From facebook....


if you knew Lisa (or have known her through the media and this page) you know she was someone who cared for others - in simple yet meaningful ways. "Just smile - it won't cost you a thing." She would pay for someone's coffee behind her (or have her parents do it); she would purchase meals or gift cards for homeless people she would see; she would always ask if she could pray for you or what she could do... 

And so, at Lisa's Celebration Service last week the family encouraged everyone to "Pay It Forward...in Memory of Lisa" - water bottles were distributed with Lisa's name and life verse (Isaiah 40:31) on it...along with the words Pay It Forward. 

At her service, as you've probably heard, the family started Pay It Forward by crowning Emily Henderson as the new homecoming queen for West Salem High School.

Have you paid it forward today?? Would you - in memory of Lisa???

Share your stories here... the family would love to hear them!

We have had a number of requests about where to send cards and notes of encouragement to Lisa's family... Please send them to:

The Harder Family 
c/o Salem Alliance Church
555 Gaines Street NE
Salem, OR 97301

The days following Lisa's passing have been filled with tears, laughter and family. Lisa would have loved this....I wish she could have been here to enjoy all the get togethers! Anytime Lisa got to choose something to do it always involved the family getting together.

On Tuesday the family gathered for a private burial. Her brothers had picked a beautiful soft pink casket with roses on it because Lisa loved pink. While family gathered to say good bye one more time to Lisa they were given a sharpie to draw or write a message to her on the casket. It was especially cute as the little ones drew a picture for Lisa and they were beside them self getting to write on the "furniture!" From there we walked up the hill for a service and sprinkling of pink rose petals on her casket. These were hard but very precious moments saying good bye to sweet Lisa.

The family wants to thank the congregation at Court Street Christian church for putting on a very nice meal for them after the service. It gave everyone a time to just sit around and catch up. Gordan and Gail also took a moment to stand up and talk about Lisa's journey and thank some of the people who walked it with her.

Tomorrow is a public service to celebrate Lisa's life, at Salem Alliance Church, at 3:00. The pouring out of support has been overwhelming. Emily Henderson, from West high made up some T shirts with an amazing picture of Lisa kissing her favorite horse on the nose. If you are able to attend you will see many people wearing these shirts. So many people have helped, but tomorrow the service will be exactly what Lisa wanted. As it became apparent that the cancer was going to take her life, Lisa along with her parents chose the songs and the speakers and many other details that will take place. You will see the heart of Lisa harder. Let's celebrate that heart and take some of it with us to "pay it forward"

Lisa Harder was an amazing young woman who wanted more than anything to spread her message of staying positive and trusting the Lord, and that is what she did until her last day on earth.

On a beautiful Sunday morning, November 4^th,  2012, Lisa Harder left this world and entered Heaven. She received a new body that was cancer free and will never again feel pain or sadness.

Lisa was a country girl. She grew up playing outside with her 2 brothers and friend Connor, trying her hardest to keep up with them. She rode motorcycles and quads, jumped on the trampoline and shot BB guns, but her favorite thing to do outside was to take care of her many animals and spend time with the neighbors horse Rio.

Lisa touched the hearts of all who knew her thought out her journey with cancer. Her smile and sweet spirit amazed those who took care of her in the hospital, and her determination to fight to beat her cancer baffled the professionals. That determination and positive attitude shined through so much that Lisa was asked several times to speak to the staff and student body at West Salem high school, where she was a Senior this year. Although the cancer caused Lisa to miss much school, she was still very much a part of the class of 2013.  Her classmates showed how much they loved and cared for her by voting her Homecoming Queen last month. Lisa was able to attend the game and be crowned Queen as the TV cameras caught it all!

Lisa is survived by her parents Gordon and Gail Harder and her 2 brothers, Dusty and Kyle. Also, Sister- laws Darci and Audre and very special to Lisa’s heart ,her nephew Cade. Grandparents are Jerry and Neveda Willis and Verdie Harder.

A celebration of Lisa’s life will be held Thursday, November 8^th at 3:00 at Salem Alliance Church.

Lisa went to be with the Lord today at 10:02am. We are spending time with the family and I will write a little more later, but I wanted to let you know.

There was really no change in Lisa over night. This morning when Pastor Ben was over reading the scriptures to Lisa it was apparent that she still knew what was happening around her. She had slight eye and head movement as he explained how much God loves her and how he is waiting for her with excitement just waiting to say "Well done Lisa Harder".

She has not had any water for a couple days now and the nurse said this morning her heart was pumping a little faster, which is an indicator that it is having to work harder to keep her alive.

I'll let you know if there are any changes.

Still sleeping beauty

 I remember a blog post I wrote about 3 years ago titled "sleeping beauty" for Lisa, when she would just sleep so hard after chemo. That was so long ago. So much has changed and the Harders have gone through so much. It seems that probably sometime today or tomorrow Lisa will pass from this hard world to Heaven. She is sleeping and her beauty shines even brighter now.

