleb helped to clean when the holiday came around and the Maids were too busy to come.

Tomorrow, I have an appointment to get my blood drawn and see the nurse practitioner. If my white blood count is good, I will have chemo tomorrow and a neulasta shot on Friday. Please pray that God's will be done. His timing is perfect. This should be my last "hard" chemo. I would appreciate prayer for God's wisdom on my treatment plan after this last "hard" chemo. I will probably have a set of scans done 3 weeks after chemo to see how the cancer is doing. 

Thank you all for your prayers, and support by way of cards, texts, calls, messages, meals, visits, and emails. The Lord has blessed me with someone encouraging me everyday!!! I pray that God will be glorified in this battle I am facing. I: am still hoping for healing since James 5:13-18 says we can ask for healing when we are sick.

May God bless each and every one of you for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers and for your encouragement.

In His hand and with love,
Sue

My Birthday celebration

I was able to celebrate my 64th birthday with my family today, which was also Memorial Day.  It was such a blessing to have everyone at my house most of the day.  We made Mexican food and hung out.  I am so thankful for Carol and John and their families.  And so happy to be here in Missouri with everyone. Looking forward to next year's celebration.

My sister's visit

Two of my younger sisters came to visit me this weekend from Nebraska.  The original plan was for them to be here for my last round of aggressive chemo, but since everything got pushed back, they were here in between treatments.  We all enjoyed naps, shopping and relaxing together.  I am so thankful for you Chris and Nancy!  Thank you for taking time away from your family and work to be with me.

Visit with Friends

My good friend Kristen and her mom Wendy came to visit this week while she was home from Hawaii.  I enjoyed seeing them in person and love staying caught up on Facebook with them.  I am so thankful for them both and for their friendship.

Round 5 of Chemo

I was able to receive round 5 of chemo today.  My good friend Tina from church came with me this round.

Chemo is a go!

My white cell count and absolute neutrafils are good enough for my fifth round of chemo tomorrow. Please pray for the treatment and reactions.  Thank you friends.

Still no chemo

Hello my dear family and friends,

 

Thank you for praying for my blood levels to improve.  My hemoglobin went up which is a huge praise since I was close to needing a blood transfusion.  Thank you for praying for that.  Unfortunately, my white count is still to low for me to have chemo this week.  Please pray that it will go up so I can have my next treatment.  Please pray that I will honor the Lord and keep my eyes on Him and not my circumstances.

 

Thank you for your prayers and support.  I am so grateful for each of you.

 

In His hand and with love,

Sue

Thoughts today

Today God reminded me of the scripture " thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  God lights our path a ways out so we don't trip and fall, but He also uses a lamp right at our feet to lead and guide our every step.  Today, that is where I feel I am.  Asking Him to guide my every step with the lamp of His Word.  Today two people gave me scriptures that "God provides what we need for today, like His manna from heaven.  You can't store it up, but it is there every day".

Scan Results

Hello my prayer warriors, 

 

I have some good news and some not so good news.  The tumor in the rt lung shrunk a very little bit, and there is a cancer lesion in the left lung and left 7th rib that have shrunk.  It is good that they have shrunk, but a shock to me to find out the cancer had metastised to two other places I didn't know about.  The spot in the brain is gone.  The dr can't explain it.  He doesn't think it was cancer, but he doesn't know.  I could not have my chemo today because my blood work is to low.  It is not dangerously low, but too low for chemo.  My hemoglobin is very low.  Please pray that it will not get any lower, otherwise I will need a blood transfusion.  Please also pray for my blood to improve so I can have chemo next week.  Praise God the tumors are shrinking! 

 

In His hand and thank you for all of your prayers.

 

Sue

Scans today

Hello everyone,

Just a short update about my tests today.  I know so many of you were praying for me as I took my tests today.  I want to thank you so much.  God sustained me all day.  I was not anxious or nervous.  The nurse was able to leave my port accessed to be used tomorrow.  What an answer to prayer.  I just want to trust God.  I will receive results tomorrow when I see the doctor at 10:00 tomorrow before chemo.

