Greetings!
Last week Rhonda completed her FINAL treatment! On Tuesday she had her pump put on, and Thursday it was taken off – I’m not sure if she threw it in the air, but I know I would have!! She will need to return periodically for blood work, and will have to leave her port in for about a year; those are just precautionary measures. The doctor has assured her that she’s cancer free and able to return to her daily routine!
We’ve finally come to the end of a long road that was rocky at times, but with each of your prayers, caring, kindness, and support, the road was made smoother for the Shaws. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank each and every one of you for all that you’ve done, whether it was a simple prayer, a note of kindness, a meal (thank you to Yvonne Keller and Kathy Juel for last week’s meals!), a gift, stopping by to chat with Rhonda, or a phone call, it was all appreciated more than I can say. Rhonda and Al and the kids are truly blessed to have such a wonderful group of family and friends.
God bless you for everything you’ve done!
My greatest thanks are to God for seeing Rhonda through to the end of this journey. God heard all our prayers and He answered. Please continue to thank God for Rhonda’s return to good health, and for all His blessings. Our God is truly an awesome God!!
My love and thanks,
Denise Gibbs
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
Update
Hi everyone. Hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year's, and are looking forward to 2009, especially SPRING! I know I am!!
I have good news to report. Rhonda has one more treatment left! Last Tuesday, Dec. 30th, she had her second to last treatment. She had lost another couple pounds, and if you've seen her, you know that she cannot afford to lose any more weight! When Dr. Kaminova (her cancer doctor) saw that, and heard about the severe side effects she had been experiencing after treatments, she took Rhonda off the second chemo that she had been receiving, so she only received the one kind of chemo (through her port/pump) this last week. And that made the difference - this past week has been MUCH better for her! She still tires easily though and has digestive issues to deal with, so by no means is she back to herself yet, but I see definite improvement!
Rhonda's last treatment will be Tuesday, January 13th, when she will have her pump put on, and then back in on Thursday, the 15th, to remove the pump. Dr. Kaminova is scheduling a cat scan as a follow-up to the treatments, and I'll let you know the results of that.
Thank you all for keeping Rhonda in your prayers. Please continue to pray for her and her family, keeping them all strong as Rhonda finishes out her treatments.
And special thanks to Barb Mead, Teresa Johnson, Chris Thompson, Sandy Becker and Roxanne Heimann for providing meals for the Shaws over the holidays. Your willingness to do this at an extremely busy time of the year is especially appreciated!
In closing, I want to share with you all something that I recently read in a book of mine - I sometimes struggle with what to do or say to a person (like Rhonda) who is suffering. I always tell her that if she cries, I'm going to cry too, which I never thought was very helpful to her, but God says differently:
GOD NEVER INTENDED FOR PEOPLE TO CRY ALONE. HE IS ALWAYS CLOSE TO THOSE WHOSE HEARTS ARE BROKEN. HE WEEPS WITH THOSE WHO WEEP. WHEN YOU DO THE SAME, YOU ARE FOLLOWING HIS EXAMPLE. SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHAT TO SAY OR DO. PUT YOURSELF IN THE SHOES OF THE SORROWFUL. LISTEN TO THOSE WHO ARE BROKENHEARTED. SHARE AN EMBRACE. BE ATTENTIVE TO ANY PHYSICAL NEEDS YOU CAN HELP FILL. AND PRAY, WITH BOTH WORDS AND TEARS. ONE DAY, HEAVEN WILL DRY THEM ALL.
I'll be back in touch soon with my last e-mail!
Denise
I have good news to report. Rhonda has one more treatment left! Last Tuesday, Dec. 30th, she had her second to last treatment. She had lost another couple pounds, and if you've seen her, you know that she cannot afford to lose any more weight! When Dr. Kaminova (her cancer doctor) saw that, and heard about the severe side effects she had been experiencing after treatments, she took Rhonda off the second chemo that she had been receiving, so she only received the one kind of chemo (through her port/pump) this last week. And that made the difference - this past week has been MUCH better for her! She still tires easily though and has digestive issues to deal with, so by no means is she back to herself yet, but I see definite improvement!
