Sad News Just Gets Sadder!

My "baby" sister, Suzanne Hyte (24), has been diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma a second time around. After discovering another lump in her neck just before Thanksgiving, her worst fears came true. It has taken a while to get results because of the holidays. Things were moving along too slowly in the medical world. Appointments have been spread out; results are long time waiting; and the emotional roller coaster ride has been extended. It has taken this long for them to get several types of biopsies done (with the bone marrow biopsy results still unknown). We know now that her cancer is back (or most likely it never left). Not what we wanted to hear. She was told she was in remission just two months previous to finding the lump. Today she traveled to UCLA for a consult. They are deciding on her chemo "recipe" that she will be given. This time they are calling it "salvage chemo"...they have nothing else in mind except keeping her alive...disregarding every side effect. If the cancer is gone after her next four months of treatments, she will undergo a bone marrow transplant (stem-cell transplant) at UCLA as an added "modality" of treatment to make sure they get this cancer away for good.

What makes this even more sad is that she just finished her first semester of law school with flying colors. All of which will be for naught if she can't complete the second semester. Unfortunately, if she has to drop out, she'll have to start all over again, for the third time. (She dropped out the first time she started in October '06 after being diagnosed initially.)

Needless to say, we are praying for her constantly. My girls are always remembering Aunt Suzi in their prayers. We fast for her often. When will it end? Just go away! Please keep her in your prayers, too. She can use them. Especially as we await the results of her bone marrow biopsy. If the cancer has spread to her bones, her prognosis is not good.

But we have faith. Suzi is an amazing example to me and the rest of my family. "When she found out that had cancer again, she said, "Maybe I didn't learn everything I was supposed to the first time around." No, Suzi, we are the ones that need to learn something. We missted something the first time. Your have become the sacrificial lamb so that we all might grow from all this. Perhaps we need to learn to have a little more faith, more patience. To not take for granted the time we have together or the relationships we have. To always be positive, even amongst the trials. To become more humble as we learn to accept our Heavenly Father's will and to know that all things happen for a reason, even if we can't understand it.

She also said as a side note, "At least I look good bald." I love you, Suzi. We are with you every step of the way. Although we can't be with you physically, we are with you always. Be strong! The Lord is aware of you. I'll try to learn what I need to learn from all of this FAST so that you can get through this even faster. "Bald is Beautiful!"