Having my kid in class

I grew up in a small rural town and ended up having my aunt as a 6th grade teacher and my mom in Jr. High and High School. It seemed very normal to me. Sometimes there were some negatives I could have lived without, but for the most part it was fine. Never would I have imagined that I would be teaching my own son one day.

I teach 5th grade math, 2nd grade math, and also run the after school program. It is a great job, part time, in my home town with great kids. This year Grady is in 2nd grade, so for an hour each day he comes to my class for math. He is a great student and loves math, so I didn't think it would be too tough. I started out the year just acting totally normally. Didn't matter at all that my kid was in the class. Of course, he called me mom and a few of his friends call me Jana, but other than that is business as usual.

Recently a couple funny things have happend that I just need to share. Yesterday we were playing a math fact game, and Grady was the first to answer correctly. When he realized this, he took advantage of his back row seat and started doing a tame version of the sprinkler dance. I looked at him from the front of the room, and said, with a smile looking at my crazy kid, "Really Grady? Please stop." His response, "Yes, Mother" in the most angelic voice with the cheesiest little grin on his face. Everyone laughed including me and we got back to the game.

The day before as class was starting one boy said something little that hurt another boy's feelings and of course the second tattled to tell me how his feelings were hurt. I then told the offender, "If what you are going to say might hurt the other's feelings, don't say it." I then started on a little soap box of mine talking to the entire class.  My speech went something like, "More than anything in school and life it is important to be kind. Before you talk, think about what you are going to say, and if there is even the smallest chance that it could hurt the other's feelings or they might think you are being mean, don't say anything. We should say things that make others feel better, that help them have a good day, all other talk should be left unsaid." As I stopped and looked around the room, they were understanding what I was saying. Then my son says, from the back row, loudly and proudly "Ephesians 4:29."

(Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful in building others up. Can you imagine if people tried living by this principle?).

I just smiled and said, "yes you can tell we have talked about this at our house a lot."

My heart smiled in both of these little moments, flashes of time that most parents do not get to see. All kids are great and every kid has cute moments where they make their friends and teacher laugh, making school fun. Moments that pass so quickly they are hard to remember at the end of the day, but we are thankful to have them in the moment. As a teacher I get to see that everyday in other people's kids, but I feel extra blessed to get to see it in my own child.

I know I am in the right spot right now, and I am thankful.

After a summer of working on killing the cancer inside of me, I found out today, that we were successful. I say "we" because it took many people: doctors, nurses, family and friends that prayed and helped, and most of all the good Lord.

My scan results showed that there were only cancer cells around my "thyroid bed" which is what they hope for. No lymph nodes, no lungs, no bones, no spots any place else. :) The radiation attached to what it was supposed to and things are looking good.

A couple things to take away from this experience:

1) Go get your yearly physicals. I was having no problems, no symptoms, no issues. My doc just felt that my thyroid was a bit too large and had me do an ultrasound. It was just during a yearly physical that this was discovered. It was caught early, treated aggressively and more than likely I will not die of thyroid cancer. Go visit your doctor once a year- it's not so bad. It may save your life!

2)Cancer research is an awesome thing. Now I realize how much a $20 donation to Relay or any cancer charity can make a difference. It is not my one, $20, but all of our $20 that change what we are able to do in treating cancer. If there had not been research and people putting forth an effort to stop cancer, I may not have the great prognosis I have.  Still there are people dying of cancers each day. More research is needed to stop this awful disease. Don't forget that your small donation makes a difference in the big picture.

I praise God that my life can continue on normally (whatever that is around here). My energy is slowly coming back now that I am on thyroid replacement hormone, and in a month or so I should be back to regular energy level. That will be great.

Thank you all for your prayers, positive thoughts, concern and help. I truly appreciate all of you more than you know!

Jana

Doctor Update

A week ago today I took my fancy radiation pill and was quarantined from people, especially my kiddos until Saturday. I felt fine, a bit strange in the stomach but that has been life without thyroid hormone, so not much different than the last 2 months.

