Saturday, March 22, 2008

The Story Unfolds

From: Kim Sjerven [mailto:sjerven@swbell.net]
Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2008 3:32 PM
Subject: Health Update

All,

First of all, I want to thank all of you who have been praying for me. I continue to experience only joy and God’s peace as a continue on this journey. This will be a quick update and then you will hopefully not hear much from me on this front. I have “finalized” my surgery date for 6-12. For those of you who are wondering why so far away, prostate cancer is one of the slowest growing cancers. I checked with my doctor and he says this should not be a problem. The earliest I could have had surgery was May 1st . You have to wait 8 weeks after the biopsy.

I decided to postpone my surgery since Jodi was supposed to spend most of the month of May in Columbia and is planning on attending her ex-roommate’s wedding the end of May and then a Pioneer’s session in Orlando the first week of June. Also, we will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary on May 27th, my 29th service anniversary at work on the 29th, and Linda’s x1st birthday on June. 

My prayer is that God will help me use this experience to draw myself and especially others closer to Him. Very few people at work know about this yet. I had an interesting conversation with Walter, the guy in a cubby next to me. I had not told him anything but I guess he cannot help but hear all my phone conversations. He stopped by to tell me that he, his family, and his church had been praying for me. He said their church had experienced some miraculous healings. I mentioned this to my boss and a few other coworkers who know what is going on. I told them I was up for a miraculous healing but just in case I had a doctor with a BIG knife standing by!! J

One final note – I have a colonoscopy scheduled for Friday, April 9th. I may check back with my Urologist to see if this is really necessary since I just had a CT scan. If it does work out, I am thinking about arranging for a bus trip for any of those who might be interested in making a day trip out of this. J My appointment is at 10 a.m., they expect that they will probably not start the procedure until 10:30 a.m. and it is supposed to take about 2 hours. So, if you plan on making the bus trip, we would need to do a late lunch. J I just need to warn you that Linda will be driving.
I know God is in control and I have really been enjoying life. Over the last week or so, I have had the chance to reconnect with some folks I have not seen in awhile and that has been a blessing indeed. And, as my brother would say, LIFE IS GOOD (while I would add because GOD IS GOOD)!!!
Again, thanks, for your prayers.
God Bless!
Kim

Here is a quick link to review on complications from prostate removal - http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/prostateremoval/PR_complications.html
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Friday, March 14, 2008

The Story Unfolds

From: Kim Sjerven [mailto:sjerven@swbell.net]
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2008 6:53 PM
Subject: Prostate Cancer Update

All,

I had my follow-up doctor’s appointment around 3 p.m. today. The doctor had good news in that he reported that my Bone and CT scans came back 100% normal. (I had some serious doubts about that as I have been anything but normal in my whole life. ) But anyway, I took that to mean there was no cancer outside of my prostate. The less-than-exciting news is that his treatment approach is a radical prostatectomy. That was not my first choice initially but after getting his input and doing some more checking online that seems to be what my doctor calls the “Gold Standard”. So, that is the path forward that I am planning on pursuing. Currently, I have a tentative surgery date scheduled for May 8th but this may end up being delayed 3-5 weeks depending on some possible scheduling conflicts.

Dr. Hawatmeh likes this approach because once the prostate is removed, you can no longer get prostate cancer again. Well, I guess that is one less organ to worry about.

The down side to this is that I would miss six weeks of work. There are other issues which I will not go into since I am trying to keep this a family friendly email. 

So, that is the deal. I want to thank all of you for your concern and prayers.

God Bless!

Kim
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Monday, March 10, 2008

The Story Unfolds

From: Kim Sjerven [mailto:sjerven@swbell.net]
Sent: Monday, March 03, 2008 7:40 PM
Subject: RE: Prayer Request

All,

My biopsy today went pretty well. The doctor took 14 – 15 little snips of my prostrate. A little pain, a little discomfort, and a little positioning when I sit down but overall not to bad. In a day or so, I should be as good as old. The doctor said my prostate was twice the normal size (he did a scan of it before the biopsy). He did not seem to be concerned about that. Hum? Anyway, he said I should have the results in five workdays.

I appreciate all the prayers. Thanks again!

God Bless!

Kim
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Friday, March 7, 2008

The Story Unfolds

Sent: Friday, March 07, 2008 5:10 PM
Subject: Yipes! It Looks Like I Failed Another Test!!! - :-(

All,

I am sending out this email to a select few hundred of my closest friends and relatives.  Some of you already know I had a prostate biopsy on Monday. The doctor just called and gave me the results about 2 p.m. today. He said they did find some cancer cells but not to worry.  I guess I am one of the “lucky” 12% (the doctor mentioned that 88% of the time, the results come back negative). I have a CAT and Bone scan scheduled for this next Wednesday starting at 10:15 a.m. Then I have an appointment with the doctor on Friday, March 14th at 4 p.m. to get the test results and a treatment plan. I just wanted to let you know since I had asked some of you to be praying for me.