Rhonda's last treatment will be Tuesday, January 13th, when she will have her pump put on, and then back in on Thursday, the 15th, to remove the pump. Dr. Kaminova is scheduling a cat scan as a follow-up to the treatments, and I'll let you know the results of that.
Thank you all for keeping Rhonda in your prayers. Please continue to pray for her and her family, keeping them all strong as Rhonda finishes out her treatments.
And special thanks to Barb Mead, Teresa Johnson, Chris Thompson, Sandy Becker and Roxanne Heimann for providing meals for the Shaws over the holidays. Your willingness to do this at an extremely busy time of the year is especially appreciated!
In closing, I want to share with you all something that I recently read in a book of mine - I sometimes struggle with what to do or say to a person (like Rhonda) who is suffering. I always tell her that if she cries, I'm going to cry too, which I never thought was very helpful to her, but God says differently:
GOD NEVER INTENDED FOR PEOPLE TO CRY ALONE. HE IS ALWAYS CLOSE TO THOSE WHOSE HEARTS ARE BROKEN. HE WEEPS WITH THOSE WHO WEEP. WHEN YOU DO THE SAME, YOU ARE FOLLOWING HIS EXAMPLE. SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHAT TO SAY OR DO. PUT YOURSELF IN THE SHOES OF THE SORROWFUL. LISTEN TO THOSE WHO ARE BROKENHEARTED. SHARE AN EMBRACE. BE ATTENTIVE TO ANY PHYSICAL NEEDS YOU CAN HELP FILL. AND PRAY, WITH BOTH WORDS AND TEARS. ONE DAY, HEAVEN WILL DRY THEM ALL.
I'll be back in touch soon with my last e-mail!
Denise
Thursday, December 11, 2008
update
Rhonda completed five of the eight treatments last week, so she’s more than halfway there. There’s light at the end of the tunnel! The end of last week (treatment week) was tough on her, but this week she’s feeling better again. She and Al even got out to meet Jeff and I for supper last night. Ironically they met us at Neighbor’s, the same restaurant we met them at the night that she told us she had cancer – they were even sitting in the same booth, in the exact same spots. When Jeff and I walked in last night and I saw where she and Al were sitting, it made me stop for a second, and I got that feeling (just for a second) that you get in the pit of your stomach when something bad happens. Then I quickly reminded myself that she’s now cancer free and I felt a rush of happiness. And I again thanked God for healing her!! It also reminded me, as I was driving home, how caught up in all the Christmas rush we (I know I do) get, and so easily forget to thank God for all our blessings. This has been a very tough year for alot of people, so this year especially let’s not forget to thank God for all those things we sometimes take for granted.....our family and friends, our health, our homes, our jobs, and each other. I know that Christmas will be especially meaningful for the Shaws this year - the heart of their family, their wife, mother, grandmother, and daughter has been returned to good health. A REAL gift!
I truly hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas with your families. And please remember to keep Rhonda in your prayers, that God will see her through the treatment weeks remaining, giving her strength and determination.
With my thanks to you all for your kindnesses,
Denise Gibbs
P.S. Special thanks to Carol Dufel and Sandy Bass for providing meals last week. The home cooking is VERY appreciated. I have to apologize to Kathy Schweer too - I erroneously thanked Kathy Juel for a meal in my last update – that should have been Kathy Schweer – thank you for that meal, Kathy S.! I know Rhonda enjoyed visiting with you all when you brought the meals too! THANK YOU!
I truly hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas with your families. And please remember to keep Rhonda in your prayers, that God will see her through the treatment weeks remaining, giving her strength and determination.
With my thanks to you all for your kindnesses,
Denise Gibbs
P.S. Special thanks to Carol Dufel and Sandy Bass for providing meals last week. The home cooking is VERY appreciated. I have to apologize to Kathy Schweer too - I erroneously thanked Kathy Juel for a meal in my last update – that should have been Kathy Schweer – thank you for that meal, Kathy S.! I know Rhonda enjoyed visiting with you all when you brought the meals too! THANK YOU!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Update
Hi everyone.