Today I went in for a fancy scan that shows all my "Highlighted" areas. Thankfully I am not claustrophobic, but still chose to keep my eyes closed most of the time rather than look at this camera thing 1 inch from my nose. Whole thing took a bit more than a half an hour. The techs were great, played soft music, gave me a warm blanket and checked on me often. Nice job Sky Lakes Nuclear Medicine! At the start they were telling me that sometimes you may have to come back for a follow up scan because they will want to watch the movement of some of the "highlighted" places. Movement, by the way, is a good thing. It just means all that iodine/radiation stuff has not worked its way out of my system. When the highlighter doesn't move, is when there is more cause for concern. I was thinking to myself, "I hope there are no highlighted areas in strange parts of my body, it has all worked its way out, and I am done with this stuff." Well..........no such luck. Back for another scan on Friday. In the meantime I am going to be drinking tons of water and eating every high fiber thing I can find. Making sure I help it move on out.

We are praying that, in fact, the extra highlighted areas are just iodine/radiation that have not moved their way through. We do not want them to be extra spots of cancer (usually they are not). I would appreciate all prayers and thank you in advance for interceding on my behalf to our Lord.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged for the Lord our God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9.

Radiation time

The time has finally come to do my treatment, and I am ready. I have been home from vacation, off thyroid medicine, on the special diet and my blood test numbers say I am ready to take my radiation/iodine pill. So, Monday at noon I will meet up with the Haz Mat:) Nuclear Medicine people and start to kill all the yucky cancer stuff left inside of me.

I am really ready to feel normal again. Thanks for your prayers and offers for help and assistance. It is greatly appreciated. I will be here at home and the boys will be with family and friends until Friday. It will be very odd to be in my house without them. I am thankful the Olympics are on because I can waste a lot of time watching those. I will read, go for walks and even at the end of the week I can go to the store or pick up some take out. It is really only grade school age and younger children that I can't be in continuous contact with. High level of precaution that the docs say is a bit extra than they think is needed, but better to be safe than sorry.

In a week, Lord willing, I will be cancer free. :)

Little update

I do not have much to report on the thryoid cancer front, but I am amazed at how many people ask how I am doing and say they are praying for me. It is really encouraging to me to know this. I thought I would write today because, this is a good way to keep many people in the loop at the same time.

As some may know, thyroid cancer is treated with a radiation/iodine pill. A very specialized radation specific to thyroid cancer. I was set to do that the beginning of July, but couldn't for various, crazy reasons. The radiation works best if there are no thyroid hormones in the person's body, so I was without thryoid hormone for a month after surgery. When it was discovered that I couldn't have treatment until the beginning of August, the doctor decided to put me on replacement hormone,  so I wasn't miserable for an entire month. (Thank you Dr. Kramer). I have been taking that replacement hormone for 10 days and I am starting to feel a bit more energetic.

I let the boys have friends over yesterday, went to the Lake with the family today, and haven't napped in 3 days. This is very good. I also don't feel quite so weird digestively, but have managed to put on about 10 pounds. Part of that is because I had no metabolism and part is because I think to myself, "Uh, I am going to gain weight anyway, why not have another cookie?" I also had no energy to exercise, but that is changing a bit now too. All of it is so Fun Fun Fun!

At the end of July I will go off of hormone, start a special diet and have treatment in early August. Most days are "normal." Whatever that means in our house!?!?! Still it will be such a relief to get the treatment, see if it has spread, and get on with life after cancer. I am planning on all of this happening in August. It will be a busy, yet great month.

Thanks so much for your prayers. Please pray specifically that it did not spread, and the radiation they give me the first time is enough to get any leftover cells floating around.

I say this to myself often throughout the day and it comforts me:

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."           Joshua 1:9

You Must be Kidding me!?!?!?!