A couple days ago Lisa lost her sight. The pressure and swelling had gotten so great that it affected the optical nerve.  The doctors confirmed it because her eyes did not track any light, and she told Gail that she could not see her. This morning hospice came over and said that it would be a good idea to gather family. Lisa's breathing was changing some and her skin was taking on a gray hue. Of course we don't know the hour, but the family is preparing for it to be soon. They have let Lisa know that they have released her and she is free to let go and stop fighting to live.

They are asking that there be no visitors right now as the family spends precious time together, but they want to thank you all for you love and concern.

I will let you know right away when anything changes...until then we are just waiting on the Lords timing.

Update from Gail to my phone:

'Hi there, Lisa has not been able to keep much food down, it likes to come back up. She only seems to be awake for 2 or 3 min and falls back asleep.  The doctor has cut back on the pain meds because she seems not to be in pain. Her headaches are controllable. Thank you all for keeping her in your thoughts and prayers. Blessing to you all"

I just wanted to give you another update, even though not alot has changed. Lisa is very slowly slipping away. She is eating less and less and is getting very thin. As her body starts to shut down she is getting more and more comfortable and at peace. She is taking less medications and didn't even want the ice packs on her head that she has needed for many months.

She still will respond when asked questions and will talk for a little while here and there, but mostly she sleeps. She does go into "her own little world" sometimes, and yesterday she was concerned about getting to school on time and was very excited that she was going to get to see some of her favorite teachers again".
 Lisa has kept such a sweet positive attitude through out this whole journey, she has gone through more than anyone I personally know. Someday soon she will meet Jesus and wear more that just a Homecoming crown!

"I just don't understand"....is what one of Lisa's Dr's said the other day about how Lisa just keeps hanging on. By most medical standards Lisa's day would have ran out by now...but for what ever reason God has chosen to give Lisa the gift of life a little longer than most in her situation.

She is very quiet most of the time, not being able to move much at all now. Sometimes she sees things... we all the the pleasure of riding in her new red mini cooper while she took us to McDonald's for iced tea! Connor found a picture of one and put it on her phone so that we could all see her "new cute car".

Other times she can talk with you a little, but her voice is quiet and she will drift in and out of sleep. She isn't eating much anymore and drinking very little. She still know everyone and has the same sweet nature that she has had all along.

We know it can't be too long now, the waiting is hard. It is hard for Gail and Gordon to leave to work, because they don't want to miss "Lisa's time".

On a lighter note:
Lisa received a very special gift the other day... Mariesa Stombaugh was able to see Tobey Mac, Lisa's favorite singer,  and get him to signed the picture of Lisa getting crowned Homecoming Queen. It came in the mail and just touch the Harder's hearts! Lisa has met him a couple of times and he totally remembered her and was so proud that she was chosen as Queen!

Thank you for all your prayers....

I don't know if you were able to see either of the TV broadcast on Lisa and the other kids with cancer in West Salem....but thank you channel 8 for airing them. The first one was about Lisa and Tyler on Homecoming court and the 2nd one was about the 5 or 6 kids with this awful cancer. Lisa has said all along that she wants to get her story out and she was so happy to see it put on TV.
Lisa is getting weaker and hasn't walked for over a month. She continues to have seizures and when she does it can take her some time to really come out of them.  She says she is ready to go to Heaven, but the timing is not in our hands. She is at peace though. Thanks for your prayers.

More NEWS!

I heard from Gail that on the front page of the Statesman Journal there is an article about all the kids in West Salem that have cancer. I have not had a chance to see it, but I bet it is good.

Also tonight on channel 8, they will show another interview thatPat Doris did with Lisa, Gordy, Gail and Randy's mom. It iwll be on tonight at 4:00, 5:00 and 6:00.

I am guessing that you will be able to find these on the internet too if you are not able to see these scorces.

All Hail to the Queen!

Drum roll please......Yes, it is true! Lisa was voted Homecoming Queen at West Salem High, and I can't think of a more deserving queen!  She looked beautiful and smiled as much as she could! There were tons of family and friends cheering her on, and she probably felt blinded by all the flashes! So proud of you Lisa and so proud of the class of 2013 for  recognizing  Lisa's true beauty and strength!

Very exciting day for Lisa and friends! Stay tuned to see if she is crowned QUEEN!
Watch the link below as Channel 8 came to the Homecoming assembly at West High.

