Laura's Adventures

 With occasional vistas and views... Laura's journey this week was different, new, educational, and of course grueling. With Susie being the liaison, I will be able to find out more details. For instance she told me the name of the infusion: Opdivo and Yeroy. Looking on the cancer.org site, it means that she is PD-1 inhibitors and CTLA-r inhibitors. All of which are given in a port and make her feel terrible. Miracle or Scenic View this week.... Despite the week of feeling nauseous and ill, on Sunday Laura was able to go to church where she went to church and "felt the spirit and love from ward members," and was able to have a full meal. She was especially grateful that Noah and Daniel were able to come and be with them. Coming up this week will be more challenges and hikes up this treatment path. Starting with radiation on Wednesday - not for the faint of heart. Laura told Susie that many people were helping her and she is very grateful for them. She does feel a little o

 Last week when I called Laura to ask what she wanted me to especially pray for, she replied that her immunotherapy would work as it is suppose to. Evidently it can be really good or it can be bad. In the fast we had as a family on Sunday, we specifically asked the Lord for His aid in that regard. Today she called to give me an update and I found later in the call she had been throwing up and had a rough night. She reported that yesterday started early as she needed a MRI for brain information. When her husband Jeff came in to be with her, the scan went well. But the results showed four spots, 2 large, 2 small. She said the large ones will have radiation treatment . The smaller ones are not treatable. Next on this epic day, Laura had a port put in.  Which enabled her to have her first infusion. There were way too many articles on infusion for melanoma to just add a link - you can look at these if you want:  https://www.cancer.gov/search/results?swKeyword=Immunotherapy+for+melanoma I

 My little sister Laura has had adventures of one kind or another all her life. Some have been exciting in the water, on mountains, and visiting different countries, but some have been extraordinarily difficult - like her newest adventure. It threatened in January when she got news from the doctor that she needed to come back for tests when she visited to figure out why she had so much pain from an injury in December. But the hammer fell on February 15 at 5:15 pm Pacific Time, Susan posted on the Family messages: "Dear Family, Laura got the news back today from her doctor. She has stage 4 melanoma. It appears to have spread through her lymph system - now appearing in her lungs and 9 tumors throughout her body.  she is going in for a MRI to scan her brain. The doctor says she has about 6 1/2 years with treatment. We are going to have a family fast on Sunday for Laura and her family. Please join us if you can." After an immediate outpouring of love on texts, eight siblings met