Celebrating 1.5 years & Orange and Black Give Back!

Hey, friends and family near and far!

Today is a really special day at Anderson University, and it’s also a special time in my cancer journey.

As far as we know, there has been no cancer in my body since September 2015 when I had surgery to remove the known tumors (one in my arm, one in a lymph node). A few weeks ago, I had one of my quarterly CT scans, and it came back totally clear. That means 1 1/2 years have gone by with no known cancer. My doctor said I can really start to “breathe easy” at two years, which will be this coming September. But for now, I am celebrating a year and a half!

For all of you who have been along for the ride, thank you SO much for your prayers and encouragement. Treatment was ROUGH. And now looking back on it, with several healthy months between the treatments and me, it was really so much worse than I even let myself think about. The injections were terrible, and living with flu-like symptoms for 11 straight months was torture. I don’t know how you guys put up with me through all of that!

Anderson University has been a constant supportive community for me. On the business end, they were flexible with my hours and responsibilities, and I made it through the year without having to take any unpaid time off (seriously… that is incredible. What an amazing work place!)

But way more importantly, I was surrounded by people who cared for me spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Coworkers brought me meals. Nursing students came to my rescue and administered my injections for me. Professors like Dr. Strege, Dr. Lyle, and SO many more stopped me in the Valley to ask how I was doing and to pray for me. HL Baker’s notes were a constant in campus mail. Dr. Lewis sent the most beautiful flowers. Athletic teams, social clubs, and the women of Martin Hall surprised me with so much love and support. There were countless other moments — too many to write about here!

I know I could have done it without AU, because Jesus is really all I need. BUT, my journey would have looked very, very different without AU, our students, and the faculty & staff.

So, I am putting out a shameless plug. Will you consider celebrating 1.5 years with me?? You can do so by supporting AU during today’s Orange & Black Give Back. Go here to check it out: anderson.edu/give-back

Any gift, big or small, will support this amazing place and the students that I love so much.

I’ll post again this summer after my next round of scans. Until then, I love you all so much! Thank you for considering a gift to Anderson University!