Is It Working......??????

Hey everybody, sorry for such a long lapse in posts.  There has been a lot that has happened.  Some good, and some not so good, but alas here we are 52 days after the Tumor Board and so much has happened.  There have been many tears, laughs, long nights, lazy days, chaotic days and moments of solitude, and through it all Sarah has remained the optimistic positive person you all know her to be.  When I find myself alone and crying about everything that has changed in the last couple of months I think of Sarah's smile and I know she would want me to smile...so I do.  For those of you that know Sarah you know that the first thing you will notice about her is her smile (that is if you dont catch a glimpse of her calfs).  If you dont know Sarah, her is a glimpse of what you are missing.

The one thing Sarah and I have been talking about lately is how great of support we have seen from her friends and family.  This picture was taken last Sunday at a charity dinner our friend Kristen put together.  It was so great to see sooo many friends (old and new)..and even some strangers at the event all in support of Sarah.  When she got to the event she said to Dan I thought we were supposed to have the entire restaurant....she didn't realize all the strangers were actually there in support of her.  These are the little things that are helping Sarah fight her battle everyday.  Knowing that people you dont know, and you have never met, actually care about you is enough to get you out of bed when you are feeling so nauseous you don't think you are going to survive.  These are the blessing we are blessed with everyday......All your love....thank you....

This last week, Sarah made the adventure to our church Temple.  We had planned the event on several other occasions, but never actually made it there for several reasons.  The night before we went, Sarah, Lisa, and I went to the Temple store with her to get all her stuff.  Sarah was pretty overwhelmed and just sat in the chair and let me run the show.  I was totally happy to have some control in my life.  The next day we went to the temple in the morning with Me, sarah, her dad Lew, the bishop his wife and Lisa, and Egan.  It was a very emotional momment for all, and Sarah is glad she has made this progression in her life.  It has given her a new perspective, and comfort.  The best part of the whole day was when we were at Cafe Rio and some lady told Sarah she "loved her haircut."  She asked if Sarah was visiting from New York, because she looked so cutting edge.....we all almost died laughing.....Sarah had to explain it was actually the cancer that had taken her hair, not style.

Today Sarah was filmed by Fox News for a segment that they did in the 10pm news (you can catch it online if you didnt see it live).  Sarah kind of felt like a reality star filming her own E True Hollywood story.  She has been acting like a diva all day.....(lets face it I would to).  They wanted to go with Sarah while she was getting the results of whether or not her Chemo was working.  There really isn't an easy yes or no answer to this question.  The early news today was good....it looked like the chemo was working and Sarah was ecstatic, and then....we got the formal report.  Basically several of the large masses have shrunk, but several other have not and some have gotten bigger.  Sarah meets with her oncolosgist on Tuesday for the final prognosis on this and her next chemo treatment.  So.....keep her in your prayers, and stay positive for her.

The segment was to promote the upcoming 5K our friends have been putting together.   The run is next Saturday August 28th at 7am.  The run actually goes right past our house so Sarah can cheer everyone on.  Please register online http://www.sweatinforsarah.com/ to support Sarah and run for her while she cannot run for herself.

Chemo.....therapy

Hey everybody, Sarah started her Chemo today and she feels like a million bucks.  She went to her second to last radiation appointment today, and then went directly upstairs to start her first round of Chemo.  She was assigned Nurse Stefanie, and we l-o-v-e-d her.  She was super chill and Sarah liked her a lot.  She even asked her if she could do all her treaments.  I dont think she will get quite that lucky, but we have had such a great experience with everyone at the office, that I am sure she will be happy with anyone who is assigned to us. 

Sarah was at her Chemo treatment for about 5 hours today.  Treatment was pretty uneventful except that Kendra surprised us (Me, Jimmy, & Dan) at lunch with Paradise sandwiches.  She had come from our house which she had been cleaning...ahhhhhhhhhhhh.  Sarah and I were so happy to come home to a PRE-Cancer house.  With all the visitors and the chaos we haven't been able to really deep clean, so it was really nice to have our house cleaned.....we love you KK.  Sarah was armed with magazines, her computer, and tons of movies, but we ended up just chating and hanging out.

After Chemo we came home and where hanging out and our Meals on Wheels (our churches dinner program) brought over Cafe Rio.....Yum Yum.......thanks Wayne and Jason. We just hung out all night and enjoyed Sarahs company.  She has been in great spirits this week, and her nausea has been almost non-existent, so she has been wanting to go go go....so it was good to just chill and hang out and enjoy each others company.

