Shana Bearden

*Check out the previous post about Kathleen Donahue please *

8-1/7-08– Well, it has been a busy week. April, TJ and Lily came in Friday for April’s 10th high school reunion and we got to babysit both Lily and new grandbaby Isabella over the weekend.
April was extremely happy how the reunion went. She went with her old high school group that she ran with and who were apparently “second tier” in high school. Turns out that her group of girls were the “hottest” babes there and she loved it. She went around all week after the reunion saying she was “Happy I didn’t peak too early in High School” and laughing that one of the popular boys in high school, who she asked to a sadie hawkins dance but would not go with her, was oogling her all night long. He came up to her and she did not recognize him right off so she had to ask his name and she says the reversal of fortune was delicious! April had a great time.
Lily was a delight all week. She is great entertainment. She has this squeeky little voice but a really good vocabulary that makes her almost a cartoon. I am still her favorite. Poppi does no wrong.
Bella sleeps a lot and I still have never heard her cry. Her parents say she is crying because she has the croop but I suspect they are just saying that. I have never heard her cry and I think Wes is just jealous and saying that.
Shana had a big Chemo on last Friday and she has still not recovered. She feels bad and hurts all over. She was nausiated much of this week and has had to sleep quite a lot. It is simply the chemo but this time has been bad and she was lethargic this week.
Both Kathy Segreti and Brad Bearden had birthdays this week. Kathy says she is 42………yeah right! Brad turned 24 and is the best man I know.I’m very proud of my boy. Congratulations to both of them. So we had a couple of parties to help them with the depression of being so old. Heck, I wear socks older than Brad…
I have been in a trial all week. It is exhausting and I need to go home to my lady and recuperate right now. Have a good day….
Jim

8-8-08 Message forwarded for you to know about Kathleen Donahue’s recent problems. Kathleen grew up with my two girls and has been a fixture around our family for 25 years. She is another “fifth kid” of ours. She is an amazing young woman who recently got some very bad news……her email:

“Although some of you may know, I wanted share some important news with you. I was diagnosed with Papillary Thyroid Cancer this week. Although this news may seem like a devastating diagnosis, I hope you will find the news a little less shocking once you read about what treatment and prognosis entails. I have highlighted some of the recent and future events.

Approximately one month ago, I went to my General Practitioner for a check-up and also to check on a recently-discovered lump in my neck. He was concerned about the lump and referred me to a local otolaryngologist/ENT doctor (those who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, throat, and head and neck disorders). After an initial visit, I was sent for a sonogram of my neck. After reviewing this, my doctor found that the large mass was actually a cyst, but a few other nodules (abnormal lumps in the thyroid glands) were present. At this time, he also performed a fine needle aspiration biopsy. (Basically a large needle stuck into my neck- not fun!). The fluid pulled from my neck was sent to a pathologist. When I was called in to review the results, my doctor revealed that he was surprised by the pathologist’s finding. They determined the cells to be highly suspicious of Papillary Thyroid Cancer. This term “suspicious” seemed somewhat confusing, but my doctor said that they rarely conclude to a 100% positive indication.

I will undergo the typical treatment for Papillary Thyroid Cancer. The treatment is basically 1) surgical removal of the thyroid; 2) a radioactive iodine treatment administered in a pill form usually six weeks after surgery; and 3) thyroid hormone replacement (daily pill) for the remainder of my life.

My surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, September 3 at Lewisville Medical Center. I have heard the surgery is not that obtrusive and will basically involve a small slit lengthwise along the front of my neck. My doctor and his partner will both be present, so I feel better about two surgeons rather than one. They will remove the thyroid and some tissues that surround it. It is typically a one-night stay at the hospital.

I have another sonogram this coming Monday to explore other areas of my neck to see if the cancer has spread. If it has, the surgery will be a little more complex because it will involve removing more tissue, such as lymph nodes.

Although I am freaked out by the cancer diagnosis, I am very confident that this will soon be behind me. A good way to describe it is that this is the best of the worst. Additionally, I have witnessed Mrs. Bearden’s (April’s mom) brave battle with Peritoneal Mesothelioma Cancer over the past year, and her strength and success is a true inspiration.
Thyroid cancer is fairly uncommon, accounting for only 1.2% of all new cancers in the United States annually. Although thyroid cancer is still a cancer that requires treatment and lifelong monitoring, survival rates are high, with 95% of all thyroid cancer patients achieving what would be considered a cure, or long-term survival without reoccurrence. This website is a good summary of everything my doctor described to me. http://www.wikicancer.org/page/Thyroid%20Cancer?t=anon

I want everyone to know that I am doing fine! I will update everyone before and after the surgery. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers so far!

Kathleen Donahue”

Additionally, her mom, Diane Donahue, is at home after her recent knee replacement surgery and seems to be doing good. Obviously, this is a now a big surprise and a worry so please say a prayer for all of our sick friends including but not limited to:
Kathleen Donahue
Diane Donahue
Larry Williams
Shana Bearden
Larry Dietrick
and all those people who have the grace to live with such problems. Hang in there guys and keep the faith!
Jim