Long Day

Mom went with me to the Cancer Center this morning at 8:30. She got to see my chemo day routine: blood draw from my port, taking my blood samples to the lab, then the waiting. The lab has to do their thing with the blood samples, then they send info up to the pharmacy. The pharmacy puts all the chemo drugs for my treatment into zip loc bags labeled very carefully. My chemo was scheduled for 9:30 but I sat in the chair waiting and waiting. But Mom and I chatted and I introduced her to lots of the nurses. Finally my stuff arrived from the pharmacy at 10:30. I mentioned to the nurse that my oncologist was hoping to add another drug to my chemo this week. She looked in my file and then realized she had to go back to the pharmacy and get that drug. So finally my chemotherapy began at 11:00. Oh...and adding this new drug meant adding 2 more hours to my chemo today! So my usual 2 1/2 hour chemo time became 4 1/2 hours today. Poor Mom. At least she had her diary and a book to read. We got home at about 4:00 this afternoon.

Although it was a little annoying that things took so long today, I am very excited about the new drug. My chemo treatment is geared at killing all the fast growing cells in my body. Because cancer cells grow really fast. But in killing the fast growing cancer cells, they also kill a lot of other cells in my body. That's why my hair fell out. This new drug will attack only my cancer cells and is designed to keep the cells from dividing. I'll tell you more about it when I understand it better myself. Anyway, Praise the Lord for another weapon in fighting this stuff!

Dad and Greg had a fun time buying groceries at Freddies, going to Costco, and test-driving a Prius. All evening tonight Greg was trying to figure out how much the payments would be. I can tell he's tempted...Mom made a delici0us meal tonight! She promised she would send me the recipe ( she made it by memory) so I can make the Thai Chicken Noodle dish she made tonight.

I keep running into people who tell me they are reading this blog and it makes me so happy to know people are interested in what's going on with us. I always love reading your comments. Thank you for remembering me in your prayers. Love, Julie

Friday

I felt great today and I put on my favorite red hat and I went to Fernan to deliver a bowl, a soup pot, and some thank you notes. It was so great to see many of my friends and I got lots of hugs from kids. It was interesting that when kids first saw me, they were kind of shy. I look different to them of course. But when I talked with them I could tell they relaxed and were thinking "It's still the same Mrs. Johnson!"

I'm excited because Mom and Dad are coming tomorrow! Mom promised to bring goodies from the garden. I just love watching Mom in my kitchen. She can open the fridge and make a quick survey of what's there and then make a wonderful meal using whatever she finds. She is truly gifted. And we all get to enjoy her "gift"!

Have a great weekend. Thank you for your prayers! Love, Julie

Back to the Battle!

After the great news on Monday, I started my third cycle of chemo. Now we know that the treatments are working and that sure is encouraging! The day after chemo I usually feel great and have energy. That was yesterday. But the next day I usually feel like a blob and I spend most of the day curled up in my cuddley blanket in my comfy chair. That was today. Greg came home a little early and this evening we played some very intense games of Crazy Eights. (I always let Greg win at least part of the time. He has more fun when he wins.)

I know the Lord is always with me and I pray that He will be able to work in my heart and help me be more like Him through this. I am so thankful for your words of encouragement and your prayers. I feel like a whole army is fighting this battle with me! Love, Julie

Great News!

We got the results from the latest cat scan today and the doctor compared it to the cat scan done at the beginning of the summer. We were able to see on a computer screen how big and creepy the tumor looked in July and now it looks like someone stepped on it. I felt like jumping up and hugging the doctor, but I grabbed Julie instead. Not only that, but the blood clots in the lung are gone and some of the lesions in her liver are gone. This has God's handiwork written all over it!

Julie's half way there and has two more months to go with her treatments. The doctor would like to add one more drug to the chemo mix that is designed to go after the specific type of cancer she has. I would tell you what this all means if I could understand what language her doctor speaks, but basically it is one more powerful weapon in the treatment arsenal. One of the weird side affects of this drug are pimples. I guess if the trade off is pimples or tumors, we'll find some clearasil.

The prayers of so many have done so much. We not only have seen God move His hand in Julie's healing process, but He has also opened up some wonderful opportunities to share heart to heart conversations with family and friends. Some of those chats have become eternally significant because we have had a chance to share about the love of Jesus. We know there is no way to Christian maturity except through pain (which is a drag), but it has increased our dependency on the Lord. Julie says she would like to have some control over something in her life, but she knows God wants to prove to her that He's got her best interest in mind.

