Prayers Needed!

Dear all,

I need your prayers. My friend is dealing with multiple lesions in the brain. She is still unfortunately undiagnosed. This means that the doctors are still guessing at what she has and how to treat her.

They cannot biopsy because of the location of the lesions... but still treat her the best that they can...this includes guess work. She has been through so much this last year including learning to walk again and long long weeks/months of hospital stays. She needs your prayers. I am calling on you to help her like you helped me.You all gave me so much encouragement/strength/hope/reason to live. She needs that right now.

Pray for peace, the ability to sleep, and a diagnosis. Pray for her doctors and her family. Please pray for her by name. Her name is Mandy Clive. I know that your prayers helped me emotionally get though this. Please be her angels now. Please I am begging of you. It is killing me to be on this side of the treatment. I do not know how you did it. I do not know what else to do. I cannot take her lesions away. I cannot take her pain away or her fears... I all I know I can do is pray with faith and ask you to do the same.


I know prayers work. I am living proof.

Please...pray for her.

-Tara

The Sun is Shining!

Becky here...

I just have to post - I need to say again how INCREDIBLE it is to have Tara still feeling good!  I'm still adjusting to this.  When people ask me how Tara is doing, it feels so good to say "she's really feeling good" and have that be the real truth.  In the past I have usually been pretty truthful when asked how Tara is doing - I'll answer things like, "today is ok", "she's not good right now", or "fair", or "not good today".  None of my answers were ever "she's doing really well!"  Now that is the answer.  The sun seems brighter (probably in reality IS because it's almost May in Mesa!); the flowers are prettier, and everything around me is just happier.  Friends of mine say that I look different (well, I did have my hair highlighted and cut) but it's more than that - I am LIGHTER - there is a weight off my shoulders.  It is almost palpable.  I am still just reveling in the moments that Tara can live a "normal" life. 

She didn't post about Disneyland - she and Josh DID go and it was a treasured day for me to spend the Saturday before they left with Tara planning their trip.  It was soooo refreshing to me to have Tara getting excited about a getaway with her husband without any IV's tagging along, doctor appointments looming ahead, or anything in the way!  (actually we did postpone an MRI but I ordered her to GO on this trip and this MRI was not getting in the way of her fun).  She said she actually went on rides; and the strobe lights started a seizure; but then she closed her eyes and it went away - no more strobe lights or 3D for Tara.  They also went sightseeing in LA and I was so very happy the 2 of them could get away together out of state!  They wanted to do Disneyland for their honeymoon, but of course, couldn't. 

Now Tara is in CA for a friend's wedding. Yesterday as she bounced around being so excited for her weekend with her old roommates and friends, once again, I just watched and smiled at her and just LOVED seeing her feel so good.  She had energy; her eyes are alive and happy, and I just can't say enough how AWESOME this is!  How great to get on a plane and not worry about seizures, head leaking, meds, or doctors.  What a treat!

I have learned how to enjoy the day.  Today the sun is shining, and I can't project into the future - I have learned not to do that.  I just have to enjoy TODAY and believe me, I am!  I don't see Tara nearly as much - I do miss her; but it's so awesome to enjoy a more alive Tara when I do see her!  I love having her live her life.  Josh is so happy to have a wife around that isn't sick as well.  He has been so positive and supportive through these past 2 years.  Can you believe it's been 2 years? 2 years ago she was having crazy headaches and this whole thing started.  It's really been 2 years since she felt this good.  It's a good thing we did take this life day by day - we didn't know what we were getting in to when we started - we just had to take a little at a time - but now she's DONE with treatment!  She's only on 2 seizure meds now - that's awesome!  Maybe someday those can be gone as well - but it will be awhile before that happens.

We still have hurdles up ahead; but today, we are enjoying life.  We appreciate your prayers in Tara's behalf - many people with her tumor don't even live 2 years - so she's already a miracle!  And she will CONTINUE to be a miracle! 

Love you all,

Becky

Track 14: my very favorite song...you will see why

 So my little sister got married to Mr Nathan Anderson and I am very happy to have a new brother in law as well as a happy married sister. When we left the wedding dinner Nathan and Rachel had chosen their favorite love songs and put them on a CD for all of us to share. I was excited because some of the songs looked new so I popped that pretty white CD into my car and began the jams. 

Track 1 was good as well as 2-13 but my heart stopped and fell in love with Track 14. It was a little upbeat song about lovers dancing and it uses my favorite word multiple times...  hush. That word seriously is so beautiful. I have loved it since I sang with Rob Gardner in the 11th grade. 

Back to the point. I am obsessed with Track 14...considering making 14 my new favorite number dancing to the song...have it memorized and then one day I was downstairs in our humble abode with a serious craving for my Track but it was all the way in the car so that meant that I would have to walk all the way up the stairs and back down and go in the car to get the CD. Too much work for me... but trusty Mr. internet bailed me out of all that strenuous exercise. Found it!!!! and there is even a music video!!!! I had not watched a music video since well...I had no idea. Back to the point again. I decided to watch the video of my Track 14 (I had to learn the name of the song by typing the lyrics into Google...thanks Google where would I be without you?)

 So I watched this video and then made Josh watch it. He was reluctant saying that I was over playing the song and that I better be careful or he would never let me play it again. I won him over and we sat together on the floor to enjoy this together. 

Now I have held off for quite some time...not sure where or not I should share this but today I just felt to urge to show the world my very favorite song coupled with a video that reminds me of me. Maybe I cried a little or maybe I am lying to you and bawled a lot. I think you will see why. Please enjoy my Track 14

Becky here,

Ok, Tara, I cried as well; but not until I could see it full screen and really see what was going on.  Here is the link for all of you who had the same trouble I did.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7Gf2SOmz5Q

I will post later... wanted Tara to post first - but you cannot imagine how amazing it feels to have Tara back!  It's been over 2 years since we've had THIS Tara back - but we'll never see the previous Tara again - now she's much deeper and stronger.  It's like a heavy backpack full of rocks just emptied it's last rock.  We still have some pebbles there - a few hurdles ahead of us; but I think our faith has been refined throughout the past 2 years, and we can deal with the upcoming hurdles.  Thank heavens the Lord was there by our sides to help us carry that backpack through the last 2 years.... couldn't have done it by ourselves, that's for sure!