Lisa harder homecoming

I haven't added to this post for awhile...life dished out another blow and through it all my mind kept going back to what Gordan and Gail are going through. My son Connor, who has gone through alot of the journey with Lisa, was in a serious car accident last friday. He had been working on a farm with long hours and little sleep and he fell asleep going to work. They life flighted him up to a Portland hospital where he was in ICU for a few days. He is home now but he has a skull fracture, had eye surgery, a broken collar bone and some slight liver and kidney damage. We are very thankful for his life being spared. All through the process we received messages from Gail and Lisa just as we have sent to them. When we came home we were able to go over and see Lisa for a little bit and the 2 of them had a sweet moment of sharing.

Lisa has been sleeping much more, I am a little out of touch with what her day to day has been BUT I do know something!!!!! Lisa was voted as a Princess on the homecoming court at West Salem High school. A couple of kids came to tell her that and put a crown on her head. That is so cool! She was very excited and we are very proud of her!

There really has not been any big changes for Lisa over the last couple weeks. Hospice continues to come in and help control her pain. She struggles with the pain in her head shifting from hurting on the top of her head and then going to the sides of her head. The Dr. says this is because her brain shifts due to the swelling and she has a ton of pressure on her brain. This pressure also causes seizures and vomiting. It seems to be the cycle that Lisa will have a couple good days and then go right back into having some seizures and sickness. It has been a very long journey. They try to get her out of bed and outside on the good days, but even that is a struggle.

Thanks for all your prayers it means so much to them.

Last week was a little better for Lisa. Her pain was managed a little better and she was even able to sit up in the wheel chair and go outside, but as it always seems to do....the pain has shifted to the top of her head and has come back hard. She has had to hit the button to administer extra pain meds alot more. She is also feeling sick to her stomach again which just makes it all seem worse. Lisa just takes all this and doesn't complain... We are all praying for you Lisa you are an amazing girl and God is using you in ways you don't even know.

Hey come support Lisa at west Salem Dutch brothers. They are having a dunk tank and face painting and proceeds go to Lisa and a few other families battling cancer.

There really is nothing different going on with Lisa right now. She continues to have headaches and seizures. She sleeps alot but when she is awake she is bored. She is aware of all that goes on outside that she is missing on these summer days and that is very hard. They were able to get her up the other day to sit outside, but that isn't always possible because of her pain.

To all of you who have brought meals over....First thanks so much, and secondly if you brought your food in dished that you wanted back, Gail has but them out on the front porch for you to pick up. She also has some thank you notes for those of you with dishes out there. So you can stop by anytime and just pick the up. Thanks so much.

Lisa has continued to have seizures. She has had 3 of them this week. Some have just been on one side of her body and others attack her whole body and can last about 15 min until she comes completely out of it. They are very scarey, but the Doctors have trained Gail on what to do so she is able to help Lisa through it.
Unfortunately Lisa has so much pressure in her head that the doctors say that she will continue to have more and more seizures. I just can't imaging a sweet 17 year old girl having to go through so much. She is getting sick on top of that. That could be from a number of things....all the meds she is on, the pain, the pressure.....she is going through so much.

After being gone for a week I got to visit with Lisa a little bit yesterday. She was eating a sandwich and watching Little House on the Prairie. She is still in staying in the living room so that she can be around people and whatever is going on. She is not able to get out of bed anymore as she is very week and moving too much makes her pain worse. Up till now they have been trying to control her pain with patches and oral meds, but a few days ago they put her on a pain pump that distributes meds right into her system every 10 minutes. Lisa also had the ability to hit a button and get extra meds if needed. That seems to have made quite a bit of difference and has allowed Lisa to sleep more peacefully and also be more aware of things while she is awake. She did have a very long seizure the other day and it was very traumatic for Lisa and the family, but hopefully that will not happen again.

Lisa's Friend Randy, who was diagnosed with this same cancer 1 week before Lisa, passed away a couple days ago. Lisa and Randy went through much of this journey together. Randy's cancer had also gone to his brain, but ultimately it was the tumor by his heart that shut down his body.

Just a little while before Randy passed he said to tell Lisa that "It's going to be ok". Randy had given his life to Christ during his fight with cancer, and that knowledge allowed Lisa to have comfort with his passing. But he will be missed so much by all who knew and loved him, and our prayers go out to his family.

Good days and bad days...God is still with us.

The bad days make us appreciate the good. Lisa had a couple of good days. She was able to eat a few small bites of different food and was able to talk some and smile. It was so nice to see her being able to cope even through her head still hurts. But this afternoon it hit Lisa hard again. She again is not able to keep anything down and now she is starting to see double vision along with a horrible headache. It's hard to understand why she varies so much from day to day, and it is discouraging when you see her dip so low after being able to interact with friends and family. But Gail said that when she starts to feel discouraged about it she turns it around and thanks God that she had a few more good days with Lisa. Everyday is a blessing. Thanks for your prayers....

