10-16-08– Shana had a few bad days early this week but she is up and running again. She borrowed my car today and has been out shopping while the house is being slowly but surely finished. She got her hair colored so she feels better about herself and she is finally able to move about without too much pain. Each time she takes the chemo, it seems to have a more adverse effect. Last time she went in, she received 10 bags of chemo drugs. Her doctor says that amount should be enough to stun a horse but Shana just gets knocked down for a day or two and then she is back up and going.
We got some more good news. Linda Wright’s sister was diagnosed early this year with breast cancer of a rare and aggressive type and she began chemo with an aggressive form of treatment. I just heard From Linda that her sister has now been found to be cancer free for now and that is an amazing turnaround. Please keep praying for Bee Rippy, Linda Wright’s sister and Beverly Edmondson all of whom are now on track for recovery and victory in the war against cancer.
We also got some very bad news. We christened Isabella Lesa Bearden on Saturday and we heard the next day that Marie Campisi, the mother of Antoinette Bearden’s brother’s wife, Sissy (Campisi)Rizzuto, passed away on Sunday. She is one of the owners of the Campisi’s Egyption Restaurant Chain in the Dallas area. She had had surgery the day before and died at her sister’s house of complications from the minor surgery. She was in her 50’s and this came as a real shock to everyone in Antoinette’s family. The Rizzuto family grew up with the Campisi family and have been lifelong friends. Of course everyone was thrilled when Antoinettes Older brother, Jack, married Sissy, Marie Campisi’s daughter. The funeral is in Dallas on Friday. Please say a prayer for her as well.
Last Saturday we had a nice party at our house for family after Isabella’s christening. Good food and good visits. All of the Louisiana crew was in town and most of our family was able to come into town. Shana was not feeling too swell but she was able to stay and visit for most of the time during the party.
We have almost finished the kitchen. It looks awfully good. I actually like it (which I had sworn not to admit) and we have returned somewhat to a normal existence. At the same time we are working on our main house, I have been out working at the river house getting a couple of walls replaced and we are getting new flooring and paint out there as well. That has been physically tough because we really don’t have all of the tools needed to do the work we undertook but we are almost there now.
Keep praying please… I want to be able to report that Shana is cancer free before too long. That is now my goal and I won’t rest until we get there.
Jim