Sherrye Morgan is loved, admired, and respected by many in her circle of influence. She has been an active parent in the Southaven Band program for 10 years and our Treasurer for the past 6 years. I am grateful that she has given us permission to provide medical updates through our band website. The idea is to get the most accurate information out to those who care and are praying for her speedy and complete recovery while cutting down on the number of phone calls her family makes and receives during her hospitalization and recuperation. We encourage you to share this link with any who would be interested.

Cards and notes are encouraged! You may send them to the band post office box, and I will see to it that she gets them. Address your envelope like this:

Southaven Band Boosters, Inc.

Attn: Sherrye Morgan

PO Box 1975

Southaven, MS 38671

On behalf of her family and friends, thank you for your prayers and interest! J

Because He lives,

Sandra Mansfield

President

Southaven Band Boosters, Inc.

March 27, 2008

Sherrye completed 7 initial chemo treatments two weeks ago.  The March 24 scan showed no change to the tumor (last scan was Jan 15).  The doctor indicated that there is no way to determine if the chemo treatments had no effect or if they helped stop/stunt tumor growth.  Regardless, her oncologist intends to try something different.  Sherrye will have a port put in next week and expects to start on a different “cocktail” of drugs shortly after that, which will entail 2 drugs via infusion in the port and 1 drug administered via pump over the course of 2 days, every other week.  In the midst of treatments, she has continued to keep up with band accounts and the band checkbook, and answer my dozens of questions. J  What a trooper!  Continue to lift up her and her family in prayer as she begins this next round of treatment.

Sherrye had stitches removed at her December 17 appt and consulted with her surgeon. He clarified what he had found during surgery: in layman’s terms, the tumor is resting on surrounding organs just like your hand would rest on your knee. Sherrye saw an oncologist on January 2, who repeated what Sherrye has heard from every other doctor: she is dealing with an extremely rare situation with her cancer, given that two types of cancer cells exist in the tumor. Sherrye’s options included a trial based at Vanderbilt, but the three drugs involved in that trial were not new treatments, just a new combination of known chemo drugs (2 of which are known to have harsh side effects). The Vandy oncologist also offered the same chemo treatment that the Memphis oncologist had first suggested, which could be taken here in Memphis and has varying side effects. The oncologist stressed that there were no right or wrong decisions about treatments; all of them would be options, and no one could predict which protocol would be most effective, given the type of cancer Sherrye is dealing with.

Sherrye has chosen to take chemo treatments locally. Her prescribed regimen is approximately 8 treatments, one each week without stopping, but of course her response will determine whether or not she can maintain that schedule without a break. She has had 2 treatments, with her 3^rd scheduled for Tuesday, January 29. So far, her only noticeable side effect has been increased fatigue on the 3^rd and 4^th days after a treatment. New scans will be performed at the end of the treatments.

I wrote out the following verse today for my Bible study, and it immediately came to mind tonight while writing this update…"Jesus replied, ‘You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ " John 13:7 The point in the study was that "{God} knows when something glorious in the future necessitates something difficult in the present….Yes, God wants us to have joyful, satisfying lives, but He also wants us to have crowns to cast. Rewards to receive. Character to develop. Compassion to give. Testimonies to tell…." (Beth Moore, "Stepping Up" participant workbook, p. 60) We continue to pray for Sherrye, that her "something difficult" will be turned into "something glorious" and she will be healed the way we’d like for her to be!

Sherrye did not undergo surgery on October 24. After arriving in Nashville and undergoing additional scans and blood work on the 23^rd, her surgeon called her and Doug in for a consultation and explained that he had seen some discoloration on the new scans that created, in his mind, the possibility that the cancer had spread outside the tumor. If that was true, the major surgery he had scheduled for her would not necessarily be in her best interest long term and may not take care of the problem. Instead, he recommended an outpatient procedure that would block the arteries that feed the tumor with a type of "chemo plug". He has had success with this in other patients and was even able to avoid surgery in one case by repeating this procedure every few weeks.

