Hello guys! I just wanted to express how blessed and grateful my husband and I are for all your continued help through prayers, text messages, cards, phone calls and monetary contributions. Everyday is a struggle, but each day has taught me so much, including how incredibly loving our Lord is. 

I was diagnosed December 10th, 2014 with stage IV cancer and eventually was told I had Neuroendocrine Tumors originating in the pancreas (pNETS). I went through four rounds of IV chemotherapy, had a very risky surgery to remove my ovaries, and then changed my therapy to a “target therapy” where I took a chemotherapy pill everyday while receiving a shot every month to help stunt the growth of current tumors. The three following scans showed no further growth of tumors and no new tumors! 

After another small procedure, I had to go back to the ER because of some cancer-related side effects where another scan unfortunately revealed my cancer, within two weeks, had progressed rapidly and this time had spread into my lungs. The fight will continue daily from here on. 

My medical team has tailored my treatments again with two chemo pills taken on specific days. Being that it’s chemotherapy, a cytotoxic treatment,  it greatly decreases my energy and has forced me to sit around and re-evaluate things. It is going to be a long battle. It's a mental battle, a spiritual battle, and a physical battle that I am very grateful to be on.  

I still have yet to return to work, and being a nurse, this is very hard. I am on disability due to the unknown date of returning to work, if at all. As many of you are are aware, the financial toll of cancer treatment isn’t a joke. It has shocked us both with how the expenses can quickly add up. Insurance helps, but with medication “co-pays” that cost more than the monthly premiums, travel to specialists, and other little things too, it is hard to keep up. Not to mention, the energy expended and time taken just for medical appointments keeps adding up too.  

Blessings to you all!

Ashley and Michael

Please follow my blog at www.AshleyErnsting.com for further updates.