For Lisa

I should have added my e-mail to the last post...if you are interested in making dinners for the Harders please contact me at
sheriestom@comcast.net

Every day has been a struggle for Lisa. She has had 2 weeks of constant throwing up. But today she got some relief. She went the whole day without getting sick. Hospice has been working so hard to find just the right concoction of meds to give Lisa that will help her pain, but not make her so sick. They might have found it today. They also decided to put her on oxygen at night because it seems she has a hard time breathing when she sleeps. Hopefully that will help give her more peaceful sleep. Gordon and Gail and a few other family members take turns sleeping next to Lisa at night to make sure she is ok, Lisa feels safer knowing someone is right there to help her and the rest of the family can sleep a little better knowing someone is there with Lisa.

So many of you have helped out with meals and many other ways. It has been so nice to not have to think about what to cook a few nights a week. If any of you that live near buy would like to do a meal just let me know and I will plug you into a date.

Thanks so much.....

Lisa is such a trooper. There has not been any significant changes to tell you about. Hospice has increased Lisa's pain meds by quite a bit. It has been difficult to control her pain and even the increased meds do not give her full relief. One side effect is that she has been so sleepy and has spent most of the day in her bedroom in bed. Lisa loves to be around friends and family, so they brought back the hospital bed and put it in place of a chair in the living room. That way Lisa can drift in and out of sleep but can still be part of what ever is going on.

Over this last week Lisa has been sleeping more and more. They have upped her medications for seizures and her headaches and this has really knocked her out. She has also been dealing nausea and keeping her food down. The combination of a headache and getting sick to your stomach is so miserable. Please pray for comfort for Lisa.

campin in the back yard!

If you can't go camping then bring the camping to you!

Lisa's doctor asked Lisa what she would like to do and she answered "go camping!' Well the doc wasn't thrilled about okaying that so what's a girl to do???? make the most of it and camp in the back yard! Yesterday the Harder's and friends has a big BBQ in the backyard. There was food, fire, singing and even some fireworks! But best of all a dusk they set up a tent and Lisa and her dad and cousin slept outside. Dusty even brought his camper into the back yard and slept in that next to the tent! I checked in with them after a cozy night of sleeping in my own comfy bed and they did indeed sleep outside the whole night! Way to go Lisa. That girl knows how to have fun!

As I wrote before Lisa has some good times and some very hard times. It is getting continually harder to keep her pain under control. When Hospice asked her the other day how her headache was, on a scale from 1 to 5, Lisa repsonded that it was a 5. They are really trying to do what they can to keep her comfortable so that she can sleep at night and be around friends and family during the day. Yesterday she was having a hard time keeping food down. But, though all this Lisa has still puts others first and been so strong. When she gets sick and Gail has to tend to her, Lisa's first reaction is to apploigize. Just a sample of her "sweet heart!"

Lisa, if you are reading this I know your mom would do anything in the world for you...you are so loved.
It meant so much that you came over to Connor's grad party yesterday. I know you would have loved to stay, but thanks for stopping by and bringing the drawing of my dad.

MRI

Yesterday the Doctors decided to do another MRI on Lisa because they wanted to see how they could best help control her pain and side effects. Lisa is frustrated because she is getting so confused and has times that she is sort of just in a daze. She feels she has no control over this, but knows it is happening. As I mentioned before, she is also having seizures from time to time and the pain in her head is overwhelming at times. They found areas of swelling in her brain and now understand  how to help Lisa be more comfortable. As they deal with all these symptom they also have to deal with the fear that comes along with them and the unknown. Pls pray for peace and calmness for the whole family.

There have not been any significant changes in Lisa's health. She has some good days and some bad. The newest thing is that she is haveing some siezures. The first few really caught them off guard and were very frightening. Now it seems Lisa can tell if one is coming on and they give her some medication and they try to work through it. It seems that they are still having a hard time getting her pain completely under control. Hospice is working with them and they have changed her "cocktail" a few times to see what works for Lisa. Lisa does like to visit with people, but she can only enjoy it for a short time, so if you want to give them a call to make sure it is a good time, they would love to see you.

Thank you so much to those of you who have already helped with meal and other ways. It means more to the Harders than you can imaging. We have gone through the first schedule of meals and I would like to set up a few more weeks...So if you would like to do that shoot me an e-mail. sheriestom@comcast.net and I will plug you into a spot.

Thanks

Lisa has had some serious ups and downs over the last couple days. The other day she almost seemed like her old self, but yesterday she really struggled. She had a couple seizures and it left her left hand and foot numb. Hospice came in today and worked with her. They upped her pain meds again hoping that she will get some well needed sleep. They have ordered her to strict bed rest with no visitors until Thursday when they get to meet with her again her again.

Lisa has been such a fighter and an example of strength and faith to people. I still see that in her and know that even though she is in so much pain she still wants to be around her family and friends and get the most out of life she can. You go girl!