She underwent the procedure on Thursday, October 25 and came home on the 26^th. She didn’t feel well the first few days, but is feeling better and actually returned to work earlier this week! She will return to Vanderbilt on Nov. 20, and the results of the scans and blood work at that time will determine her next step in her treatment.

A positive update! Doug and Sherrye traveled to Nashville and met with a surgeon specializing in liver cancer earlier this week. He ordered blood work and new scans, and called her that same day after receiving those results to tell her that he was willing to do the surgery to remove the tumor. He admitted that while other doctors might be uncomfortable doing the surgery, he was not, and was confident that he could remove the tumor. He assured her that the previous surgery in Memphis was not "wasted" – that the larger tissue samples provided valuable insight for him and his team. They have scheduled the surgery at Vanderbilt for next Wednesday, October 24! At this time, they do not anticipate requiring her to do any further treatments after the surgery.

Sherrye met with her oncologist last week and discussed her options based on the pathology report, which indicated that there were two types of cancer cells in the tumor. He told her that he had several ideas in mind that he wanted to discuss with her radiologist and her surgeon and that he’d be back in touch as soon as possible.

Sherrye met with him again today; she said the meeting was mostly a discussion. Waiting to start treatment is maddening, but phone calls have been made to Vanderbilt, M.D. Anderson, and the University of Michigan; as Sherrye said, "Now if everyone will just call back!" Her oncologist is making every attempt to be sure that the possibility of a clinical trial isn’t available somewhere; it would be heartbreaking to discover after the fact that a trial was available but was now not an option because she had started a regimen of treatment already. In light of this, the doctors will continue to wait and gather as much information as they can before they recommend ANY treatment options.

Sherrye was able to come home from the hospital on Friday, August 31. She returned to the doctor yesterday to have the staples removed, and learned that the lab is still working to identify the type cancer she has, based on her biopsy. An accurate pathology report is crucial in determining what kinds of drugs will be used in chemo treatments, or if radiation is a better option, or if some combo of those two treatments will be most effective. She expects to see the oncologist as soon as the pathology report is returned. She isn’t able to eat very much at any one time, so she eats 6x a day instead of 3 – she says now she has to decide 6x a day what sounds good to eat instead of only 3! J

She wanted me to express her appreciation for all the expressions of love that have been sent her way. I’ve seen over and over again how much encouragement the calls and cards provide in situations like this; please continue to support her with your prayers, thoughts, letters, and cards.

Sherrye had her surgery today. The family did not receive the news they were praying for, but it also wasn’t news without hope.

The surgeon discovered that the tumor was larger than what doctors had expected based on the scans and tests, and that it covered both sides of the liver. Both of these facts meant that they could not remove the tumor as everyone had hoped. They took a sample for a biopsy and felt like the cancer originated possibly in the bile duct of the liver. There are NO SIGNS of cancer anywhere else! And for that we are grateful.

Because they did not perform the surgery they anticipated, Sherrye is not in ICU, but was transferred from recovery into a regular room. They expect her to be able to go home by the end of the week.

What happens next? Sherrye will work to recover her strength from this surgery and will see her oncologist for options in treatments. Doctors today indicated that the general plan would be to treat (through chemo or radiation or a combo thereof) the tumor and attempt to shrink it so that surgery for removal could be safely performed at a later date.

Sherrye first sought medical attention on July 2^nd with some pain in her right side. After multiple tests over the summer, the final diagnosis revealed a malignant tumor in her liver. Doctors then went looking for a point of origin, since cancer that originates in the liver is rare for an otherwise healthy person. Initial tests have ruled out colon, stomach, and breast cancer. A PET scan on Friday, August 10 shows no sign of cancer any where else, and doctors believe the tumor is contained.

Sherrye is scheduled for surgery on Monday, August 27, at Methodist University downtown. The intention is to remove the tumor.

Please pray…

…for the skill and wisdom of the surgeons

…for peace and the presence of the Lord to be felt by Sherrye, Doug, Megan, family, and friends

…for the cancer to be contained as expected, and that it can be removed completely

…for Sherrye’s time in ICU and the hospital afterwards.

This link will be updated as news becomes available.