Sarah has a two day Chemo treatment that will run for 48 hours, and on Friday she will go back to have her pump removed.  She is digging her fanny pack, and keeps looking for things to put in it.......ohhhh great.  Atleast I wont have to hold her chapstick anymore.

Dan V. stopped by tonight for a visit and he brought Sarah a Frosty, and alas the first side effect of the Chemo appeared.  She was unable to eat the frosty, because the cold temperature made her feel like she was suffocating.....so we have removed all the drinks from the refrigerator so she wont have to touch or drink anything cold. 

As a flash from the past I included a pre-cancer pic.  For several weeks before the diagnosis that rocked our world this is how I found Sarah on most occasions......she would be laying on the ground cruising facebook...or.... match.com, JK, with an ice pack (or bag of frozen fruit) and Tito laying right next to her with an occassional lick of the ice pack.  Tito still prefers to sit next to Sarah and can be found licking her with little doggie kisses.....gross.....I know.....I just barfed in my mouth too.......

The Pump.....

Hi again friends and fam!  So I had a PET CT scan today and they discovered some additional findings that we hope may lead to discovering the primary site of cancer.  However we're not sure this will ever happen but it's somewhat more hopeful!  My pain is decreasing and my doctor and I hope Chemo will help as well.  I start Chemo this Wed, I'm nervous to get a pump placed under my skin, the thought just makes me quiver.  I just keep reminding my-self that I'm not the first to get "the pump" placed. 

I've found my-self becoming more spirtual everyday, something about getting diagnosed with stage 4 cancer really draws you closer to the lord. ;)  I'm planning to take out my endowments through the LDS temple soon, I'm excited!
 
So a lot of people have donated money to my facebook WellsFargo bank account!  I can't even believe how many people have actually posted money, I'm so touched!  I have received both small and large donations, and every donation touches me... so I thank you!  If there's any chance you could send me a text or e-mail letting me know your name, I would very much love to thank you personally.  The money will really help pay my medical bills.  I hope you are all well... and wish you good health.  Sleep tight and tell your family you love them. 

Love you!

C-H-A-O-S.....in a good way!!!!!

Hey everybody, sorry it has been such a longtime since we updated you on Sarah's progress, but it has been cu-razy here int he Hatfield/Hays abode.  Yes you heard me right the Hays have invaded and are camping out all around us, and we L-O-V-E every minute of it.....here is a quick re-cap of how it has been going and what cute Sarah girl has been up too.

Saturday--- Saturday started of fantastically.  Sarah felt good and so we (Sarah, Jimmy, Dan, Jen and I)started out the day going to breakfast.  We headed up the canyon to Ruths diner, and when we found out the wait was an hour, Sarahs ambition started wearing thin.  We ended up going to the Sun and Moon Cafe and had a great breakfast on the patio.  When we got back from breakfast Sarah felt ambitious again, so we headed to the pool with tons of Sunblock).  She even succuesfully swam several laps.  When we got home, she was wiped out and needed some rest.  Saturday night Sarah's Mom, Aunt Debbie, and Cousin Anita arrived for a couple of days to give Sarah their love.  We had planned on going to the Fireworks on Saturday night, but the days activites were enough for sarah and she crashed for the day at about 8 pm.

Sunday--- Started off at about 1pm when Sarah attended her church.  The Ward had been fasting for her for 24 hours, and we had a fantastic sunday service that ended in an awesome prayer dedicated to sarah.  This was a beautiful service, and the spirit was strong.  We came home to fantastic surprise that the much anticipated arrival of Jaime was upon us (aleast Jaime thought it was much anticipated)....JK Jaime we are all happy you came and are still here. 

Monday---  No work for me....I was able to spend another quality day with Sarah before I had to head back to work.  Sarah had been very active for a few days, and was wiped out.  She spent most of the day resting and sleeping.  Jaime, Jimmy, and I sanded and stained my outside furniture while sarah slumbered.  (I knew I loved having those Hays visit).  On Monday night Phil and Chantel and their family arrived, and thus has begun the week of the Hays......we miss you Becky!!!

Tuesday and Wednesday have been very uneventful, except that today was the first day Sarah noticed a marked improvement on her pain.  This means the radiation is working, and Sarah and us could not be happier about this.  I know everyone around her will agree, watching someone as cheerful and happy as Sarah be in pain is so hard.  I wish I could take the pain away from her everyday.

Sorry we havent updated in a few days, but things have been very chaotic (but in a good way). 