Julie's last cold turned into phenomena (but she's okay now). So, we'll have to be careful to stay away from snotty little kids. Please pray that the Lord will continue to use the doctors & treatments to push this cancer into remission and keep it there.

Thank you for care, concern & prayers!
Greg

Peace of mind

I appreciate your prayers today. For some reason I was a little nervous about the cat scan. It's not that it was a test I was supposed to study for or anything...I'm just anxious to know whether the chemo has been working. Greg spent the whole day with me and he was so supportive. We will find out the results on Monday. And we are amazingly calm and at peace. Thank you for your prayers!

I am losing my eyebrows and eyelashes. That's not cool. But I went to my favorite Merle Norman lady and she taught me how to draw eyebrows and they actually look pretty good! I just need to practice so they won't look too fakey.

Hope you all have a great weekend. Love, Julie

Sunny Thursday!

It's been a great day! So warm and sunny outside! I had a full social schedule today...went out to lunch with my friend and neighbor, Sue. We had a nice chat and we both liked the chance to eat at Chili's, a place neither of our husbands enjoy.

I got to experience the joy of unplugging a plugged up toilet with a plunger this morning. It was the first time in my life I'd done that. Aren't you glad I shared that information?

This afternoon my friend, Sherma, who teaches first grade at Fernan, brought a wonderful dinner prepared by some people I worked with at Fernan. Thank you so much Tina, Teri, and Sherma. Greg and I are so grateful and humbled by everyone's kindness and generosity. Our expanding waist-lines are proof of everyone's kindness and generosity.

Thank you for your prayers. Love, Julie

One more thing!

Visiting family in Oregon was great medicine, especially for Julie. We ate fresh meals from the garden, drank homemade grape juice, indulged in desserts and gained 10 pounds in three days. I think Gloria gets her feelings hurt if you're able to button up your pants when you leave.

We also had a chance to join my friend and colleague, Bill Putman from our church, to come along side the people in leadership at Julie's parents church. They individually and collectively went through an assessment to see how far God has brought them, find out where they stand at this point, and will begin to make a plan of where they want to go next together. I am both humbled and tickled to be part of their process. So, I'll try hard not to screw it up.

LJ, the best assistant in the world, and her husband, Charlie, came over tonight to teach me how to prepare "Spoonburgers" (sort of a sloppy Joe's type meal). If you are ever in a situation where someone says to you "if there's anything we can do to help," ask them to show you how to cook a meal, then stick around to feast and have fellowship. That is the best kind of favor you can do for someone. I just love those guys and the experience we shared. And LJ got me a man apron to boot. How cool is that?

Thanks for praying & caring! Greg

Hello Everyone!

Greg and I had a wonderful but very quick weekend in Oregon. We had a great time staying at Mom and Dad's and enjoyed delicious veggies from their garden. We also had a chance to visit with Tim and Mika and Elijah, Robert, Darrel and Kathy and Rachel, and my cousin Lauri and her family. It was so nice of them to come to see us. We also had the chance to see lots of old friends from Calvary Mennonite Church.

This past week has been harder for me. I'm trying not to worry about the cat scan this Friday which will show us whether the tumors are responding to chemotherapy. I know I am not to worry about anything but to pray about everything and God will give me His peace. Thank you for your prayers. Love, Julie

Coughy Wheezy Day

I've been getting so used to enjoying cough-free days with no wheezing. But today I've been coughing and wheezing. Bummer.

Debbie King brought over a wonderful salmon dinner tonight! Thank you, Debbie! We loved your new recipe!

We are looking forward to a very quick trip to Oregon this weekend. Boris is looking forward to playing with Buddy and Lucy while we are away. (Buddy and Lucy will probably be glad when we take our frisky puppy home!) Thanks for taking care of him, Emily.

Thank you for your prayers. Love, Julie

finished with second cycle of chemo

This morning I had my last chemo treatment in cycle #2! It went smoothly and I got to sit in a chair that was right by the window and I really enjoyed the warmth of the sun shining in! Greg brought me home and I slept for three hours and I'm still very droopy feeling. Not sick! Just droopy. I get to enjoy time off from chemo till Sept. 22! That's when cycle #3 begins. I will have a cat scan next Friday afternoon and the doctor will be able to tell me the results of that when I see him Sept. 22. I'm expecting that the tumors are shrinking because my breathing is so much improved. But I still feel a little anxious about it. My treatment will either continue with chemo once a week, or he'll have a different plan of attack. I just have to wait and see.

