This One's For Angie

Hi everyone. This is Carl. Tomorrow I will be doing something previously unthinkable. I will be running 3.11 miles of my own volition. For those of you who’ve know me long enough to hear my canned answer about running, no, it won’t be because I am being chased or because I am chasing something. It will be for a much, much better reason. That reason is our good friend Angie.

On May 17th of this year, Angie was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer. It was found because Angie was having other problems with her health, which were caused by the cancer spreading throughout her body. In their normal way, Angie and her husband Jeff knew that no problem was too big for God, and they vowed to fight and beat this cancer with His help.

We’ve known Angie and Jeff almost as long as we’ve lived in Iowa. They have been a true blessing in our lives since we first met them and they continue to be a blessing to this day. Now, though, they’ve added “inspiration” to the long list of amazing adjectives that would describe this wonderful family. On August 31st, Angie and Jeff and their family received amazing news. Angie underwent a scan to see how the chemo was working and 99% of the cancer was GONE. The doctors were amazed and said that it should have taken at least a year of chemo to get those type of results, which still might have been unlikely at that point. Obviously, Angie and Jeff and family and friends were elated, and, in typical fashion, Angie is now working to knock out that last 1%. She does so with grace, patience, and a smile always on her face. Or so Jeff writes in their online journal.

You see, one thing we haven’t been able to do for Angie and Jeff that we’ve dearly wanted to do is to be there for them in person. If you are reading this blog, you already know why. But, we have continually prayed for them all, and we are so happy with how this fight is going. That’s what leads to tomorrow. Mid-summer, Jeff announced that they would be forming a team to run in the Race For the Cure in October. I’ve never been a runner (sorry, Dr. Patterson; maybe I should have taken you up on that offer (every year) to run cross country in high school), but I felt compelled to do this to show our support for Angie. Shannon and I discussed it and she supported my running in the race. She even thought about walking it with the kids, but then we thought about how many people show up for this (estimated 25,000 this year), and decided that wasn’t really prudent.

As a result, I became the representative for our family. I started training this summer* and I have continually been aiming towards one day: tomorrow. I owe Shannon a HUGE debt of gratitude. She has taken more than her share of nights to read books at bedtime, and to generally watch over the kids while I’m out running around the neighborhood. And tomorrow, she’ll be taking care of everyone while I’m off supporting Angie. So, thank you, Shannon. I love you. And I’ll make sure Angie knows how much we love and support her.

So Angie, from all 6 of us, this one is for you. Thank you for your amazing friendship. And thank you for the inspiration you have given us in the way that you have approached this fight and in the way you are winning it. Now go knock that remaining cancer out!

* Check out the Couch to 5K program if you are sedentary (as I was) and would like to start moving more. It really works.


*While I know Jeff and Angie will appreciate any new prayers that may come their way from this post, if you also feel compelled to monetarily donate to this worthy cause, you can do so here: Carl's Race Page