I think about Daniel in the fiery furnace. I don't know the exact words, but he said he knew God was able to save him, but he also knew God might choose not to save him.  That is how I feel about getting my results tomorrow.  I know God is able to heal me or reduce the cancer, me but He may choose not to.  I pray I will be able to glorify God tomorrow no matter what the outcome is.

Thank you my prayer warriors for being so faithful to lift me up before the Lord.  I will let you know what the tests results are tomorrow. 

God bless you abundantly,

Sue

"Though You Slay Me" (featuring John Piper)

5th round of chemo this week

Hello everyone,

I wanted to say hello and let you know I am feeling good and preparing for my 5th round of chemo on Thurs., April 30th.  I will have a CT of the chest and an MRI of the brain on Wed. morning.  I would like to ask you to pray that the chemo is reducing or removing the cancer cells and that the spot in the brain is unchanged. I should get the results of the tests on Thurs. when I see the doctor.

My anxiety level increases when I have the MRI because of the confining space and also when the nurses access my port.  I would appreciate prayer for that also.  

The Lord is sustaining me and has blessed me with feeling good almost every day. My pastor, Pastor Tim has been going through Romans 8 and it has been an encouragement and interesting to hear how Paul writes about suffering.  

Thank you all again for your prayers for me and for all of the encouraging words you have shared with me in one way or another.  I am so grateful to have you walk this path with me.  The  Lord is using this journey to draw me closer to Him.

In His hand and lovingly,

Sue

Praising Him for good counts

Hello my dear family and friends,

I wanted to let you know that the Lord has blessed me with a very good lab report this week.  My blood work is in the high normal range and I was given the ok to be in groups of large numbers as long as I am careful.  I am feeling very good as long as I rest every day.  I would like to have more stamina to get things done, but at least I feel very good, which is a huge blessing.

Thank you for continuing to pray for me!  I will have scans done on April 29th and see the doctor on April 30th. Please pray that the Lord will use the chemo to shrink the cancer or remove the cancer from my body.  Also, please thank and praise Him for how well I am tolerating the chemo.  I appreciate all of you so much and it is a comfort to know I am not taking this journey alone!

In His hand and with love,

Sue

Dr. Fidias

I wanted to share with you a picture of my oncologist in Arizona.  He is a dear man who has been such a blessing to me during this journey.  His name is Dr. Fidias and is still continuing to follow up with me while I am home in Kansas City.  Can you please praise God with me for this man?  I am so thankful for where God had me when I was diagnosed and when he sent me to Dr. Fidias. 

Post-Chemo 4 treatment update

Hello my dear prayer warriors,

 

Today I had my 4th round of chemo at KU cancer center.  I had blood drawn, met my doctor's nurse practitioner, and had chemo.  Two of my dear friends stayed with me while I had chemo and we had a little picnic lunch together, which helped the time go by so quickly.

My blood work is up remarkably in my opinion.  My white count is up more than it has ever been since I started chemo and the white cells that were so low the first time after chemo are up from .5 to 2.5 and are now 6.3.  Praise God for such good white blood count.  My hemoglobin is down though, so please pray it will stay where it is or go up.  It is 8.1 and if if goes to 7 I will need a blood transfusion.  Also, please pray that the chemo will continue to shrink or get rid of the cancer cells.  Our God is a God of miracles.  My oncologist from Az. sent me a text today to check on me and see how I am doing.  I was very touched by his care.  He is such a kind man.  I am blessed that God  gave me the opportunity to be treated by him.

I feel good and so far no side effects again except fatigue.  I want to thank you all for your prayers, words of encouragement, cards, texts, emails, and meals.  God has richly blessed me through all of you, and I pray for Him to bless you as you continue to walk this journey with me.  May God be honored and glorified in all we say and do.  

In His hand and with love,

Sue 

Round 4 of Chemo

I was able to get my fourth round of chemo today in Kansas City.  My good friends Lora and Mary came again with me.  Gary met with the doctor with me after.  I will post more tomorrow after a nap.  Thanks!