Georgette works in the preschool with Emily at Fernan and she brought a wonderful Italian dinner for tonight! We felt so spoiled! It was delicious!

I read the coolest verse this morning, Zephaniah 3:17:

"The Lord your God is with you; the mighty one will save you. He will rejoice over you. You will rest in his love; he will sing and be joyful about you."

It's so amazing to think about how much God loves us. Thank you for your love and prayers.
Love, Julie

A Great Saturday

It was so great to get back into our Friday night routine of having Hannah and Adam sleep over at our house and then going to breakfast at McDonald's Saturday morning! I really appreciate being able to do those little things again. Grandchildren are wonderful and I love reading to them and having them spend time at our house. It won't be long till Matthew can stay too. He's still just a little too high maintenance. I sure wish Sebastian and Julian lived closer.

Greg was a very good Grandpa today. He walked with the kids on the boardwalk and Tubbs Hill. Then he took them to a 3-D movie, "Journey to the Center of the Earth". They really liked it.

I enjoyed a very short visit at Fernan Friday afternoon. I had a couple of things to deliver and I loved seeing some special friends. But it was a little sad to be there and not be teaching.

Greg learned another recipe and is anxious to try it. I like this new enthusiasm he has for learning to cook! Hope you're having a good weekend. Love, Julie

It's a good week!

We had a good time with Liz and the kids. Liz and I even managed to get a little shopping in. Janice and her friend, Connie, came last night and left this morning heading for Billings. They had taken Mary to George Fox. We had a nice visit. Sisters are the best kind of medicine. Brothers too...hint hint...

It was strange to see school buses yesterday and to realize it was the first day of school and I was on my way to chemo at the Cancer Center instead of getting ready to teach my first class. I was so wiped out after chemo that I came home and slept for two hours. But I feel great today and I've had plenty of energy and my breathing is easy!

Drum roll please! Greg Johnson cooked dinner tonight! Actually he was coached by our friend, Lou Quiring. Lou and Carol came over and Lou taught Greg how to make a Quiring family favorite dish called Idaho Buffet. Or something like that. It was delicious! Be sure to ask Greg for the recipe.

We appreciate all your support and prayers. God continues to bless us daily. Love, Julie

This is my story

This is My Story

I was born in Kellogg, Idaho, which makes me of the leaded persuasion. I spent my elementary years in St. Maries, where, in at least my family, beer was considered a food group. I learned my anger management skills from loggers, mill workers and minors, where mediation took place in the bars. We moved to Dallas, Oregon where I spent my junior and senior high years. The combination of being under the influence of lead and a chosen lifestyle of partying, didn’t exactly translate in to academic prowess. However, I did channel my aggressive energies to sports where I could get away with being mean.

While drinking made me stupid, the introduction of drugs made me crazy. I got to the place where I couldn’t even stand being around myself. I’d become a creep in deep need of a new life. When I’d finally hit rock bottom, I ran into a Christian. This girl was one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met, who cared sincerely for others. For some reason she let me hang out with her. We dated for a couple of years, and at a weak moment, she said ‘yes’ when I proposed. One friend said that the reason my life began to come together was because I met a good woman. I agreed, but I told him that I wanted to find out what made her a good person and I wanted a piece of that action. For her it wasn’t about having a religion about God, it was about having a relationship with God that taught her how to love even a goofball like me.

So, I checked Julie out, we dated, went steady, got engaged, then were married. During the courtship, I met her family; we called one another regularly & wrote love letters to each other. My relationship with God followed a similar path. I checked out the overwhelming evidence that supported the existence of Jesus. I met God’s loving extended family – the church – and started hanging out with them. I began to read His love letters – the Bible – and I began to understand the realities of God’s truth that began to transform the way I thought and acted. Then just like how I exchanged a vow with Julie at our wedding, God wanted me to say “I do” to having a relationship with Him for this life and the life beyond. So, I said “yes” and invited Jesus into my life and He’s been helping me to learn how to love Him and others ever since.

After graduating from college, I began a career being a friend to kids, parents & families in a variety of ways – as a social worker, youth pastor, school counselor and now as a family pastor at our church. Julie and I celebrated our 33^rd anniversary (I don’t know how she did it), we’ve raised 3 pretty neat kids (who like us better now that they’re adults) and now we’re messing with our 5 grand kid’s lives.

I am living proof that God can love an unlovable guy, change his heart, use his limited abilities to find other knuckle-heads (just like me), love on them and introduce them to Jesus so they can get loved on by Him too. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, now I’d sure like to hear your story.

Greg Johnson