Hello everyone!

It has been a while since I’ve updated you on Bridget. Her recovery from surgery has gone well, without any complications. A couple weeks after surgery, she returned to MD Anderson, for a follow up visit with the surgeon and Dr Ravi. The surgeon was able to remove the entire tumor with clear margins, all around the tumor. According to Dr Ravi, the pathology report indicated the tumor had partial necrosis (dead tissue noted) caused by the chemo. Dr Ravi assured Bridget that her response to chemo was as he anticipated and all is proceeded as expected. However, due to the aggressive nature of this type of cancer, further cycles of chemotherapy are necessary, in order to give Bridget the best chance of destroying any remaining cancer cells that may be present in her body.  

After her surgery, Bridget gradually recovered her strength and returned to certain activities. Due to the complexity of her surgery, she had restrictions on lifting most things, for about 6 weeks. As you can imagine, these restrictions made it challenging, in a household with 3 kids under the age of 6! As usual, Zach rose to the occasion and has been a super star dad and husband. In addition to teaching, he has figured out how to manage everyones needs, along with household needs and all the unforeseen needs that we all know pop up! We’re so grateful God has blessed Bridget and her family with such an outstanding young man! 

March madness was happening around the time Bridget was feeling well enough to go out and about the town. As many of you know, Bridget and Zach were so happy they were able to go to one of the first-round basketball games, in Omaha. It was a particularly fun and exciting outing for them. Bridget was able to cheer for her cousin, Charlie, as he played in his last collegiate basketball game of his career. Please see the pictures attached, celebrating the fun times and wonderful memories! 

Fast forwarding to today…it has been a little over 6 weeks since Bridget’s surgery and she can resume everyday activities. She was most happy to be able to pick up her children and have a snuggle whenever she wanted. They are irresistible!🥰 

Bridget has also healed well enough to start the next phase of chemo treatments. She began her first dose of chemo, Gemcitabine, on Easter Monday (4/1). Alternating with another chemo, Taxotere, the following week, which she had Monday (4/8). She will be receiving 2 cycles of these medications, which will take approximately 6 weeks. After every 2 cycles she will return to MD Anderson for follow up scans, labs and visits with Dr Ravi. She is tentatively scheduled to go to Houston, May 6th, for her first follow up, evaluating her body’s response to this new chemo. The current plan is for Bridget to receive a total of 6 cycles with the above regimen.

Holy Week and Easter coincided with Bridget’s healing and preparations for the next phase in her journey. Bridget was able to renew her strength, renew her resolve and perspective, in battling this cancer and carrying this cross, all while she was renewing her faith during the Easter season. 

All is going according to God’s plan and in His perfect timing, for Bridget. Even though we may not completely understand this phrase and have difficulty wrapping our minds around this concept, I believe that is exactly what God is calling all of us to embrace in our lives. That is, to surrender ourselves to God and trust in His divine will for Bridget and ourselves. When we practice  surrendering ourselves, we will be drawn into a closer relationship with God. Which will ultimately help us to become the holy people God has called us to be. As Fr. John Ricardo says, “We were born for this. No one is alive right now by chance. God is calling each of us into mission with unshakeable hope and confidence in Him.”

Another point, in the Bible, that helps us understand and strive to accept God’s will is St. Paul's passage in, 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 “We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely on God, who raises the dead.” That’s what God hopes we come to understand and realize. If we place our trust and confidence in Him, His grace, love and mercy will sustain us. He will give us all we need to endure these battles. In prayerful doing so, we will see the Glory of God revealed in our lives. 

In so many ways, I believe God is assuring Bridget (and us) that He is with her. She is not alone in this battle. As she weathers this storm, may we continue to walk with her, build her up with love and fun messages and stay by her side, all the while we pray and rely on God and His promises.

Let us pray, May Bridget have the strength and courage to persevere through these treatments successfully and overcome this cancer, all for the Glory of God, in the name of Jesus. Amen