Well, here is the latest on my journey with thyroid cancer. I have been on a low iodine diet with plans to take my radiation/iodine pill on July 3.

Kathy, the nice onocology nurse, called and said that apparently they (the nations radation/iodine people) are not making the iodine during the week of 4th of July so I wouldn't be able to start until the 9th.

However, Dr. Cramer, my doctor, is on vacation that week and the doctor filling in doesn't have the right liscensure to give me that pill.

To push things out even a bit further, the next week we are going to Hawaii for a wedding, so I won't do treatment that week. We talked about going to Medford to get the treament, but they can't get me in until this same week that we are in Hawaii.

So the deal is, I have been without thryoid hormone for just about a month and can't have treatment for another month. I have very limitied, if any, options. The best one we have come up with is that Dr. Cramer said "so she doesn't feel like shit" on her vacation, start thyroid hormone so I have some energy while on our trip. Then when I come back go off the thyroid medicine, start the low iodine diet and get treatment the start of August.

That makes my entire summer about cancer in one way or another. I was really looking forward to Hawaii being my celebration trip because I was done with my treatment. In the big picture, what do I have to hang my head about? I could complain that I am going to Hawaii? I could complain that I have a treatment available? In perspective this is just a bump in the road, but not a bump I am thrilled about.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

We all know life is crazy, and I too know that things could be so much worse. So this is an inconvience that I will live with. Still appreciate your prayers. Thankful for all of them thus far.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13

Meeting the oncologist

Today was the first time that I met with Dr. Cramer, the radiology oncologist. He is a nice, smart man that I have heard very good things about. (That is always nice, in my opinion).

We reviewed my pathology report and talked about what steps are next. Here is the short of it.

I have papillary thyroid carcinoma in 4 different samples taken from my thyroid. There are also microfollicular variants in a few of the samples. In layman's terms, papillary thyroid cancer is the most common, slowest growing type of thyroid cancer. The follicular type is a bit more aggressive, and because I had some of these type, I will have a higher dosage of radiation.

Now for 10 days I have to be on a low iodine diet, trying to rid my body of any iodine. This is important because the radiation I will have is in pill form. It is basically radized iodine that attacks only thyroid cells because your thyroid needs iodine to work.  Low iodine diet eliminates dairy, some meats, basically I just have to check labels. Lots of fruits and veggies. Not too bad, all in all.

After 10 days, I will go in to nuclear medicine, a man in a haz-mat suit will hand me my pill, I will swallow it and go home. (or somewhere else because I have to stay 3-6 feet away from grade school age children). Then for the next week or so I have to wipe everything down that I touch or sit on, eat off paper, launder my clothing separately and not sit next to anyone for too long of a period of time.

At the end of that fun week, I will get a scan that will show any place that there are remaining thyroid cells. It will show if the cancer has spread to other places in my body and will help them decide if I need another treatment or if one was enough.

So in your prayers, please include that one treatment will get it all and that it is not spread anywhere else.

Thanks so much for praying for me and for my boys. I feel the power in that and believe our Lord hears them and is faithful to act.

Love to you all, Jana

Cancer- A deal Breaker?

My recent diagnosis of thyroid cancer has come as quite a shock.  I was honestly expecting the doctor to say my incision was healing great, all results came back benign and now lets start replacement hormone. However he actually had the guts to say, "It was cancerous." How dare he!?!?!

I have papillary thyroid cancer. Which is the kind you want to have. :) I don't know if you can actually "want to have" it, but if you have to have the big C word. This is a good one to get. It was caught early through a yearly doctor visit, hasn't spread and is very treatable! That is great news. So the deal is, I get all the life lessons that come along with having cancer, but not all the total scariness. Yes, a bit scary to think about but it really could be so much worse.

One of the things that worried me was that we would not be eligible to adopt now that we had a cancer diagnosis. After I realized my prognosis was very good that thought really gave me the worst feeling.

