Dear Kids (and anybody else who might be reading this),
         Practically everybody knows that I have colon cancer. The colonoscopy I had on Monday showed the tumor really clearly. It’s about 3 cm across and 1 cm deep, and it’s partly covering my lower sphincter, which explains a lot of the pain I’ve been having. After the cancer showed up on the colonoscopy, they had us stay at the hospital for a cat scan and an ultrasound, to get better pictures of it. If it hasn’t spread, my chances for recovery are really good. There’s a spot on my liver that might be problematic, but there are liver surgeons who go after those. So I’m really optimistic. I’ll have five days of really intense radiation, starting a week from tomorrow, and then I get a week off to recover. Then, on April 10, I’ll have surgery where they’ll take out the last few inches of my colon, and hook me up to a bag, which I’ll wear it for the rest of my life. I’m really looking forward to the change. That part of my anatomy has been giving me trouble for 33 years now, but finally I’ll be rid of it. I won’t always need to know where the nearest bathroom is. I can go backpacking in the wilderness, or stay at a primitive campground. I’ll be able to eat foods that I’ve had to avoid for the last several years--maybe even ice cream! I can barely imagine how nice that will be!
         You know how the ads on your phone always reflect what you’ve been googling? A couple of weeks ago I was getting ads for brown sandals, which I’d been looking for. Then, last week, I started getting ads for colonoscopies. (They really have ads for those!) Now I’m getting ads for lawyers who specialize in wills and estates. How creepy is that!
          But I really have a strong feeling that I’m going to survive. I don’t think my time is up yet. And it’s all in the Lord’s hands, anyway. Thank you all so much for your prayers! I can feel the power of so many good people praying for me, especially children. I think the Lord gives special attention to their prayers.
         Dad and I slept over at Nora’s house Friday night, after watching Paige in "Peter Pan." (She was a very cute fairy.) Cathy Ackerson was there! She had been to a conference in Salt Lake, related to her work with Wells Fargo. She’s just as lively and friendly as ever! We slept over in Nora’s basement, which now has carpet. Vanessa’s family was sleeping over, too, on their way to Disneyland. But there was plenty of room for all of us.
         We also got acquainted with Nora’s new lovebird, Boris. He’s still a chick, but large for his age. He has spectacular colors of green and bright blue, with peach on his throat. He knows he’s beautiful. He’s very friendly, probably because he was hand fed. I’m looking forward to playing with him a lot more, when we visit there.
          So life is still good! I love you all! Mom