They seem to have Lisa's pain under control and she is a new girl! I stopped by for a bit yesterday and Lisa was interacting and smiling with us. Today she even went to get her toes painted. It is amazing what a little relief from pain can do.

Hospice asked Lisa if there was anything else they could do for her, and her main request was to get rid of the hospital bed and give her back her own bed! Well that was an easy request and now she will sleep a little better, we hope.

Lisa is able to have visitors again now that they have her feeling better again. Thanks for understanding.

I just need to add that they are requesting no visitor for about 3 days. They want Lisa to be still and have quiet to help get her pain under control.

Thanks so much.

Lisa has been in alot of pain today. She has stayed in bed and the pain meds have not really been enough to cut her headache. Hospice came in to see what they could do and they are trying a few things to see if she can get some relief. It is so hard to see her in pain. They would appreciate all your prayers.

Thanks

I know alot of you are wondering how Lisa is doing....the answer is, we really are not sure. There has not really been alot of change this last week. Hospice is still coming in and helping the family with Lisa's care, but because she no longer goes to the doctor the family really is not sure what is happening medically. There will be no more treatments to they try to stay on top of her pain. Sometimes she has really bad headaches and other times she says she doesn't have any pain. She has been out of bed alot more now and sits on the couch and can watch some TV. She communicates, but sometimes random things are said. She needs someone with her at all times and is not herself. This has been going on for 2 weeks now, longer that some of the doctors thought it could. They are thankful for everyday they have with Lisa. Family has been close and helped out so much. Gail's sister came up from Calf. and will get to stay for a couple months, so that will be so helpful. Thank you so much to all of you who have helped the Harders in so many ways. They hope to someday thank you all personally.

The long memorial Day weekend has been nice because alot of family from out of town have had the chance to come visit. The Harders has a BBQ yesterday and Lisa was able to sit, all wrapped up in blankets, in her wheel chair for a least a couple hours. We ate, talked, and even sang a few songs at Lisa's request!

Thank you to all the people who have contacted me about meals and other ways to help. As of right now we have meals lined up for a three weeks. I don't want to schedule out any farther than that, but will probably do more in a week or two. People have been so generous and they are so thankful.

They know so many of you are praying faithfully for the family and Lisa and have been for the whole 3 years. These last few weeks have been very hard and have been a roller coaster of emotions. It is so nice to know that so many people are supporting them. Lisa has touched more lives that they will ever know.

The Harders are not asking for this...but I just want to let you know (and some of you have asked)... There is an account open at West Coast Bank where donations can be made in Lisa's name. Just go into a branch and say you want to make a donation for Lisa harder.( There is a branch in West Salem by Roths.)

Private Concert

Not alot has changed with Lisa. She has her good times and bad times. Hospice has been out several times to check on Lisa and they just helped figure out what kind of pain meds Lisa should be on because apparently she has been in quite a bit of pain.

But tonight she had a special treat! Logan Martin, one of Lisa's favorite singers, along with his friend Dan came to Lisa's bedside and sang several of her favorite songs. She enjoyed it by singing along to some songs and closing her eyes to others. We all got to share the treat with her by standing around her bed. What a blessing...Thank you for doing that for Lisa.

Dinner

I have been thinking....

It would really be helpful if we could set up some meals for the Harders. They have had a few brought over, but nothing is officially set up. With so many people dropping by there is no time or room or energy to cook.

If you would be willing to help in that area pls send me an email at sheriestom@comcast.net

Other suggestions: Bottled water, other drinks, snack food, cookies, fruit, toilet paper (lots of people over!) paper products and plastic silverware, food gift cards so they can just run and get something if needed, things that can be frozen, etc.
Once I get some names I will set up a chart.

Thanks, Sherie Stombaugh

Lot of love

Not alot has changed in the last couple days. Hospice did come over and assessed Lisa and their home so that they would be prepared to help the Harders in the best way that they could. They moved out Lisa's bed and brought in a hospital bed so that they could raise and lower Lisa's head with out having to put 5 pillows under her head. They took care of a few other issues and are just a phone call away if needed.

Lisa has had a constant stream of friends and family visiting her. Sometimes she is aware and interacts with her eyes and small hand movements and other times she just lowers her eyes and kind of checks out. They brought the horses over yesterday, and as the horses stood (and pooped) by the front door they wheeled Lisa out in a wheelchair to see them. They really could not tell what Lisa was thinking. She seemed a little confused, but I bet she was just sad. These horses have been her buddies for many years and Lisa got alot of joy of riding them and brushing them. Many times I would look out my front window and see Lisa walking the horses from down the street to her house to eat the good green grass in her field.

