As many of you know, Lynn has been experiencing health issues for the last few months. It was believed that her constant nausea was caused by gallstones in her gallbladder. Following the removal of her gallbladder on May 16, her doctor believed that this would resolve her problem. However, the symptoms of pain and nausea continued. After visiting various doctors, hospitals, and consulting a Gastroenterologist, she underwent a scope procedure at the beginning of August, which included biopsies.

On August 7th, Lynn received the devastating news that she has stomach cancer. An MRI was scheduled, and Lynn had her first appointment with her oncologist, Dr. Lewis on August 14. He stated that within the next couple of weeks that Lynn would have a PET scan & an EUS, to determine the staging of the cancer and if there was an involvement with her lympathic system.

On August 20, Neal and Lynn met with Dr. Kirks in Savannah and the plan was to treat her with 3-4 rounds of chemo, have surgery to remove her entire stomach in December/January, and then she would have 3-4 more rounds of chemo. On Monday, August 25, Lynn had a port placed for her chemo treatments, and also had a laparoscopy to determine if there were any signs of cancer in the abdominal lining.

On Tuesday, August 26, she had a PET scan done and then had a followup appointment with Dr. Lewis on Thursday, August 28. During this visit the doctor stated that Lynn's cancer is Stage 4 and had already metastasized to her abdominal lining. This changed the plan for surgery to remove her stomach. Dr. Lewis stated that the plan was not to cure the cancer, but to treat it with palliative measures. The treatment plan required Lynn to have an echocardiogram to determine the ejection fraction of her heart.

On Tuesday, September 9, Lynn will have her first round of chemo in Savannah. She will spend four hours in Dr. Lewis's office, and they will monitor her for any problems or reactions to the treatment. After the four monitored hours, she will go home and the pump will continue the chemo infusion for 48 hours. Our specific prayer is that Lynn's body will respond well to the treatment and there will be no complications. Please pray for continued strength for Neal, Sarah, Thomas, Erika, and Brooke as they walk beside their Lynn during this difficult time.

The next few weeks and months will bring a lot of unknowns, but one thing that is extremely evident is how much they are loved. Neal and Lynn are so thankful for everyone's kindness during this difficult and devastating time in their lives. Whether you've carried them a meal, stopped by for a visit, mailed a card of encouragement, or you've prayed for them daily, please know they appreciate each kind gesture.

As a fireman for many years, Neal has helped countless strangers, friends, and neighbors in times of crisis. As a devoted and supportive wife, Lynn has walked beside him during those long and challenging days. As a community, it is now our turn to lift them up, support them, and remind them how much they are loved.

We are currently working on other ways for you to donate and will post updates once we've worked out all of the details. We will also have "Fight like Lynn" t-shirts that can be purchased to remind her that "her fight is our fight".

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much"

-Helen Keller

For updates on Lynn's Journey, please follow her Facebook Page, Faith Over Fear: Lynn's Journey