I called our case worker and broke the bad news to her. Waiting to hear what she had to say, I was hoping for the best but ready for the worst. She is really so nice, worried about me, how is the family, how am I feeling. Ya, Ya, Ya..... I was thinking. Is it a deal breaker?

She said that our timing was perfect (we all know that is God's perfect timing). Not so very long ago all cancer diagnosis would immediatly make a family ineligible until there was 10 years of remission. However, now there is one that they look at on a case by case basis. What is the ONE, you ask? Yes, it is mine. Thyroid Cancer. It is the one kind a potential adoptive parent can get and not be immediatly thrown out of the program. Praise the Lord!!

After all my radiation we have to have the doctors fill out some papers and write some letters, and as long as I have a clean bill of health and a good prognosis, things should be fine. We are blessed that we are not super close to the top of the waiting list because we couldn't get a referral until all treatment was done and all paperwork complete. I got this at the best time, we should have no trouble having all this done before it is our turn to know which little girl is ours.

Thanks for prayers; they are already working in regard to our adoption. I am feeling good. I just am getting low on energy because I have no thyroid hormones at the moment. So that's exciting......get to gain weight and have not energy. Yuck! :(  Hoping by beginning of August to be totally cancer free, get on replacement hormone, shed a few pounds and have enough energy to chase my kiddos around.

Life Book Entry #2

Some time ago, I copied into this blog the very first entry I typed into our Life Book. For those of you that are not familar a Life Book is a book that chronicles the story of our adopted daughter's journey to and in our family. Much like a baby book with a different spin for adopted children.

Below is the lastest entry that I typed, printed and put into her Life Book, scrapbook. It just shares our heart with our little girl and with you. Maybe when she is 15 and full of attitude thinking no one loves her, she can look through this pages and see way back in May 2012, we wanted her.

Dear Sweet Girl,

Each month we get an email telling us about how Ethiopian adoptions are going: the pace of the process and what number we are on the waiting list.

It seems to us that the list is not getting short enough fast enough, because we want to meet you, hold you and add you to our family pictures right now.

We also know that you may not be born yet, and so the list cannot move too fast because we are meant to be matched with YOU. In short, we know God has already matched us. So, really the timing is perfect.

Connor drew a picture in his kindergarten class of our family from shortest to tallest, and he included you (of course you were the shortest). Kellen continues to want to buy you an outfit every time we are in the store, and Grady “practices” holding any baby he can so he “will be good with you.”

Every night when the six of us say prayers together, we pray for you and your birth family. We know they are special people who wanted the absolute best for their little girl. What a selfless thing they will do! We will not take that act for granted and will be forever grateful that you are a Dunlea.

Love Mom, Dad and the boys.

Working Cows

We just had a wonderful weekend working cows: branding the babies and giving the mom's their vitamin shots and such, before they head out to get fat on grass for the summer. It is nice to be at a stage (for a while) where there is no baby crawling in the dirt, and for the most part the boys know where they can go and where they can't. Makes the time much more enjoyable for mom. It was a time to enjoy working with friends and be thankful for the calf crop that we have.

Grady was actually very helpful this year. For the first time, we turned the 7 year old out to ride his horse with the big boys. He helped sort and move the cows and calves in and out of the work area. His horse JD is the best horse in the world for a young guy: smart, and responsive to Grady and the ultimate in chill.

Love the hat! Of course, he would not go look for the one that was not beat up and destroyed. Oh Well!

We even let them run the hot shot and move the cows up the shoot. It was nice that they did a great job and had fun working.

Part of this year's calf crop.

Our Brand. Dennis got this a few years before we were married. He had a hard time finding a brand that was approved by the Ag department. Finally, was able to get this for, Dennis Jeremiah Dunlea. I say it was God's divine intervention, because now it stands for Dennis and Jana Dunlea:)





Doctor Update 2

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I had a nice appointment yesterday with Dr. Orlando. It turns out there are no nodules on the left side of my thyroid, which is a big answer to prayer. The plan is that I will have the large nodule and the right half of my thyroid removed on May 31. While I am under, they will quickly send the mass to pathology to see if it is cancerous. If it is, the doc will take out all of my thyroid, if not he'll just stitch me up.

