Hello all my dear friends! 

God bless you!  May you have a joyous Easter!  He is risen indeed! 

I am sorry it has been awhile since I sent you an update.  I've been observing and trying to learn how this is going to work! 

I have made it through my first chemo.  Parts of it were extremely difficult.  Believe it or not, the physical symptoms were not what was unbearable.  Sure, I felt nauseous and lost my appetite a few days, but there were pills to help with that.  The second day after chemo I suffered a severe sense of depression and despair, and it took a few days to lift out.  When I think about what God is teaching me, that was a biggie.  I have always known family and friends that have suffered from depression, but I have never felt the despair of true depression until now.  Now mine was chemically induced, from the chemo and the steroids that are necessary for chemo,  but I feel I do have an understanding now.  Mine also faded after a couple of days, unlike true depression, but again, my eyes have been opened.  The doctor has given me something to help me through this part of the cycle for the next chemo session (March 31st is when it will take place!)

 

My first white blood cell count came back after 1 week and it was excellent.   I am going in for my second one tomorrow (Monday) and I will see.  They said that the white blood cell count will dip to its lowest from day 7 to day 14, which is right about now, so I am praying for a continued strong immunity count because I don't want to get sick, because that would delay the chemo!

 

My appetite came back around day 5 or 6, and I am able to eat regular meals now.  I have to say, though, that I am finding unhealthy food unappealing.  One good result of the illness, I guess!  My body is craving good stuff instead of junk!

 

I am having some mild muscular pain in my back.  It could be a chemo side effect, or it could be that my body is used to exercise and I haven't been exercising enough with the chemo and the prior stinker 6 week cold that wiped me out.  I am walking a bit around the block each day, though!

 

I am going in for herceptin each week, which will fight the genetic positive protein part of this cancer.   

I am going in for Zomeda once a month, which will strengthen my bones and help repair any damage the cancer has done to them.

 

Please continue to pray for healing for me, for continued protection for my organs, for protection for my healthy cells and protection from further damage from the cancer.  Please pray for the growth of healthy non-cancerous cells to replace the dying cancerous cells.  Please pray for protection for my body's systems that are struggling to work as my body is fighting the cancer.  Please pray that there is a complete response of the cancer cells to the chemo, and that the cancer is totallly wiped out.  Please pray for my son and my husband, who struggle daily with me.  Also for any other cancer fighters/survivors that you may know, for health, strength, and courage, as well as comfort in their trials. 

 

Thank you for your continued prayers!  Love, Amy
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Sent March 30, just before my second session of chemo

Amy Schultz wrote:

Hello my dear friends!

 

I am preparing for my second chemo tomorrow.  I am thankful that it is tomorrow instead of Wednesday.  My doctor changed the day for me because Willy is testing for his black belt in tae kwon do on Friday night, and I didn't want that to be my third day!  This way I'll be over the worst and will be able to be there for him!

 

Good news from the doctor last week.  Of course, I didn't think of it as good at first, but when I looked at the whole picture I was very happy.  I went in on Wednesday, and he sat down and told me that I would have another series of tests after a couple more chemo sessions.  He said that with the seriousness/aggressiveness of this cancer that he was not thinking about having it recede, he just wanted to stop it from spreading more.  When I told him that the redness had decreased significantly he was delighted, he said that was great news.  At first all I heard was that it was so serious they weren't trying to stop it.  When I went home and thought about it, trying to make sense of what he had been saying, I thought about specific prayers that my wonderful husband and so many of my friends and family have been praying, that the chemo would not only work, but work even better than expected.  Thank you God!  Yet another prayer answered with a YES!

 

So I am going in tomorrow, excited about more better than expected response to the chemo, yet not looking forward to the yucks and the nausea and the depression.  I think it will be much better this time, the fear is not nearly as strong, because it is not unknown any longer. 

 

I thank you for your continued prayers and support.  Please pray for a complete cancer response to the chemo (so it will be wiped out!) and for protection for my healthy cells, organs and bones and skin.  Please pray for minimal to no side effects.  Please pray that my weight loss be at a healthy rate.  (I've lost about 20 pounds over the last six weeks.  It is slowing down now.  Can you believe it?  for the first time in my life the doctor was happy that I put on a pound!  Never thought that day would ever come!  Talk about finding a bright side......)  Please pray for my son and my husband, who are so strong and wonderful!  Please pray also that we all continue to find joy in the sorrow and the trial.  Laughter is such a healer of the spirit!  Willy and I chuckle over the thought of me walking down the street as a skinny, bald, one breasted woman!  Willy says if anyone says anything he'll just say, "At least she's alive!"  I think that is the right attitude! 

 

Please also pray for the other patients that will be receiving their chemo tomorrow and this week.  Please pray for God's presence in their time of trial, and that they know that He is with them! 

