Update: Cheryl Cummins 02 July 2007

Hello To All,

This is Gene Cummins writing to you all right now, as Cheryl is much to tired and is resting.

Cheryl was admitted back into the UW Hospital in Madison on Monday. As you all know her cancer is back and the cancer cells have been growing. Well this morning when we got her to Madison she had a fever of 102.4, was in a great deal of pain and because her platelets were so low, she was bleeding in spots.

Her lab's showed that the cancer continued to increase in volume and percentage of total cell count. A week ago, her cancer cells, or "Blasts" as they call them, was in the mid 900's representing 25% of her white blood cell count. Last Thursday, her "Blast" count was approximately 8,600 or 64% of her white blood cell count. Today, her "Blast" count was approximately 38,000 or 95% of her white blood cell count, which accounts for the high fever and possibly the aches and pains she is experiencing. As a result, the doctors immediately put her in the hospital and had a frank discussion with both of us.

They said that modern medicine has done all that it can for her and that it is time for her to prepare to die and that I should start contacting her family members. They gave us three options to choose from:

1. Stay here in the hospital where they would make her last days as comfortable as possible.
   
2. Go to a Hospice facility where they would make her last days as comfortable as possible.
   
3. Go home, with the assistance of Hospice to help her be as comfortable as possible.

Well, most of you know Cheryl well enough by now the choice was a simple one, she wants to go home and be surrounded by those she loves and who love her. Lord willing I will be able to bring her home on Tuesday.

Now that being said, please let me remind you that we both continue to believe in the power of prayer and in Gods ability to heal her through a miracle. As such, she hasn't thrown in the towel just yet. We both ask that you continue to pray for her when time allows.

Please note, that although our children, Emily and Michael, are fully aware of the cancers return and the fact that Cheryl is in the hospital right now, we haven't had the chance to tell them about this most recent chain of events (face to face). We will do this on Tuesday. So please don't let on about the grim nature of the news to our children, we will do this ourselves soon.

Cheryl also wants to remind all of you, that no matter the out come we need to give thanks and praise to God for the following:

• Praise for the loving spirit and helping hands from our many friends and family members, both at our Church and My work and Guards.
  
• Praise for the devoted attention to Cheryl's care while at the UW facilities. The nurses and doctors have been wonderful....almost like an extended family.
  
• Praise for the two years (almost) of additional time she has had to spend with the children, sharing is special times.
  
• Praise for the possibility of being made whole through the sacrifice of God's own son.
  
• Praise that for those of you who believe, will see her again in Heaven.
  
• Prayer for me, Michael and Emily as well as those of you who have followed her struggles that we will continue to stand firm in the belief of a sovern and loving God and stay the course.

We both want to thank all of you for supporting and loving us as long as you have. Your kind words of encouragement, cards, letters, visits and gifts have helped us more than you may ever know.

Remember that should Cheryl die, it isn't the end, but a new beginning for her where she will receive a new body with out pain and rejoice in being with our Lord.

If you want to come visit her when she is home, please call me first to arrange a time. We will work with as many of you as possible, but her focus will be spending her last days with our children.

Feel free to call me when ever you want. I would prefer on my cell phone, (608) ###-####.

Love in Christ

Gene