The reason thyroid cancer is a "nice one to have" is because the treatment is so specialized, that the medicine to kill all the thyroid cells does not effect any other systems in the body. It is a very advanced cancer treatment. There is still only about 1/3 chance that it is even cancerous, but if it is, it is really easy to treat.

One night in the hospital and a week or so off, and I will be back to full swing (or close to it).

Thanks for your prayers. Love to you all.

Doctor Update 1

As some of you may know, I have been visiting the doctor a bit more than normal lately. In fact, visiting at all is rare for me. I am a very healthy person, thanks be to God. Sometimes I will even extend my yearly visit a bit long, just because time slips away, but I was a good girl and went just recently. At my routine check-up they found a nodule on my thyroid. I went the next day to have an ultrasound of the nodule. That is where the tech asked me, "Are you tried a lot, because your thyroid is large?" After a bit of a laugh, I said, "That may have nothing to do with my thyroid, I have 4 kids under 8, a farming, coaching football husband, a part-time job and a house to run."  "YA, I am tired."

Anyway, back to my point. It turns out that my thyroid is not large, just the nodule attached to my thyroid is large. So, the next step was to have a biopsy. I did that, and the results we inconclusive. There are some suspect tissues on the nodule that always present as be begnign, but could be cancerous. The only way to tell is to look at it. Some how pretty soon they are going to look at it and let me know.

I decided to blog this before my meeting with the surgeon tomorrow, just to record the events of this journey as they unfold. I am told, and through my research have discovered, that thyroid nodules are very common and most are not cancerous. But if it does happen to be cancerous, it is the kind of cancer you want (if that makes any sense). They will remove all or part of my thyroid, which I hope to learn more about tomorrow.

So, for know, please pray that the nodule is gone. If God chooses to let it be there, then please pray that only 1/2 my thyroid needs to be taken out, and it is not cancerous. Of course, many people are walking around with no thyroid and take medicine everyday....there are worse things. If it needs taken out, it will be OK. But since we are praying, lets pray that I keep some of that little thing God gave me, and my life is not inconvenienced in the least:)

More to come later. Thanks for your prayers.

Life Book

Every book Dennis and I have read about adoption, it has been suggested that we keep a Life Book about the adoption journey and about our adopted child. This is very similar to a baby book, I think, but a little more important because of some of the questions and uncertainty that naturally come along with being an adopted child. The goal is that this book is a reference of words and pictures that will always be there to let our daughter know her history and as much as possible about her life.

Today, I bought a bright pink scrapbook album with butterflies and hearts and started our Life Book for our little girl. Below is what is written on the very first page.

Dear Precious Little Girl,                                                                 2-4-2012

Daddy and I decided to keep a journal about your arrival into our lives. So, I sit down today to write the first entry.

Before daddy and I got married we talked about adoption being something we both wanted to do. We did not know when or how, but we knew it was something we were both interested in.

It was the summer of 2011 and the topic of conversation came up in a more serious manner: When will we adopt? We had your brothers biologically and could have had more, but did not want to add to our family in that way. We wanted to find you. So in July we contacted All God’s Children, filled out the first of many pieces of paper work, and started on this journey to get you home.

As I sit here today, I do not know you, I don’t know your name, and I have never seen your picture. You may not even be born yet. But, I believe our God in heaven knows you, He has picked you for us and us for you, He knows your name, your favorite food, He knows how fast you will be able to run down our driveway, and He knows how much we will love you. Your brothers and our hearts are excited to meet you and are filled with love for the sister we do not know yet. Can’t wait to hold you!

                                                           

Love, Mom and Dad