 

May God bless and protect you all!  Love, Amy

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This was sent Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Here is a praise update from Amy Schultz:

 

"Dear friends and family,
"Hooray!  Good news today.  The doctor checked me out, and told me that the chemo was working well, in his words, "this is good news!"  The redness and swelling have decreased significantly. 
"The MRI results are back, and the left breast has a tumor about 3cm. x 5cm., and the right breast is free of cancer.  Also hooray!
"We will continue on with this chemo for a few more sessions, then this summer we will do the scans and the MUGA test again, and will probably do the mastectomy sometime this summer as well.  After that Dr. B. thinks we will do one more round of chemo.  He doesn't think radiation is likely.
"Great news!  I am so happy and relieved to hear another "yes" answer to prayer!  Please continue praying for a complete healing, for complete freedom from cancer, that it go away and never return!  Also for protection for my heart and organs, for protection for my bones and restrengthening of my bones. 
"P.S.  Thanks so much to Karen, the Cavanders, and Lise and Lori and Carmen for their visits and gifts and food!  Thanks so much to everyone for the prayers.  Know that each one of you is precious to me, and that each one of you is taking part in my  healing through the prayers that you are offering! 

"Thank you!  God bless you all!  :0) Love,  Amy"

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Amy update Sent 5-2-08

This one includes the incredible witness and ministry in Hollywood!
Saturday, May 3, 2008 9:25 PM

Hello my dear friends! 
I wanted to give you all an update, and thank you all again for your prayers.  God is good, and I see him often in the faces of my friends and brothers and sisters!

I have come halfway through my chemo now.  I have completed three sessions, three more to go for this round, then my surgery.  Dr. B, my oncologist, says we will be doing the scans again in the next month to see what is going on with the actual cancer.  He says that the fact that it appears to have gotten smaller is good news indeed!  I am going in weekly for my infusions of herceptin, which is used to prevent the cancer from spreading, and is the treatment of choice for her 2 neu positive cancers (I may not have spelled that right, it is the funky protein that makes cancer spread more quickly).  I need to "drug" myself up for that one by taking 2 tylenol and 2 benadryl the night before and the morning of treatment.  That is not so bad, I just get sleepy!  It's a lot more work to prepare for the chemo.  I have to take the steroids the night before and the morning of as well as the tylenol and the benadryl. 

The chemo itself is not as bad as it was, but I must admit to feeling more tired this round.  A good friend of mine suggested that this will probably be the norm, and I should just allow myself to rest a bit more when I need to, because I have been using up my energy reserves.  Gee, I feel kinda like I'm being poisoned....(as I laugh ironically, Thank God for the poison that kills the poison!)  I am still feeling pretty good most of the time. I get achey in my bones and muscles.  The doctor says that is from the neupogen (injections I take 6 or 7 days to keep my immunity up) and from the Zomeda (the bone strengthener), but it is nothing I can't handle.  For Pete's sake, I have taken tae kwon do for years, I am used to aches and pains!  I have to admit, though, that I am at the point where I am feeling a bit gripey.  I am so grateful that I am getting through this and that it is working successfully on the cancer, I am just feeling a bit tired of feeling yucky.  Again, it is not serious yuck, aches and occasional nausea, I just miss feeling like my old self.  It's funny, but if you've known me a long time, you know that I have always fought against being a "sick" person, in spite of my diabetes, etc.  Now I am actually having to listen to my body, and rest, and act like a sick person sometimes!  But this is not who I will remain....I am using this time to rebuild and let God work in my body for healing.

I have received so much support.  I have all the cards and notes that I've been sent right by my desk where I can continue to smile over them.  Thanks so much to Karen, Kim and Genie for the wonderful dinners.  Thanks to Carmen for pulling me out for fun lunch dates and ice cream!  I am receiving support and prayers all around.  It's interesting.  I have been remembering a sermon Doug (our pastor at St. Luke's for those of you who worship in a different place than I do!) hosted about God in Hollywood.  He was saying that so many people are not aware of Christian's in Hollywood, and they are there, and that more Christians need to be encouraged to go into show business, etc.  I have been seeing God and Christian love all over Hollywood lately!  Many of you know that Harry has started driving for  the movies.  He drives trucks, vans, delivers stuff, and hangs out on the movie sites, ready to do whatever needs to be done.  He and my cousin Al, who is one of his bosses on site, decided to shave their heads so that I wouldn't be the only bald one at family events...(I love them dearly anyways, but that takes it over the top!)  Al, my cousin, has been telling people that ask why he shaved his head all about me, and asking them to pray (yes, that's right, requesting prayer for me on Hollywood movie sets!)  Harry's other boss has been praying for me daily.  That is very sweet, but even more special when you understand that he had not prayed since his father had passed away.  Harry and Al talked to some of the other transportation guys, they shaved their heads in support of me.  Then the movie director of the movie they are working on saw, asked, and shaved his head!  I see God every day, but especially in the faces of these bald men, many of whom do not know me, but have reached out in love and support of me anyways.  God is indeed present in Hollywood! 

I go in Monday for herceptin and Zomeda, my next chemo will be the day after Mother's day.  Please continue to keep me in your prayers.  Please ask God to continue to heal me, to protect my organs from the cancer, to rebuild my bones, to stop the cancer and to erase it from my body.  Please pray for protection for my organs and for my body from damage from the chemo.  Please pray for God's continued presence and His hands upon me and upon anyone else you know with this stinker of a disease.  Thank you thank you thank you!  May God bless and protect you all!

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