Rhonda completed her fourth treatment last week – she’s now halfway through! Yay!! Unfortunately the treatment weeks are proving to be tests of her strength and determination. The end of last week were not good days for Rhonda – Thursday, Friday and Saturday she was in bed with alot of different side effects, the worst being abdominal pain. She can pretty much plan that the five days after treatment are going to be rough days to get through. By Sunday (yesterday), she was doing a little better and got out with Al to Cedar Falls for a little while, but then was pretty exhausted when she got home. Today she went to work, but I’m not expecting her to work a full day. She’s typically been getting off at 3:00 p.m. or earlier on non-treatment weeks. She’s thankful that she has a job where she can sit at a desk during the day; otherwise, most likely she wouldn’t be able to work.
I want to thank all of you who sent cards or e-mails, or stopped by for a few minutes, since my last update. Seeing her kitchen window filled with your cards even makes me smile, so imagine what a lift to her spirits it is for Rhonda! And thank you to Karen Nielsen and Kathy Juel for providing meals last week for the Shaws. Al is VERY appreciative of the wonderful home cooking!
With the holidays approaching, it’s going to be tougher for Rhonda mentally, so please keep her in your daily prayers, praying that God will strengthen her both physically and emotionally. And keep Al in your prayers also – it’s very hard on him to see his best friend and soul mate go through such pain and anguish. They both have a strong faith to rely on daily, and know that God is with them and will see them through to the end of this journey.
I’ll continue to keep you posted on Rhonda’s progress.
With love and thanks to you all for blessing the Shaws with your kindness!
Denise Gibbs
Rhonda completed her fourth treatment last week – she’s now halfway through! Yay!! Unfortunately the treatment weeks are proving to be tests of her strength and determination. The end of last week were not good days for Rhonda – Thursday, Friday and Saturday she was in bed with alot of different side effects, the worst being abdominal pain. She can pretty much plan that the five days after treatment are going to be rough days to get through. By Sunday (yesterday), she was doing a little better and got out with Al to Cedar Falls for a little while, but then was pretty exhausted when she got home. Today she went to work, but I’m not expecting her to work a full day. She’s typically been getting off at 3:00 p.m. or earlier on non-treatment weeks. She’s thankful that she has a job where she can sit at a desk during the day; otherwise, most likely she wouldn’t be able to work.
I want to thank all of you who sent cards or e-mails, or stopped by for a few minutes, since my last update. Seeing her kitchen window filled with your cards even makes me smile, so imagine what a lift to her spirits it is for Rhonda! And thank you to Karen Nielsen and Kathy Juel for providing meals last week for the Shaws. Al is VERY appreciative of the wonderful home cooking!
With the holidays approaching, it’s going to be tougher for Rhonda mentally, so please keep her in your daily prayers, praying that God will strengthen her both physically and emotionally. And keep Al in your prayers also – it’s very hard on him to see his best friend and soul mate go through such pain and anguish. They both have a strong faith to rely on daily, and know that God is with them and will see them through to the end of this journey.
I’ll continue to keep you posted on Rhonda’s progress.
With love and thanks to you all for blessing the Shaws with your kindness!
Denise Gibbs
Update - Posted 11/11/08
Hi.
Rhonda received her third treatment last Tuesday. The treatment weeks are proving to be very difficult for her. By the end of last week, she was in bed all day, feeling very tired and having pain. In fact, Saturday night late she ended up going to Urgent Care with alot of pain. Sunday she slept quite a bit but felt better, and she returned to work yesterday. We’re hoping that the treatment weeks will get better as time goes on. She feels pretty good on her off weeks, other than always feeling tired and worn out.
I want to thank you all again for being so quick to sign up for meals for Shaws. It’s a huge help to them! Thanks to Denise LeBahn & Darla Payne, and Teri Rawdon, for providing meals last week. Al is VERY appreciative of not having to cook, especially during harvest!
