Oh my! I'm so glad you're there, my friend!

Today I went to Fort Worth to see Dr Richie-Gillespie. She reviewed the MRI scans taken last week, and also examined my arm. Tomorrow I will have a general anaesthetic so that she can take a large piece of tissue to fully identify the tumour. The tumour is very large, involving tendons and blood vessels. Dr Richie-Gillespie said that its rate of growth and size indicate that it is very aggressive and would be considered to be at an advanced stage. She is suspicious that it is a sarcoma. At this point in time she could not remove it surgically. I will need radiation, and she could then review the size of the tumour, possibly operate and then have the arm irradiated again.

So, as you see, it is clear that she is regarding this tumour as very serious. I'm booked for a full body CAT scan
on Wednesday, presumably to check for any spread elsewhere in my body.

I was so glad that my good friend Judy Oltrogge came with me to this appointment and is able to drive me to the
 hospital for the biopsy on Tuesday. I will be able to stay at her home tomorrow night, provided I'm well enough
 to leave hospital after the anaesthetic.

Obviously this is not the kind of news I was hoping to hear. Please could you pray for me over the next few days? Pray that the doctors  will soon have a clear picture of what is going on in my body and that some treatment will be possible. I am in a lot of pain, and am hoping that something can be done to relieve that. Most of all, pray that I will walk through every moment of these days aware of God's arms around me. He is not surprised by this and has promised to never leave us or forsake us. I'm counting on that!

Val Hodgkin is planning to come back to Dallas to be with me around the 19th of November.

Thank you for your prayers. They mean so much to me.

Lots of love,

June.