If you have not read about this story — you can catch up here:      

http://mamaliz.onlineaor.com/2010/10/17/cancer-raises-its-ugly-head-again/

http://mamaliz.onlineaor.com/2010/10/19/cancer-raises-its-ugly-head-update/

http://mamaliz.onlineaor.com/2010/10/23/cancer-raises-its-ugly-head-update-2/

http://mamaliz.onlineaor.com/2010/10/28/cancer-raises-its-ugly-head-update-3/

Liza Loadholt Valero

Praise the Lord!!!!!

Thank each one of you out there who prayed for daughter, Liza and to  each one who added her to prayer chains.

Our prayers have been answered — Liza had a CT scan this past Friday morning — we got the results back Friday afternoon — it was late Friday afternoon –

her body is free of cancer —

Dr. Telfair Parker (her surgeon) cleaned her out really well. Thank you, Dr. Parker and thank you, God. Thank you, Dr. Strait Fairey for rushing Liza to have the ultrasound done so quickly. Dr. Fairey and Dr. Parker have done their jobs and now we are in the capable hands of Dr. Elizabeth Christian (oncologist). Dr. Christian is programming a schedule of chemo and radiation as preventive measures.

Having the right physicians is so critical not only to the wellness of the patient, but also to the psychological state of the patient and family. Each of us in the family feels so confident in our 3 doctors — we have so much faith in them.

Dr. Strait Fairey

Dr. Elizabeth Christian

It is true that when we got the pathology report back after her double mastectomy and lymph nodes removed, we were quite upset. It turns out that she had 36 lymph nodes under that left arm and 35 of the 36 had cancer cells in them. WOW — what a blow.

Liza called me on Friday afternoon and asked if I could get her Dad (Boyd) on a conference call so that she could talk to the two of us at the same time.  I was a nervous wreck — I got the 3 of us on a conference call and she gave us the news –CT Scan on Friday showed her body to be free of cancer — WOW — I cried all the way home so that I could give Liza and her husband a great big hug. Boyd (my hubby) said that when he got the news, he felt like running into the street and yelling — Thank you, God.

I am still really emotional about this good news — I have tears of joy as I sit here writing this post.

We were already a very close family, but if it is possible, this has made us even closer.  Liza’s husband, Art Valero, has been so wonderful.  His love for our daughter came through loud and clear.  He has waited on her hand and foot –

The grandchildren — Wilson, (almost 18) and Owen (14) have come away from this much more mature.  We always knew that they loved their mother, but now they are showing their love.  Eliza (7) is too young to really understand what is going on, but she certainly knew something was up — she is constantly doing for her mother — she doesn’t understand Cancer, but knows her mother was really sick.

Claude Loadholt (Liza’s brother) has been there every step of the way for Liza and Art –he is the calm and stable one–trying to keep not only his sister but his mother (me) calm. Claude is so much like his Dad (Boyd Loadholt) — thank goodness.

Boyd (hubby) and I have always been very close, but if it is possible, we are closer today than ever.  We have cried together — tears of pain and anxiety and then tears of joy.  We have always kept our religious thoughts to ourselves, but have now been openly talking with each other about  our discussions with God. Boyd and I have had discussions with Art about God — something we would never have done before.

If you believe that everything happens for a reason, then we try to figure out what was the reason for this — I know that our family has grown from this experience.  Also, I feel that Liza and I have a job to do — keep that breast cancer awareness loud and clear.

God has saved us so that we can help others.

What does this story mean to you?   Hopefully, you will go get that mammogram right now or get your spouse or friends to get their mammogram right now. You men out there, don’t forget that men get breast cancer, too. At your yearly physicals, be sure that your doctor checks your breasts.

Some have asked if Liza had a mammogram recently. She has had regular mammograms since my breast cancer diagnosis in 2006 — until this past year — she had one 1.5 years ago and it was clean — she should have had one 6 mos ago — who knows, but probably would have shown this cancer. If she had waited another 6 mos, it may have been too late —

I felt that I just had to write this post before I did anything else today — all of you have been so supportive and I just had to share this wonderful news and to ask that you have your regular checkups.

Dear God, I thank you for sparing Liza and dear God, I pray for a cure for cancer of all kinds.