If any of you feel inclined, drop Rhonda a note via e-mail (or post a note on the blog: http://careforrhonda.blogspot.com ) or mail, or call her. I know that she sometimes feels like she’s cut off from the rest of the world (especially when she’s home in bed for a few days), and a simple “I’m thinking of you” lifts her spirits more than you know!
This continues to be a tough road for her, so please keep praying that she will have the strength to continue through the treatments, that God will continue to keep both her and Al in His care, and that come January, we all will celebrate with them in the end of treatments, and a new beginning of good health for Rhonda!
Denise Gibbs
Rhonda received her third treatment last Tuesday. The treatment weeks are proving to be very difficult for her. By the end of last week, she was in bed all day, feeling very tired and having pain. In fact, Saturday night late she ended up going to Urgent Care with alot of pain. Sunday she slept quite a bit but felt better, and she returned to work yesterday. We’re hoping that the treatment weeks will get better as time goes on. She feels pretty good on her off weeks, other than always feeling tired and worn out.
I want to thank you all again for being so quick to sign up for meals for Shaws. It’s a huge help to them! Thanks to Denise LeBahn & Darla Payne, and Teri Rawdon, for providing meals last week. Al is VERY appreciative of not having to cook, especially during harvest!
If any of you feel inclined, drop Rhonda a note via e-mail (or post a note on the blog: http://careforrhonda.blogspot.com ) or mail, or call her. I know that she sometimes feels like she’s cut off from the rest of the world (especially when she’s home in bed for a few days), and a simple “I’m thinking of you” lifts her spirits more than you know!
This continues to be a tough road for her, so please keep praying that she will have the strength to continue through the treatments, that God will continue to keep both her and Al in His care, and that come January, we all will celebrate with them in the end of treatments, and a new beginning of good health for Rhonda!
Denise Gibbs
Monday, October 27, 2008
Meal Schedule
You guys are awesome! Within a few hours of putting out the last e-mail, I’ve got all the slots filled! Unbelievable! THANK YOU!!
Here’s the new meal schedule:
November 4 – Denise LeBahn
November 6 – Teri Rawdon
November 18 – Karen Nielsen
November 20 – Kathy Schweer
December 2 – Sandy Bass
December 4 – Carol Dufel
December 16 – Barb Mead
December 18 – Teresa Johnson
December 30 – Chris Thompson
January 1 – Sandy Becker
January 13 – Yvonne Keller
January 15 – Kathy Juel
Feel free to switch with another person if your date doesn’t work for you, or contact me. Again, please put meals in disposable containers or label your pans so I can be sure & get them back to you. If you are unable to get the meal to Shaws directly, you can drop it off to me (Denise Gibbs) at my office, Correll Law Firm, 411 Main St., Cedar Falls, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or call Denise at (319) 983-2470 (home) or (319) 269-6043 (cell), and make arrangements. Shaws home phone: (319) 277-4276. If you want to make something to put in the freezer and get it to me or Shaws before the date I have you scheduled, feel free to do so. Please, no Mexican type (spicy) dishes!
Denise Gibbs
Here’s the new meal schedule:
November 4 – Denise LeBahn
November 6 – Teri Rawdon
November 18 – Karen Nielsen
November 20 – Kathy Schweer
December 2 – Sandy Bass
December 4 – Carol Dufel
December 16 – Barb Mead
December 18 – Teresa Johnson
December 30 – Chris Thompson
January 1 – Sandy Becker
January 13 – Yvonne Keller
January 15 – Kathy Juel
Feel free to switch with another person if your date doesn’t work for you, or contact me. Again, please put meals in disposable containers or label your pans so I can be sure & get them back to you. If you are unable to get the meal to Shaws directly, you can drop it off to me (Denise Gibbs) at my office, Correll Law Firm, 411 Main St., Cedar Falls, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or call Denise at (319) 983-2470 (home) or (319) 269-6043 (cell), and make arrangements. Shaws home phone: (319) 277-4276. If you want to make something to put in the freezer and get it to me or Shaws before the date I have you scheduled, feel free to do so. Please, no Mexican type (spicy) dishes!
Denise Gibbs
Update
Hi all.