Stay tuned for updates in the next few days.

The Simple Things In Life.....

Hey everyone, it's me, Sarah.  I'm feeling extra good tonight so I thought I would take a minute and thank everyone for all their love and support!  It's almost hard to be sick when you have so many people cheering you on and praying for you.  Unfortunately, it's possible and until about 1 pm today, I was feeling as sick as I've ever been.  But 1 IV later and a change in my meds and I felt like a new woman! Thank goodness for medical practioners and a friend and brother that takes time out of their day to sit with you and hold your hand through it all.

Today my good friend Sandy came by just to clean our house and water our plants, it was very touching and made me want to be a better friend to others around me.  It's really the simple things in life that mean the most. 
  

A series of In......spirations..........

The one question I keep getting is, "What stage is Sarahs Cancer".  Although I know there is importance in this question and answer I believe that the stage of Sarah's Cancer is irrelevant and she can beat this no matter what stage, but the answer is.......Stage 4.

Through this entire journey there have been a series on interuptions/or shall I say inspirations that have brought us to where we are today.  Sarah has asked me to share these stories of inspiration with you.

The first and most significant inspiration of events happened on Monday June 21st.  I mentioned earlier that Sarah and Dan and I had a discussion about taking her health into her own hands. While we were having this discussion I was inspired to tell Sarah the story about my niece Beatrice.  Bebe was sick for about 3 months and was continuing to decline in her health daily.  After being told for the seventh time she had the flu, my sister in law Liz had had enough.  She demanded they find out what was wrong with Bebe.  The PA she was seeing had the Doctor come in and see her, after taking one look at Bebe, the doctor immediately sent her to The Primary Childrens Hospital.  Within hours she was in surgery and the surgeon told my brother and sister she was hours away from death.  I dont know why I told Sara this story, I certainly did not think Sarah was close to death, but I told her the story because I was inspired to.  This was the reason she got her MRI, something inside her sparked and may have saved her life. 

Another story of inspiration comes from her brother Jimmy.  Several years ago he did auto service for a guy who moved to Houston, TX.  For some reason, of all the hundreds of customers he has ever had he kept in contact with THIS guy.  Several days ago we found a clinical trial that Sarah may qualify for and Jimmy felt inspired to contact his friend to see if by chance he had any connections at this hospital.  Miraculously his friend emailed back and his best friend happens to be the president of the hospital and can help Sarahs treatment get fast tracked.  Jimmy followed his inspriation as un-likely as it seemed, and she may now get the help she desperatly needs.

Today was a great day for Sarah.  After several bad days with blow after blow, Sarah had a good day.  She went in for her first treatment of Radiation this morning, and it went without a hitch.  While she was in her radiation treatment, I went up to her doctors office to pick up some lab work, and ask her nurse a quick question.  Her doctor came out to personally answer her questions and asked that Sarah come up after her treament for a quick visit.  When we sat down with him for our impromptu meeting, he was everything you could ask for in an Oncologist.  He was compassionate, interested, and discussed ideas about treatment he had already researched at MD Anderson Cancer center in Houston Texas.  We had been reasearching a clinical trial for an unknown primary at MD, and wanted to ask some questions about if Sarah was a viable candidate,  The doctor informed us that he believes Sarahs Cancer originated in her Ovaries, and had already called their gynecological oncology unit and had already sent her lads there for review.  Knowing the primary of Sarahs Cancer will help target her treatment and determine a specifi treament.  this was very exciting news. Although we Know that Ovarian cancer is a very scary and deadly cancer, at least now she may know what she is up against. 
Sarah and I spent the night laying in her bed talking an gossiping.  these are the moments that I will never forget.  After a long very happy day Sarah had a real reality check.  After taking too many pain killers and not enough food, her nausea got the best of her, and she ended up on the bathroom floor praying to the porcelain gods......

Thank you so much for everything and all the prayers.  we will keep you posted on Sarah's treatment, and let you know what is happening with MD Anderson in Houston, TX.....

The Journey Begins.....

On Sunday June 20th, Sarah came home from work in intense pain.  She had been in physical therapy for a "snowboarding injury" earlier in the season.  The pain had continued to increase in intensity and she reached her breaking point on this night.  For anyone who knows Sarah, for her to cry over pain was a huge deal.  She rivals Supermain in her in-human strength.  After begging her to go to the ER and her getting very angry she collapsed and spent yet another sleepless night from the pain in her hip and lower back.  The next morning she saw yet another doctor who reassured her it was from her injury earlier in the fall.  Monday night Dan and Candace had a long talk with her about her health and how she needed to take her diagnosis into her own hands.  Although Sarah believed that there was more to the injury than had been diagnosed she was not convinced. 