There have been some very tender moments between Lisa and her brothers. The big brothers who like tease have been by her side with loving words and also gentle teasing, and I could tell Lisa liked. Must have brought back old memories! Her old buddy Connor has been able to coax alot of activity out of Lisa too. They spent alot of time reminiscing about the things they used to do around the acres. He would tell a story and ask" remember that?" and Lisa would nod that she did remember. All 3 of these guys have given Lisa several foot rubs....that is a sweet sight to see this gentle side of all of them.

They really are not sure what the next week or 2 will hold. They are praying that Lisa will not be in pain. We know that she is dealing with some, but does not want to take medication. If you are able to stop by and see Lisa that would be nice. If you would like to send her a message you can send it to my e-mail and I will print it off her them :sheriestom@comcast.net.

Thanks, Sherie

Hospice

Things have not really improved for Lisa. Infact it has really gotten worse. Today they called Hospice to come in and help them set up some things so that Lisa will be more comfortable. She now has a hospital bed so they an elevate her head and they put in a catheter so they don't have to carry her to the bathroom any more.

It has been really hard to see Lisa take such a turn so fast. So many friends and family have been over to visit and see Lisa. Lisa is not able to talk to them, but alot of the time she knows who is there to see her. They think that this turn happened after radiation when her brain swelled up so much. Her brain shifted in her head and as the swelling lessened it seemed that the brain was damaged from that shifting. At first they thought it was the medication, and that might have been part of it, but now they can see that it was more than the meds.

Tomorrow her neighbor Larry will bring down Lisa's favorite horse Rio, and they plan to take her outside if they can so that Lisa can see her. I think I saw a little spark in Lisa eye when they told her that. She has several pictures of Rio around her room.

The Harders are dealing with the fact that Lisa will not be long on this earth. I believe Lisa is ready to see Jesus. She has fought so hard for her life and she didn't waste a minute of it. She was eager to tell others to be positive and to love Jesus. We will never know how many lives she has touched in her short years. Pray for them all as they make plans and spend every precious moment with Lisa.

On Wednesday when Lisa went to the hospital to start her 2nd round of chemo things went a little differently than expected. Lisa was not feeling well and had not been herself for several days. She has been on a very heavy dose of steroids to prevent brain swelling and the side effects of the drug make her feel crazy. When I saw her on Mothers Day she mostly stared ahead but then fixated on something and was not rational about it. The family did manage to go out to dinner, but Lisa was not able to relax or eat much. The next day she was much better and they felt like they had "Lisa back", but it didn't last long. So when they went to the hospital Wednesday she was back in her daze and weak. This is when something happened that I have not seen in Lisa before...She refused chemo and said she was done. This chemo that she was taking is an experimental chemo and when you miss a scheduled chemo there is no going back and making it up. You are out of the program. So they signed the release papers and headed home. Lisa was very tired and wanted to give up. There were tears from all in the car as they headed home.

Their doctor in Salem will be their main contact now and he is telling Lisa to keep fighting. They believe the steroids have alot to do with her state of mind, and they are weaning her off them, but they are also not sure if it is a combination of her other drugs to they are trying to get her off most of them to see if there is a change.

Wednesday to today (Fri) Lisa has mostly laid in bed, eating very little and mostly in a daze. There have been, however, a couple very emotional physical reactions that Lisa has had today. She must be having some sort of hallucinations during these times and she is not sure if the people she loves the most are really who they say they are and she tries to escape or hurt herself. This is so scary and draining on everyone.

Gordan and Gail are getting sleep deprived because even though Lisa is in a daze alot, she sleeps very little and they don't know weather she will have a hallucination. They know they need to keep up their sleep so that they can care for Lisa, so they are working on getting some kind of schedule so at least someone is with Lisa and someone sleeps.

Today the principal from West High and some others came to visit Lisa and awarded her with her high school diploma. School has meant so much to Lisa, and any time she was able to go to class she was there. Her last report card she had straight A's. It is possible to graduate early after your Jr. year and Lisa earned that at West High.

They are no quite sure why Lisa all of a sudden has taken this turn. We are hoping it is the meds messing with her head, because the tumor in her brain has not grown, in fact it shrunk a little. So they are a little surprised.

So many of you have been faithful to pray for Lisa and the family. They have felt the peace that God has given them, but if Lisa continues to decline they will need extra support. I know many of you will want to help where you can. I will check with the family and see if anyone has organized any additional support item and let you know if and where help is needed.

Update: Lisa and her family are on the way home!! The MRI showed some improvement from the last scan with swelling going down!! Yeah!! Between that and Lisa beginning to come off her steroids she should continue to feel better and have fewer side effects. Next round of chemo is still on for tomorrow at 1:30!!

Thanks for taking a moment to pray for Lisa and her family. They're at OHSU awaiting some tests to be done. We aren't sure yet if they'll be admitting her or not. When we saw Lisa today she continues to ask for prayer for healing, hope & positivity, rest and sleep... Thanks for praying that for her...