ONE REQUEST: At this time, I am NOT letting Jodi or Joel know. Jodi is in Jerusalem and Joel is in Monterrey, Mexico. So, if per chance, you should talk to or email them, don’t mention this. Thanks!

For those of you interested in the gory details, here is what I know right now. The rest of you can stop reading here.

My Gleason score is 6 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleason_score for details). My doctor said I had cancer cells in 5 of my 16 biopsy specimens. The bone test this next week will tell if the cancer has spread into my bones. The CAT scan will tell whether or not the cancer has spread to my other organs. My doctor said he thought I was at stage T2 when I asked him about that relative to the Gleason scale. He said he would know better after seeing all the test results and we could discuss this on Friday. I guess that is about it.

Thanks for all your prayers. We all know that each of our lives are in God’s capable hands. My prayer request has been and continues to be that God would use me as a passionate witness for those people who He brings into my path during this exciting life adventure.

God Bless You All!

Kim
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Saturday, March 1, 2008

The Story Unfolds

From: Kim Sjerven [mailto:sjerven@swbell.net]
Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2008 1:15 PM
Subject: RE: Prayer Request

All,

I have my prostrate biopsy scheduled for this Monday (March 3rd ) at 12:30 p.m. A very dear brother-in-the-Lord (who I love and appreciate greatly but will remain nameless) has indicated that this procedure MAY not be entirely pain free! . Anyway, I wanted to give you all something specific to pray about. My prayer is not for health, freedom from pain, or a good report from the doctor BUT that God would give me the boldness to be a passionate witness for Him in and through these circumstances. Your prayers are greatly appreciated! May God Bless!

Love,

Kim
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Colonoscopy - Written by Dave Barry

So here's the story.

I called my friend Andy Sable, a gastroenterologist, to make an appointment for a colonoscopy. A few days later, in his office, Andy showed me a color diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all over the place, at one point passing briefly through Minneapolis.

Then Andy explained the colonoscopy procedure to me in a thorough, reassuring and patient manner. I nodded thoughtfully, but I didn't really hear anything he said, because my brain was shrieking, quote, 'HE'S GOING TO STICK A TUBE 17,000 FEET UP YOUR BEHIND!'

I left Andy's office with some written instructions, and a prescription for a product called 'MoviPrep,' which comes in a box large enough to hold a microwave oven. I will discuss MoviPrep in detail later; for now suffice it to say that we must never allow it to fall into the hands of America's enemies.
I spent the next several days productively sitting around being nervous. Then, on the day before my colonoscopy, I began my preparation. In accordance with my instructions, I didn't eat any solid food that day; all I had was chicken broth, which is basically water, only with less flavor. Then, in the evening, I took the MoviPrep.

You mix two packets of powder together in a one-liter plastic jug, then you fill it with lukewarm water. (For those unfamiliar with the metric system, a liter is about 32 gallons.) Then you have to drink the whole jug. This takes about an hour, because MoviPrep tastes - and here I am being kind - like a mixture of goat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon.

The instructions for MoviPrep, clearly written by somebody with a great sense of humor, state that after you drink it, 'a loose, watery bowel movement may result.' This is kind of like saying that after you jump off your roof, you may experience contact with the ground.

MoviPrep is a nuclear laxative. I don't want to be too graphic, here, but: Have you ever seen a space-shuttle launch? This is pretty much the MoviPrep experience, with you as the shuttle. There are times when you wish the commode had a seat belt. You spend several hours pretty much confined to the bathroom, spurting violently. You eliminate everything. And then, when you figure you must be totally empty, you have to drink another liter of MoviPrep, at which point, as far as I can tell, your bowels travel into the future and start eliminating food that you have not even eaten yet.

After an action-packed evening, I finally got to sleep. The next morning my wife drove me to the clinic.. I was very nervous. Not only was I worried about the procedure, but I had been experiencing occasional return bouts of MoviPrep spurtage. I was thinking, 'What if I spurt on Andy?' How do you apologize to a friend for something like that? Flowers would not be enough.

At the clinic I had to sign many forms acknowledging that I understood and totally agreed with whatever the heck the forms said. Then they led me to a room full of other colonoscopy people, where I went inside a little curtained space and took off my clothe s and put on one of those hospital garments designed by sadist perverts, the kind that, when you put it on, makes you feel even more naked than when you are actually naked.