I wish I could say that Rhonda is going through the treatments with flying colors, but she’s not. Last Tuesday was her second treatment, and by Friday she was home in bed all day. She was feeling sick and VERY tired and not able to eat. Saturday was a little better, yesterday she was up doing a little bookwork, and today she’s back to work. Andrea was home all day Saturday until noon yesterday so that was a very big help to Rhonda, not to mention the joy of seeing all the wedding pictures that Andrea brought with her! If you haven’t checked out the beautiful photos yet, be sure and visit Lisa Verbeck’s (photographer) website at www.lvphotosonline.com – go to Lisa’s blog and scroll down – there’s three rounds of pictures, all of them fantastic! (I’m especially partial to Lisa’s gifted photography – she happens to be my very talented sister-in-law!)
Rhonda’s next treatment is November 4th, so hopefully this “off” week will be a good one for her. Because the treatment weeks are proving to be hard, both physically and mentally, for Rhonda, I want to start the meals for Shaws again, for now just on the weeks that Rhonda gets her treatments. So starting next week, I need people for the following open spots:
November 4 – Denise LeBahn
November 6 – Teri Rawdon
November 18 – Karen Nielsen
November 20 –
December 2 –
December 4 –
December 16 –
December 18 –
December 30 –
January 1 –
January 13 –
January 15 –
This will take Rhonda through all six remaining treatments, every other week. Please let me know if you are able to provide a meal on one of the above dates. Denise, T, and Karen: I hope it was okay to schedule you – I know we cancelled the meals last time before you had an opportunity to do that, so thought I would go ahead and schedule you again. The meals are a God-send for Al especially – he’s trying his best to keep up the household duties while Rhonda goes through these treatments, so a hot meal is VERY appreciated!
Don’t forget you can also leave encouraging messages for Rhonda on the blog: http://careforrhonda.blogspot.com/ She loves hearing from you!
Thank you all for your continued prayers for the Shaws, and for all the love and care that you’ve shown this family throughout the past months. God bless you!
Denise Gibbs
I wish I could say that Rhonda is going through the treatments with flying colors, but she’s not. Last Tuesday was her second treatment, and by Friday she was home in bed all day. She was feeling sick and VERY tired and not able to eat. Saturday was a little better, yesterday she was up doing a little bookwork, and today she’s back to work. Andrea was home all day Saturday until noon yesterday so that was a very big help to Rhonda, not to mention the joy of seeing all the wedding pictures that Andrea brought with her! If you haven’t checked out the beautiful photos yet, be sure and visit Lisa Verbeck’s (photographer) website at www.lvphotosonline.com – go to Lisa’s blog and scroll down – there’s three rounds of pictures, all of them fantastic! (I’m especially partial to Lisa’s gifted photography – she happens to be my very talented sister-in-law!)
Rhonda’s next treatment is November 4th, so hopefully this “off” week will be a good one for her. Because the treatment weeks are proving to be hard, both physically and mentally, for Rhonda, I want to start the meals for Shaws again, for now just on the weeks that Rhonda gets her treatments. So starting next week, I need people for the following open spots:
November 4 – Denise LeBahn
November 6 – Teri Rawdon
November 18 – Karen Nielsen
November 20 –
December 2 –
December 4 –
December 16 –
December 18 –
December 30 –
January 1 –
January 13 –
January 15 –
This will take Rhonda through all six remaining treatments, every other week. Please let me know if you are able to provide a meal on one of the above dates. Denise, T, and Karen: I hope it was okay to schedule you – I know we cancelled the meals last time before you had an opportunity to do that, so thought I would go ahead and schedule you again. The meals are a God-send for Al especially – he’s trying his best to keep up the household duties while Rhonda goes through these treatments, so a hot meal is VERY appreciated!
Don’t forget you can also leave encouraging messages for Rhonda on the blog: http://careforrhonda.blogspot.com/ She loves hearing from you!
Thank you all for your continued prayers for the Shaws, and for all the love and care that you’ve shown this family throughout the past months. God bless you!
Denise Gibbs
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