Tomorrow Lisa will start round 2 of this new chemo. The chemo has not been giving her any problems, but the steroids that she is taking to keep the swelling down in her brain is really bothering her. Beside the side effect of a puffy face, it is making her really zone out. She has fallen a couple of times and is in a daze alot. She forgets how to do everyday tasks and is very emotional. They are trying to ween her off of them but can not do it very quickly.
I believe that after this round of chemo they will do some more testing to see how things are going.

They had a nice Mother's Day, got to get the whole family together for dinner out and a good time visiting.
Hope you all had a good Mother's day too!

Lisa and her family got the call this morning that she's got final approval to begin her chemo treatment!! Yeah!!! We're waiting on final details about when treatment will begin, but being through this season of waiting is a gift!! Thanks for continuing to pray for Lisa's healing...for wisdom for the doctors...for strength and hope for Lisa & her family.

Thank you for being such an encouragment to Lisa and the Harders. They are truly grateful for your prayers and support.

UODATE:

I just ran into Lisa and Gail at the grocery store...they got the call that chemo will start tomorrow at 1:30. Seems odd to be so happy about chemo but right now that is Lisa hope to healing! Whoot!

This week has been full of ups and downs. Last Friday the Harder's found out that the insurance company would not pay for Lisa to have a chance to try an experimental chemo. This was devastating news as it was the only treatment that the doctors could come up with. The doctors told them that they would put their heads together and see what they could so. It ended up that on thur. they got a call from the doctors and were told that both doctors spent over an hour on the phone with the insur. company and talked them into covering the cost of the chemo. What a relief and answer to prayer! But...now they are having a little issue with the chemo company. Lisa is waiting to see if they will accept her. She has been feeling weak and her legs have been giving out. She has actually fallen a couple times this week. The Chemo company is concerned about how weak she is and the swelling she has in her brain from the radiation. On monday they want Lisa to come up to the hospital and have a physical. They will determine by mid week what they will do. So pray for Lisa and the doctors and the chemo makers. We all know prayer changes things.

A blog from Lisa:

We have had good news even in the bad circumstances these last couple days.. We are staying positive even though it is hard and ultimately letting God hold everything in his hands and taking and remembering to take one day at a time. At this point my brain has a lot of swelling and thats why i get pain and pressure in my head, neck, and back areas because of bending pulling straining. so i have to be very careful what i do and not do too much or get up too fast. Relaxing is key haha again i have an amazing family doctor who is our angel and he's talking with doctors up in portland. Thank u so much for continued prayers for our family and friends! God Bless

a message from Gail:

Good news, no new growth in the tumor. Lisa has lots of fluid building up so she is back on steroids to help with pressure. The surgeon thinks the swelling will go down with steroids, so no surgery. We will start chemo next Monday or Wed. Doc will let us know this afternoon. We are so thanful for the good news and all of the prayers.

Lisa has really not been feeling well. Her headaches have been getting more frequent and she feels weak. They took her in for a MRI yesterday afternoon and are going to meet with the doctors this morning to see what the results are. Gail requests that you pray for peace for Lisa.

(and of course the family too).

new post from Lisa on facebook

Had a great day went to church,spent time with the family and it was a beautiful day I am getting better and better thanks to my family dr in Salem. Thank u for prayers I really needed them and now I am back on the right track. Scans on April 18th is next thank u God Bless

This is what Lisa wrote on face book yesterday! Sounds like she is making it through radiation with a smile! Amazing girl, that Lisa is!

Last radiation!! An then Marykate is staying till Wednesday.?.? and have lots of fun things planned so excited have a lot of energy and ready to kill this cancer!!! Thank u for continued prayers for David, Frida, Denton and I they really help!!! God Bless u all ! Have a wonderful beautiful day!!!

Lisa has had 2 radiation treatments so far and will have another one tomorrow. She is doing really well. She has not been sick or had any severe swelling. They did say though that as the radiation treatments progress the side effects could get worse. Hopefully she will continue to do well. She certainly has been on a cleaning mode though...her room is all organized and she is going through her drawers and closet. A girl with a mission!

radiation

Lisa is having her first round of radiation today. They took care of all the prep for this last week and she will just stay a few hours up there today if all goes well. The doctors said that they are in uncharted waters doing this radiation. They have never seen this type of cancer go to the brain. Normally radiation does not work on ostio sarcoma( not sure of the spelling) but then again Lisa's case is not the normal scenario, so they are willing to try this to see how it reacts. They have told them there is the possibility that Lisa's brain could swell after the radiation. If that happens she will likely have to go into emergency surgery to put a stint in to releave some of the pressure. If all goes well she will have radiation on Mon, Wed, and Fri of next week also.

If after these rounds of radiation they feel like the tumor has been killed they will try an experimental type of radiation.

