April Update

Monday, May 26, 2003 :::

More to celebrate...

Two days after my birthday I passed my 9 month followup with flying colors! This was a wonderful birthday gift! I've started up juicing veggies again. This weekend Tom's mom Linda and I went to the Staunton Farmer's market downtown. We collected various vegetables that I could try out in the juicer. Such as homegrown kale (smaller lacy version of what you find in the store), radishes and burpless, seedless cucumber. Some unusually things we tried were ostrich sausage and black walnuts. Mom gave Tom an ostrich stick much like a beef stick without the cow. She tore off the label before he sampled it and much to our surprise he liked it better than the original! Ostrich-the other red meat!

Today is Memorial Day! Happy one to you! I am working-too many snow days this year. But Tom and Mom are coming to take me away for lunch-at least for a while! Hope your holiday is a good one!

Wednesday, May 21, 2003 :::

Happy New Year 2003!

2002 has been an eventful year for us! Thank you for your prayers! I was so encouraged to receive your letters, cards, calls, flowers and e-mails this year. I wanted you to know God heard your prayers and responded by choosing to heal me from cancer! Praise God! We have a lot to be thankful for and praise God for this year! We have grown closer in our relationship with God learning to rely on Him through this illness.

Last year I started out with bronchitis/pneumonia and ended up on February 8th with being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in my chest. The following 6 months of chemo were difficult but your prayers and God’s response carried me through. Thank you to those of you who visited, made meals, took care of me, drove me to UVA and were with me during my chemo treatments- Tom, Mom Barger, Mom Kernan, Dad King, Lisa, Audrey Meyer, Sharon Sproul, Kristi Mills, Chris & Frank Root, Anne Hooe, Joyce & Bill Gibbs, Jackie Brown, Kay King, Janet Swisher, the caring folks at Timberlake, Smith, Thomas and Moses law firm and at Tabernacle Church.

In April I switched jobs from a paralegal position to a receptionist job at a wig shop for part-time hours until my treatments were finished. In August I was told about a secretary job with the Augusta County Schools after-school program. I got the job and it was an answer to prayer for a low stress job that I could work for kids. Before I started the new job, Tom and I celebrated our 3rd year anniversary and being cancer-free by visiting St. Louis! We were there a short time to see everyone. We tried but at that point I tired out pretty quickly. I am sorry if we missed seeing you. The rest of the year I focused on getting physically stronger and working full-time. I am learning a lot about nutrition and started a swimming program. I plan to take painting classes this year!

Tom has been busy this year with ShenanArts as a Technical Director and General Contractor building their theatre from an old IGA building. The theatre’s completion was projected for November but was postponed until December. The children’s play, The Best Christmas Pagent Ever opened the theatre on 12/12. Tom completed one seating section the hour before the first show and the other seating section the next night. This was a miracle to witness Tom with the help of two retired gentlemen build this, having no prior commercial building experience! We had been praying for the building permit, which was granted as a temporary permit hours before the show opened. Whew… I participated in the show by being the Makeup Crew Chief for the kids ranging in age from 3 –13. It was fun!

Tom wanted to have his nights & weekends free for time together and becoming more involved in church activities so when an opportunity came up for him to work as a Finish Carpenter at Crown Construction it was another answer to our prayers. He started right after the theatre was opened and has been enjoying it! We enjoyed Tom’s first weekend off by seeing Two Towers (2nd time) and going out to dinner! (What an incredible battle scene! It reminded me of Christ’s return.)

Thanksgiving was spent in Michigan with my mom & Jim; Lisa, Rob & Madison (4 ½ years) drove from St. Louis. Another answer to prayer, after many problems, my sister Lisa is pregnant and we are expecting our first nephew at the end of May. Praise God! It was great fun to see the Bargers and the new baby and the Pieskos. We missed seeing Jim & Debbie & girls; Gary Piesko; Sherri & Brian & kids. Hope to see you soon! We enjoyed the day after Thanksgiving lighting of the Christmas tree, town lights and caroling at the town square in Frankenmuth Michigan. The guys enjoyed Jim’s dice game and Tom tasted victory finally. For Christmas we drove to PA to be with Tom’s family. We all had a fun gathering at Grandma and Pappy’s house. It had been 2 years since last visited PA (with moving to VA and illness) so it was wonderful to see everyone! We also had a chance to meet Tony’s fiancée Jen and welcome her to the family.

We are so blessed with a loving church; Tabernacle opened last spring as a church plant. After 6 weeks of classes, we took our membership oaths at Tabernacle Dec. 8th. The Sunday before Christmas I gave my testimony on how God turns our liabilities into blessings.

We are planning to spend the weekends together relaxing and enjoying what life has to offer here in the Shenandoah Valley. I think we’ll finally have time for Tom to show me around this town! Hee hee. Love, April & Tom E-mail or call us! Tkernanv@earthlink.net (540) 885-3052

::: posted by April at 11:21 AM

Friday, May 09, 2003 :::

April will now be taking over her blog. Way to go April!

::: posted by Peter at 10:52 AM

Tuesday, August 20, 2002 :::

Good news!!! I got the results of my PET Scan back and they are
NORMAL!!!!!! There are no signs of Lymphoma present in my body!!!
Praise God!!

I danced for joy, rejoicing and thanking God for choosing to heal me! I
am praising God for healing me and for His mercy!! Thank you Jesus!

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am
helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.
Psalm 28:7

A song.
I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did
not let my enemies gloat over me. O Lord my God, I called to you for
help and you healed me. O Lord, you brought me up from the grave, you
spared me from going down into the pit. Sing to the Lord you saints of
his; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his
favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing
comes in the morning. When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be
shaken." O Lord, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. To you. O Lord, I called;
to the Lord I cried for mercy; "What gain is there is my destruction,
in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it
proclaim you faithfulness? Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me; O Lord,
be my help." You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my
sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not
be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever. Psalm
30:1-12

Thank you for your prayers. I appreciate your dedication to keep
praying and hoping. Our prayers have been answered by God! Thank you
for being my friends.

Tuesday, August 13, 2002 :::

Just a quick note to let you know that my 8th and final chemo treatment
went well and I have made it through the tough 2 weeks after. Praise
God! I am also praising God for the growth of my hair. It is close to
a 1/2 inch!!

Please pray for my upcoming CTScan for this Friday August 16th at
2:00-3:30 and the PET Scan Wednesday August 28 at 11:30-1:30 (our
anniversary). I am praying for complete and full healing from cancer so
there will be no need for radiation!

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never
forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love
him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Thursday, July 25, 2002 :::

Hi! I hope everyone is having a good summer. I am doing well. Tom and
I saw my oncologist yesterday. My blood levels are good for my last
chemo treatment tomorrow Friday 7/26. The numbness is out of my fingers
from the drugs and my energy is pretty good. I will be getting the PICC
line out of my arm tomorrow too! The first thing I want to do is go
swimming! :)

The next step will be a CTScan in a couple of weeks then a PET Scan. I
know...where is the DOG Scan. The PET Scan will light up if there are
any cancer cells. If there are then my doctor would recommend
radiation. I really don't want radiation. Please pray for this.

Once all that is done I will check back every 3 months for a checkup.
Please pray also that I will be able to have children. This is my
heart's desire.

Thank you for your prayers! They have meant so much to me. God is
healing me through your prayers.

Monday, July 01, 2002 :::

Click here for the photos.

::: posted by Peter at 11:59 AM