On Tuesday June 22nd, something in Sarah decided to take her care into her own hands and ordered an MRI.  The early result of the MRI was that she had a bone Cyst.  When Sarah came home from work her and I (Candace) did tons of research on the type of Cyst it was and we were coinvinced she was going to have a surgery and be fixed.  We were even excited that we might finally get the Jazzy we had so desperatly wanted.  The doctor advised her to get a CT scan to confirm the results of the MRI.  As Sarah and I were contemplating when she was going to get the CT done, and how she could fit it in her tight schedule that week, the phone wrang and a co-worker asked if he could pick up some extra shifts for Sarah.  We know that God had a hand in this, because Sarah could now get the CT she so desperatly needed.

On Wednesday June 23rd, Sarah went to the Hospital on her way to the pool to get a routine CT, to confirm what we already knew.  At this moment, her life, and all lthe ifes around her were changed forever.  The CT resulted in multiple masses in multiple areas. The "Cyst" was actually a large Tumor in her Sacrum that was seperating her hips and causing the immense pain, she also had a large mass in her Liver, and several masses in her Lungs, and it appeared that it had invaded the lymphnodes as well.  She had Cancer.

Sarah immediatly told her family and close friends that she had been diagnosed with cancer.  Her brother Jimmy, and sisters Jaime and Becky  (in true Hays fashion) immediatley descended upon Sarah to bring her that support she needed. 

Friday June 25th Sarah had a Biopsy and the blood work would begin.  She is determined to beat this and started the process immediately to find out what she was up against.  The next several days were spent with close family and friends, and Sarah pulling the "Cancer Card."  It was like she had waited her whole life to make these jokes.

On Tuesday June 29th six days from her original diagnosis at 9 am Sarah, her Brother Jimmy, and boyfriend Dan, and a few close friends reported to her "Tumor Board."  This is where her battery of doctors where to give us their final diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.  The Diagnosis is Clear Cell Adeno-Carcinoma with an Unknown Primary.  This is a cancer that is typically found in the Kidneys, but in Sarahs case, her Kidneys were not affected, so the source of the cancer is un-known. Because the source is un-known, it makes it really hard to fight.  Because of the vastness of her tumors and the rapid growth the prognosis is un-curable, but this is not slowing Sarah down, she is committed to her treatment, and any alternative treatment that may work for her. 

Sarah's Plan of treament is to immediately begin radiation to help reduce the size of the mass in her sacrum and thus relieve some of the pain she is having.  After two weeks of Radiation she will then begin her Chemo treatment.  Today she went in for her Radiation simulation and to get mapped for her treatment.  The treament begins tomorrow, and although she is nervous, she is looking forward to having some of her pain relieved. 

Please keep her in your prayers and please call us with any questions.  Sarah is happy that you are all on this journey with her, and she couldnt do it without all your prayers and concerns.

Through all this Sarah has been very strong and positive.  She needs your love and support and looks forward daily to the tremendous outpouring she has received.

Thank You for your love and support

Based on all the love and support and concerns of Sarahs friends, we have decided to start a blog to catalog this journey, and keep everyone updated on the status of Sarah's treatment and progress.  First of all, Sarah would like to thank each and everyone of you for all your love and support.  The phone calls, texts, emails, and cards have been received with love.  Although she may not have returned your call, card, text or e-mail please be assured that it has been appreciated. Sarah's spirits are high, and she is doing great.  She is determined to beat the odds, and win the battle and the war, and she couldn't do it without all the prayers and love of eveyone around her.  Sometimes, this love and concern has been a bit overwhelming.  There have been days when the visits have resulted in hours of back to back visits with multiple calls in between and although Sarah loves the attention, we feel like she is in need of more rest.  Out of respect for her well being and rest if you would like to stop by and give Sarah your love, please call Jimmy, Dan or Candace, and make sure that the timing is good.  If you have questions about her progress, treatment, or diagnosis, please call anyone in her family......Lou, Jaime, Phil, Jimmy, or Becky, or you can call Dan or Candace.  There are no secrets on this journey and anyone would love to answer any questions you might have, but sometimes these questions and situations are hard for Sarah to answer.  Thank you so much for your love and support, and stay tuned for more information on how the journey is progressing.......And keep Sarah in your prayers!!!!!!