I know it seems like Lisa has just gone through too much, but she is such a fighter....she just keeps telling the doctors that she wants to live and that they need to fight this aggressively.

Well Lisa is on her way back to Deornbacher. She headaches had been persisting at home and so they wanted her to come back up to do another MRI at 3:45. They did just have one the other day so I am not sure why they need another one, but I am sure they have their reasons. They also were going to touch base with the brain surgeon while they are up there.

Gail just said in her newest text that they have the brain surgeon on standby for possible surgery on Lisa depending what they find in the MRI. If they do surgery that would change all the plans they have set up for radiation on Wed.

I know it seems like alot of back and forth, but I guess that is kind of how it is when you are dealing with cancer. Gail said she would let us know when they hear anything.

coming home

Well I have some more info on Lisa. She had an MRI and they determined that she actually had 1 new tumor and a cyst. It was very hard to hear that the tumors were back and they talked very openly with them about what this meant. In Lisa style ,though, she said she wants to keep fighting and the doctors needed to check with the other doctors to see what could be done.

They have come up with a plan for her. They will do 5 rounds of radiation (they have not done that before) and then follow that up with some experimental chemo on an out patient basis. While she has been up at the hospital she has done pretty well. She is feeling a little weak but has been sleeping well.
Today they will go to the radiation ward and get all set up to start radiation on Wed. So because Lisa has passed all the medical tests that they have given her so they released her to go home. She is on a bunch of medications but glad to be able to get back home.
They want to thank all of you for your prayers and concerns. They are entering a new phase and new treatments, but very glad there are still options.

Tonight Lisa will have a MRI. They expect it to take about 1 1/2 hrs. They are all pretty scared and worried. The doctors are not saying encouraging things to them but the will find out alot more tomorrow.

Bad news

Well they got the results of the scan back... It shows 3 new tumors and they are bleeding. Lisa is feeling so sick and has been throwing up all day.

They are admiting her to the hospital right away so the Harders are driving up to Deornbecher. Lisa will be in ICU on the 8th floor. I don't think she can have visitors in ICU but they really would appreciate prayers. I haven't heard what they plan on doing to help treat this, but as I hear I will update.

Prayer

I got a text this morning that Lisa has been having alot of pain in her head. The Dr. in Salem is suspicious that her tumor is back so they are going to do another scan. It was not very long ago that they did the last scan and it was clear, so hopefully it is not the tumor.
Either way Lisa's head has been hurting alot and they would appreciate prayer.

praise!

Yesterday Lisa had her scheduled scan of her brain to see if the cancer had come back, and PRAISE....the scan was clear.

Now they will be able to see the Dr. to see about getting the screw repaired in her shoulder that has been causing her problems.

Lisa just got back from an amazing trip with 20 other kids. She was chosen by Deornbecher to go on a trip to New Orleans, and she says it was the trip of a life time. They kept them busy seeing the sites and she even got to meet Kevin Bacon.

If you remember Lisa was having alot of pain in her arm and they determined that a screw was loose. They are also saying that her arm has not ever fully fused together. On Feb. 22 Lisa will see the Dr. to talk about what they are going to do to help reconstruct her shoulder and she will also have another brain scan on that day. They are alway anxious about these scans. Please pray that they will be clear.

Well again God has answered prayers. The pain in Lisa's shoulder was a screw that had popped from her original surgery. They will need to talk to the surgeon about what they are going to do about it, but they are so thankful that it wasn't showing cancer back again. They do not see anything positive on her skull, so they will be doing another scan in a few months so they can keep an eye on it. So overall it was very good news.

Anxious times....If you recall, they saw some spots on Lisa's skull and arm when they did the full body scan last week. Her arm has been bothering her for a week or two and they are all worried about what the spots are. Lisa is having some tests done right now to see if it is cancer that has returned to her arm and brain. They are doing a different type of scan that picks up cancer and they will meet with the doctor at 9:30 for the results. They so want them to be clean. Pls pray.

Well they did get to talk to the doctor but still feel a little in the dark as to what is going on. The doctors that read the scans have said that they want to talk to the surgeon that did her original arm surgery. They think they see something in Lisa's arm and in her skull, but they will know tomorrow.

Lisa's reaction is that she wants to fight this. After they find out a little more tomorrow they all will have a meeting next week to determine the "plan".

Today Lisa will be having a full body scan to see if they can find cancer in any other parts of her body. They were very surprised to find that the cancer had moved to her head between her skull and her brain. They have not done a full scan before because they just haven't seen this in other patience. Her first scan will be at 9 this morning and then she will have 2 more. The next one will start at 10:30 and the other at noon. At 2:00pm they will have a meeting with the doctors to find out the results.
They are asking for prayer as Lisa is very nervous. Also pray that they will not find cancer in any other parts of her body.