Then a nurse named Eddie put a little needle in a vein in my left hand. Ordinarily I would have fainted, but Eddie was very good, and I was already lying down. Eddie also told me that some people put vodka in their MoviPrep.. At first I was ticked off that I hadn't thought of this is, but then I pondered what would happen if you got yourself too tipsy to make it to the bathroom, so you were staggering around in full Fire Hose Mode. You would have no choice but to burn your house.
When everything was ready, Eddie wheeled me into the procedure room, where Andy was waiting with a nurse and an anesthesiologist. I did not see the 17,000-foot tube, but I knew Andy had it hidden around there somewhere. I was seriously nervous at this point. Andy had me roll over on my left side, and the anesthesiologist began hooking something up to the needle in my hand.. There was music playing in the room, and I realized that the song was 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA. I remarked to Andy that, of all the songs that could be playing during this particular procedure, 'Dancing Queen' had to be the least appropriate.

'You want me to turn it up?' said Andy, from somewhere behind me. 'Ha ha,' I said. And then it was time, the moment I had been dreading for more than a decade. If you are squeamish, prepare yourself, because I am going to tell you, in explicit detail, exactly what it was like.

I have no idea. Really. I slept through it. One moment, ABBA was yelling 'Dancing Queen, feel the beat of the tambourine,' and the next moment, I was back in the other room, waking up in a very mellow mood. Andy was looking down at me and asking me how I felt. I felt excellent. I felt even more excellent when Andy told me that it was all over, and that my colon had passed with flying colors. I have never been prouder of an internal organ.

ABOUT THE WRITER: Dave Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist for the Miami Herald. On the subject of Colonoscopies... Colonoscopies are no joke, but these comments during the exam were quite humorous..... A physician claimed that the following are actual comments made by his patients (predominately male) while he was performing their colonoscopies:

1. 'Take it easy, Doc. You're boldly going where no man has gone before!

2. 'Find Amelia Earhart yet?'

3. 'Can you hear me NOW?'

4. 'Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?'

5. 'You know, in Arkansas, we're now legally married.'

6. 'Any sign of the trapped miners, Chief?'

7. 'You put your left hand in; you take your left hand out...'

8. 'Hey! Now I know how a Muppet feels!'

9. 'If your hand doesn't fit, you must quit!

10. 'Hey Doc, let me know if you find my dignity.'

11. 'You used to be an executive at Enron, didn't you?'

12. Now I know why I am not gay.'

And the best one of all.

13. 'Could you write a note for my wife saying that my head is not up there?'



Inspirational Stories

She jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room She said: 'How is my little boy? Is he going to be all right? When can I see him?' The surgeon said, 'I'm sorry. We did all we could, but your boy didn't make it.'

Sally said, 'Why do little children get cancer? Doesn't God care any more? Where were you, God, when my son needed you?'

The surgeon asked, 'Would you like some time alone with your son? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before he's transported to the university.'

Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said good bye to son She ran her fingers lovingly through his thick red curly hair. 'Would you like a lock of his hair?' the nurse asked. Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the boy's hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.

The mother said, 'It was Jimmy's idea to donate his body to the University for Study. He said it might help somebody else. 'I said no at first, but Jimmy said, 'Mom, I won't be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some other little boy spend one more day with his Mom.' She went on, 'My Jimmy had a heart of gold.. Always thinking of someone else. Always wanting to help others if he could.'

Sally walked out of Children's Mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending most of the last six months there. She put the bag with Jimmy's belongings on the seat beside her in the car.

The drive home was difficult. It was even harder to enter the empty house. She carried Jimmy's belongings, and the plastic bag with the lock of his hair to her son's room.

She started placing the model cars and other personal things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them. She lay down across his bed and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep.

It was around midnight when Sally awoke. Lying beside her on the bed was a folded letter. The letter said :

'Dear Mom,

I know you're going to miss me; but don't think that I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just 'cause I'm not around to say 'I Love You' . I will always love you, Mom, even more with each day. Someday we will see each other again. Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won't be so lonely, that's okay with me. He can have my room and old stuff to play with. But, if you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn't like the same things us boys do. You'll have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you know. Don't be sad thinking about me. This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything. The angels are so cool I love to watch them fly. And, you know what? Jesus doesn't look like any of His pictures. Yet, when I saw Him, I knew it was Him. Jesus, Himself, took me to see GOD! And guess what, Mom? I got to sit on God's knee and talk to Him, like I was somebody important. That's when I told Him that I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you good bye and everything. But I already knew that wasn't allowed. Well, you know what Mom? God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you.. God said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked: where was He when I needed Him?' 'God said He was in the same place with me, as when His son Jesus was on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children.

Oh, by the way, Mom, no one else can see what I've written except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn't that cool? I have to give God His pen back now He needs it to write some more names in the Book of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I'm sure the food will be great.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don't hurt anymore the cancer is all gone.. I'm glad because I couldn't stand that pain anymore and God couldn't stand to see me hurt so much, either. That's when He sent The Angel of Mercy to come get me. The Angel said I was a Special Delivery! How about that?

Signed with Love from God, Jesus & Me.

When Grandma Goes To Court

When Grandma Goes To Court
Don't Jack With This Lady!